Bugs Bunny Nips the Nips

We are in a time now in which it is socially correct to "sweep under the rug" any material which may be uncomfortable. "Bugs Bunny Nips The Nips" certainly fits this bill. The stereotypes of Imperial Japanese soldiers are vicious, with depictions of Japanese as coke-bottle-glasses-wearing "Mr. Motos." It goes without saying that in this day and age this treatment is by no means pleasant, proper, called for, or tolerable from anyone calling themselves a thinking person. That having been said, We shouldn't discard this document as casually as we would anti-foreigner canards from the far right today. "Bugs Bunny..." was produced during the Second World War, at a time in which the United States was battling against Japan. It should be shown in classes to foster discussion on the origins and dissemination of racial stereotypes during a time of war.

Bugs bunny nips the nips is a 1944 cartoon, it is about bugs bunny in a box in the Pacific Ocean, and then it lands to Japan, then he ends up in a bush with a Japanese person, who tries to kill him, but then bugs bunny dresses up as a general, tricking him, however he isn't tricked, he then flies on a plane to chase bugs bunny, but the plane crashes, so he parachutes, then bugs gives him a anvil, this is half of the story, but I'm not gonna say the other half for spoliers, my opinion of it, I don't think it's Xenophobic but rather fascist phobic, if I was Japanese and I watched it I would not care as bugs bunny outwitted horrible humans in the cartoon, and bugs is a mischievous, sometimes sadistic rabbit, but here, he's a American marine, but still a slightly sadistic trickster.

When this cartoon starring Bugs Bunny was released the United States were in a war with Japan and that is something you must keep in mind while watching it. Every couple of seconds the cartoon makes fun of the Japanese and I must admit it is very funny, although very discriminating.

Bugs Bunny floats somewhere in the pacific when he sees land. He thinks it is a quiet island but it is filled with Japanese warriors. First a small soldier, who keeps talking 'Japanese' the entire time, wants to kill Bugs and after he fails a very big one tries to do the same. Of course Bugs will win. After this he faces an entire army but with a smart plan he wins that battle as well. Especially this part is not very nice to Japanese people, although it will make you laugh. Again, the United States were in a war with Japan and even now people make fun about others when they are in war with them.

Our favorite looney tune is cruising somewhere on the pacific ocean, finally hitting some beautiful peaceful island... until a Japanese soldier comes up and they have a fight, first on the ground, then up in the air. Bugs gives him some heavy bomb (at least that's what I think it was) so the crazy Japanese guy falls down. Bugs: 'Happy landing'!

Then he takes on a sumo wrestler and in the end serves grenade-filled icecreams to, as he puts it, 'Japs, hundreds of them!'.

As you probably understand, this is propaganda and nothing else. Some would call it racist or whatever but you probably have to consider the time it was made in. There are better propaganda movies though as this is just a bit of a silly one...

4/10.

Yes, this cartoon can be offensive to Japanese people now and then. However, please take into consideration that this cartoon was propaganda. Propaganda is not supposed to be politically correct. It is supposed to make the viewer have a certain view on a certain issue. This was made when the United States was at war with Japan. And I believe every country involved in World War II had its propaganda cartoons. Countries produce propaganda cartoons and animated things when there is a strong backing throughout the country of that view. World War II had strong backing everywhere. There has been no war since that has been so strongly backed by the public so we have not seen such racist propaganda. Do understand that this short was developed to make people dislike the Japanese. I think it was good propaganda for its time. We don't believe it now because we're not at war with Japan and we have gotten over those stereotypes. However, at the time, people believed that. I think it might be offensive if you take it as a short made with no purpose. But if you understand that its propaganda and understand what that means, its not offensive at all.