According to a fan page dedicated to Speedy Gonzales by Matthew Hunter, in the early 2000s Speedy Gonzales was taken off the air because "content that in any way ridiculed foreigners might be offensive to some viewers", yet he disagrees and demands Speedy return. I strongly believe Speedy Gonzales should remain a dead cartoon since it perpetuates stereotypes of Mexicans. This is evident in how the ALL the mice dress with sombreros, red handkerchiefs, a white shirt, and white trousers. This style is not inclusive of other aspects of Mexican culture such as folklorico dresses and insinuates that all Mexicans dress the same. Some of the mice binge drink and smoke. Speedy has an exaggerated Mexican accent and is a woman stealer. Despite his cuteness and being a cartoon it'll only ingrain negative stereotypes to children. I remember watching Betty Boop and thinking only "beautiful" women look like her. According to Los Angeles psychologist Robert Butterworth, '"stereotypes are ingrained when we're young"' (Fox News Article. Speedy cannot be aired.
Furthermore in the video I posted above, in the first scene the mice look on hungrily at a cheese factory since there is a fence (a border) between the mice and the factory. This is only a cartoon but the desperation to reach the other side is more than hunger for people who want to cross the US border. It seems the issue of immigration is taken lightly. Also, mice are sometimes unwelcome in people's home just as Mexicans are sometimes unwelcome in the US. Being portrayed as mice is terrible. Not to mention the careless use of Spanish. In some scenes, the mice use uncommon phrases such "hasta la bista". Overall, Speedy Gonzales does not need to make a comeback because he is an insult to my culture.
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