Letters

"I can't believe you left out Donald Duck!" Readers respond to Liz Larocca's "More Gay Cartoon Characters Revealed!"

Published February 8, 2005 9:00AM (EST)

[Read the story.]

What a wickedly smart and oddly poignant piece. It lampoons, in the most elegant way, the complete idiocy of the nutwads on the right. Cartoons don't have off-screen lives. I guess to the humor-impaired and those who are uncomfortable with their sexuality (which seems to describe the right to a T) these characters would seem suspect. To me, they are just cartoons.

After all, Mr. Dobson, sometimes a cigar is just a cigar.

-- Cathy Bishop

Salon has performed the Lord's work in exposing the vile sinfulness of the cartoon characters that pollute our tender children with their evil hidden agenda. But you mustn't stop there. How about comic book characters like Batman and Robin? Or Barney Google and Snuffy Smith? To say nothing of Wonder Woman, Brenda Starr and "Dick" Tracy. And while you're at it, isn't it time someone blew the whistle on Winnie the Pooh and Christopher Robin? Has anyone looked hard at Alice? Or Cinderella? It's no wonder we've been overrun by gays and lesbians. Kids have been proselytized to for generations by these immoral doodles.

-- Patrick Blake

I'm very happy that Snagglepuss and Huckleberry Hound have had a long and happy life together. Though I was surprised about Huck, Puss wasn't fooling anyone.

As for the rest, come on! Who wasn't gay at Warner Bros. back in the day? Bugs and Daffy acted like an old married couple (probably because they are). And Yosemite Sam? Please. What was that mustache about?

Finally, I want to tell the world who my first gay role model was, dating back to when I was a wee lad. Not Ernie. Not Bert. Not Big Bird (a true gender-bender predating "SNL's" Pat by decades). No. It was little Grover. Wonderfully campy, bitchy Grover. When he told Kermit, "I'm not strong, but I'm wiry," I knew he was secretly speaking for me as well.

-- Gregory Russell

How in the world could you miss Heckle and Jeckle? They're about as queeny as two birds can get.

-- Jan Kurth

Don't forget the gayest cartoon of them all: Bugs Bunny. Why do you think Elmer Fudd pursues him so avidly? Sure, Fudd says he wants to kill Bugs, but when he finally does in "What's Opera, Doc?" he is heartbroken. Seems like a classic case of redirected affection to me.

-- Jon Campbell

Nah, Bugs wasn't gay. The cross-dressing thing was just an act for him. Donald Duck, on the other hand -- I can't believe you left out Donald Duck!

Also, I wish you'd left out the part about Fred and Scooby. To suggest such a thing is just beastly.

As for SpongeBob and his pal: Their characters are emotionally still children. They're "presexual" -- they're at that stage where boys have other boys as "best friends." Anyone who presumes these characters are having sex has their own set of problems.

-- Mark Ingebretsen


By Salon Staff

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