Southern Fried Rabbit

"Southern Fried Rabbit" contains a scene that we probably wouldn't want to show nowadays: Bugs Bunny in black-face pretending to be a slave. But other than that, it's a really funny cartoon, as that carrot-chomping rascal ends up in Alabama and meets Yosemite Sam, a Confederate colonel under orders to kill Yankees. Sure enough, Bugs knows how to avoid getting hurt...especially if it involves Sam getting maimed.

So, if we can understand that the black-face scene (plus "war between the states", a pro-Confederate description of the Civil War) were pre-conscious manifestations of things, then this is one really hilarious cartoon. Another piece of classic animation. Abraham Lincoln would be proud.

I've long wondered how they were able to get the cross-dressing scenes past the censors.

I saw this cartoon many times growing up and I thought it was pretty funny. However, at the time, I didn't think much about the short segment where Bugs pretends to be a slave begging Yosimite Sam not to beat him!!! Talk about offensive--very offensive! But, at the time, many of us just didn't think about this. Apart from this one horrid scene, though, the rest of the cartoon is very, very funny and it's a darn shame that Time-Warner has chosen to shelve this cartoon due to the racially offensive theme. Instead, it might make a lot more sense to show it and include a prologue talking about the offensiveness of this and understanding the context for when it was made. Or (and I shudder to suggest it), just excise the tiny segment. Banning a cartoon just seems draconian and silly. If you can find it, give it a look--you can find it on Google if you type in "Bugs Bunny banned" and then clicking the video tab.

Bugs is at it again... down south, when he sees Yosemite Sam as a confederate soldier. Pretty good except for the horribly aged blackface gag.

This short is absolutely delightful! Yosemite Sam is a Confederate officer (looking remarkably youthful for someone who would be well over 100 years old) assigned to keep Yankees from coming South. Enter our intrepid hero, Bugs, stage left and much hi-jinks ensue. The close is great and probably is every Red Sox fan's secret wish. Well worth watching. Recommended.

Friz Freleng's 'Southern Fried Rabbit' is a cheap-looking, unimaginative Bugs Bunny/Yosemite Sam cartoon. Bugs reads of plentiful carrots to be had in Alabama and heads off to fill his boots, only to encounter Yosemite Sam who has sworn to prevent any Yankees from crossing the Mason Dixon line. There follows an uninspired series of gags, most of which involve Bugs disguising himself (including one of the most offensive blackface gags of them all, as Bugs impersonates a slave begging not to be whipped!). The whole set-up quickly becomes repetitive with neither character on great form but it does admittedly culminate in a funny climactic gag. This is a classic case of too little, too late, however, and 'Southern Fried Rabbit' proves to be a rather dull experience.