Porky's Romance

Leon Schlesinger presents new Looney Tunes star, Petunia Pig. She is a little 'over-excited' in introducing the short "Pork's Romance". Porky Pig buys flowers and candy for Petunia. She throws him out until she sees the box of candy.

Petunia does not come off well although the ending does leave it all up in the air. No matter what, there is no need to kick the dog. It is a poor start for Petunia in her debut. She does stay on with Porky although she's not a well-known name. Porky has always been alone to me. They have to do better for starting a romance and a character debut. The premise is not necessarily funny.

While not one of my favourites from Porky Pig or Frank Tashlin, 'Porky's Romance' is still a good example of what makes Porky a likable character and why Tashlin is so under-appreciated.

Am not crazy about the character of Petunia, it is very clear why she's like that and it is also clear that it is intentional, but one can't help thinking that even for what the cartoon was going for with her character that she was rather too cruel. Also much prefer Mel Blanc's voice work for Porky, his voice and stutter more natural and more endearing than the overdone one provided here by Joe Dougherty.

Animation on the other hand is great. The black and white colours are lovingly done, the drawing is fluid and smooth and the backgrounds have some very nice detail. The music score by Carl Stalling is bursting with lively character, beautiful orchestration, clever instrumentation and an unmatched ability to enhance the action and elevate material to a greater level.

'Porky's Romance' is not what you call a funny cartoon, it is not that kind of cartoon. What it is though is very emotionally poignant and sweet and it is very easy, well impossible not to, to relate to Porky. One really hates the amount of hate and heartbreak he endures, which makes how he has the last laugh at the end even more satisfying. Do have to agree that 'Porky's Romance' excels at how it tells its story.

Overall, a very good cartoon if not among my favourites. 8/10 Bethany Cox

This has an odd introduction as we see a stuttering "Petunia Pink" being introduced as a new star for Looney Tunes. She doesn't do well, let's just leave it at that. After that minute bit with her, the opening credits suddenly appear.

Then we see an obviously-in-love Porky buying diamond rings, candy, flowers, etc., and we hear a great song "I Want to Woo" or something with great lyrics. Pay attention to them and you'll get some laughs. Poor Porky isn't laughing, however, after he arrives at Petunia's door and gets the brush-off.

The shallow Petunia glances at Porky walking away and sees the big box of candy, runs and snatches that and Porky back to her house. She then pigs out, big-time, on the candy. Poor Porky can't share in that because Petunia's dog "Fluffnins" growls each time he reaches for a piece (of candy). Not only is Petunia bad news, so is her trained dog. In no time, heartbroken Porky is out the door while the sadistic girl he loves laughs at him. This is pretty cruel stuff.

The last half is not unusual in old cartoons: the main character has a dream where he sees the future and finds out losing his girl wasn't so bad, after all! The only funny part of this entire cartoon, frankly, was the very end when Porky gives his two cents to the dog, too. Otherwise, there isn't much to this.

Love may be blind, but some people may need it like that. Such is Porky Pig's fate in "Porky's Romance". After he goes to all the trouble to buy his dream girl Petunia flowers, candy, etc., the holier-than-thou sow rejects him. But what if she accepts him? Apparently, she and her worthless dog Fluffnins (can't these women ever give their dogs better names?) spend all day eating candy - and both growing fatter than Rush Limbaugh - while Porky is their slave.

OK, so this cartoon asserts that women are cute but shallow creeps (Petunia falls for Porky after seeing the candy), while men are angry jerks (look at what Porky does at the end). Or maybe these two are like that just for this one cartoon. Either way, it's a little bit weird, but not terrible. Maybe the Termite Terrace crowd was on the verge of finding the zany path that their cartoons would take but hadn't quite found it. I see that this got released a week or two before Daffy Duck made his debut; I guess that his debut solidified their wacky repertoire.

In this short of Looney Tunes, Porky Pig proposes to Petunia, but when she rejects him, he decides to commit suicide. However, after a failed attempt, he faints and dreams about the life he would have if he married her. His dream turns into a nightmare in which he is burdened with domestic responsibilities while Petunia is portrayed as a lazy and selfish wife. Upon waking, Porky Pig decides to run away from a possible marriage with Petunia, but not before punching the character's dog.

Negative Points:

❌ Problematic representation of relationships - The episode portrays an abusive and unequal relationship in a humorous way, which can be disconcerting for many. The vision of a lazy wife who refuses to help with household chores while her husband does all the work is stereotypical and does not match the values of respect and partnership that healthy relationships require.

❌ Dated and insensitive humor - Although the episode follows the typical Looney Tunes style, many of the humor elements present, such as the forced marriage and the negative representation of women, are outdated and could be seen as offensive or insensitive today. The view that marriage is a nightmare for the man and that the wife is a burden is outdated and does not align with contemporary values of equality and mutual respect.

❌ Avoidance of conflict and lack of development - The ending, in which Porky escapes his fate by kicking the dog and disappearing, does not resolve the emotional dilemmas or the lessons that could be learned from the episode. Instead, the story feels like a superficial avoidance of the issue and does not provide any real solutions to the issues it raises.

❌ Episode lacks depth - The initial premise of the episode could have been interesting, addressing themes such as fear of commitment or even unrealistic expectations about marriage. However, the episode does not explore these themes in depth, limiting itself to a series of superficial jokes without much meaning behind them.

Positive Points:

✅ Classic animation - As is typical of Looney Tunes cartoons from the golden age, the animation and the pacing of the jokes are well done. The technical quality of the series remains impressive, with fluid animations and funny expressions from the characters, which still manages to captivate older fans.

✅ Use of slapstick humor - The physical comedy, characteristic of the Looney Tunes universe, remains effective in some scenes. The suicide attempt and the moments when Porky tries to escape his nightmare can be interpreted as moments of slapstick humor, which is a trademark of the series.

Conclusion:

"Porky's Romance" is an short that, although technically well produced and with some classic comedy moments, fails to deliver a healthy or constructive message. The premise has the potential to explore marriage and relationships in a more complex way, but it ends up becoming a caricature of an abusive and unequal relationship. The lack of sensitivity to gender issues and couple dynamics may make many viewers uncomfortable. While the animation and humor style are still captivating, the episode has aged poorly and offers no constructive lessons.

📌 Verdict: A dated and insensitive episode that uses stereotypes and shoddy humor to create a plot that fails to do justice to the complexity of relationships and human emotions.