Claire Thompson
Pepe Le Pew is a French skunk from the Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies cartoons, who first appeared in 1945. Pepe is known for his relentless pursuit of Penelope Pussycat, a black cat who he believes is a skunk. In the short Who Scent You? Penelope tries to sneak onto a French ocean liner and accidentally gets a white stripe painted down her back. Pepe, upon seeing her, swims out to the ship, leading to a series of comedic events. This particular episode is notable for its colourful animation, well-drawn characters, and hilarious gags, especially those related to Pepe's infamous odour.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Name of the short | Who Scent You? |
| Year of release | 1960 |
| Main characters | Pepe Le Pew, Penelope Pussycat |
| Plot | Penelope wants to get aboard a French ocean liner but isn't allowed so she sneaks onto the ship. In doing so, she accidentally gets a white stripe painted down her back. Pepe sees her climbing aboard the ship and jumps into the ocean to swim out to her. |
| Creator | Chuck Jones |
| Voiced by | Mel Blanc |
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What You'll Learn
Pepe Le Pew's character traits
Pepe Le Pew is an animated French striped skunk from the Warner Bros. Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies series of cartoons, introduced in 1945. He is depicted as a hopeless romantic, always in search of love and the pursuit of romance. However, his offensive skunk odour, self-delusion, and overly persistent manner often cause other characters to run away from him.
Pepe's character is often seen as problematic due to his harassing clearly unwilling women, with his pursuits being viewed as a form of stalking and implied sexual assault. He is also criticised for his inability to take no for an answer, as he constantly chases after female characters who are trying to get away from him. Despite this, Pepe remains cheerful and dominant in his pursuits, often speaking in a pseudo-French or Franglais manner.
In the short "Who Scent You?" Pepe pursues Penelope Pussycat, a female black cat who has accidentally gotten a white stripe painted down her back, causing Pepe to mistake her for a skunk. He jumps into the ocean to swim out to her on a ship and continues to chase her aboard, even though she is clearly trying to get away. In another short, "Really Scent," Pepe tries to remove his odour by locking himself in a deodorant plant to make himself more appealing to Penelope, but she instead makes her own odour to match her skunk-like appearance and aggressively pursues him.
Despite the criticisms of Pepe's character, some viewers interpret his persistence as a positive message that "some women like to feel desired and chased." Pepe's character is also defended by his creator, Chuck Jones, who stated that Pepe was based on his own personality as a shy young man and not intended to promote unacceptable behaviour.
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The ship setting
The music in 'Who Scent You?' is outstanding, with lush orchestration, recognisable old favourites, and a charming French style that reminds viewers of the time and place. The cartoon moves briskly and never feels dull, with the humour and gags landing well. The short also features the incomparable Mel Blanc as Pepe Le Pew and Penelope, with the voice acting contributing to the entertainment value of the cartoon.
Overall, the ship setting in 'Who Scent You?' provides a unique backdrop for the typical Pepe Le Pew storyline, with the French ocean liner enhancing the humour and entertainment value of the short.
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Penelope's pursuit of Pepe
Pepe Le Pew is a French-American anthropomorphic striped skunk, first introduced in 1945. He is a hopeless romantic, but his offensive odour and aggressive pursuit of love often chase characters away. Typically, Pepe is in pursuit of a female black cat, whom he mistakes for a skunk. This cat is known as Penelope Pussycat, and she often has a white stripe painted down her back, usually by accident.
In the short "Who Scent You?" Penelope wants to get aboard a French ocean liner but is not allowed to, so she decides to sneak onto the ship. In doing so, she accidentally gets a white stripe painted down her back. When Pepe sees her climbing aboard, he jumps into the ocean and swims out to her. The rest of the short consists of the usual chase aboard the ship, but this time, it is Penelope who is chasing Pepe.
In another short, "Really Scent", Pepe locks himself in a deodorant plant so that Penelope will like him. However, Penelope decides to make her own odour match her appearance by locking herself in a Limburger cheese factory. Now more forceful and demanding, Penelope quickly corners Pepe, who wants nothing more than to escape. Unfortunately, Penelope will not take "no" for an answer and chases Pepe off into the distance.
In his initial cartoon, "Odor-able Kitty", Pepe unwittingly pursues a red tabby cat who has intentionally disguised himself as a skunk to scare off a bunch of characters who have mistreated him. In "Scent-imental Over You", Pepe pursues a female Chihuahua who has donned a skunk pelt, mistaking it for a fur coat. At the end of the short, she removes the pelt, revealing that she is a dog.
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Pepe's odour
Pepe Le Pew is an animated French striped skunk from the Warner Bros. Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies series of cartoons, introduced in 1945. Pepe's odour is a key aspect of the character and the humour in his cartoons. It is often referred to as putrid or offensive, and it typically causes other characters to run away from him. In the short "Who Scent You?" from 1960, the entire crew and passengers of a ship react hilariously when they realise a skunk is on board. In another short, "Odor-able Kitty", Pepe pursues a red tabby cat who has intentionally disguised himself as a skunk, complete with the scent of Limburger cheese, to scare off other characters.
While Pepe's odour is a key source of comedy in the cartoons, it has also been criticised as contributing to the character's problematic nature. Pepe has been accused of harassing clearly unwilling women, with his odour and aggressive pursuit of love chasing most characters away from him. The female characters in his films often flee from him, and his behaviour is sometimes seen as a form of stalking and implied sexual assault.
Despite the criticisms, Pepe Le Pew and his distinctive odour have left a lasting impression on audiences, with some fans appreciating the humour and entertainment value of the cartoons, particularly the French puns and jokes related to Pepe's odour.
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The French language
Pepe Le Pew is an animated French striped skunk in Warner Bros.' Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies series of cartoons. He was introduced in 1945 and is a hopeless romantic, always in search of love and romance. However, his offensive skunk odour and aggressive pursuit of love often cause other characters to run away from him.
In the cartoons, a kind of pseudo-French or Franglais is spoken. This is done primarily by adding the French article 'le' to English words, such as "le skunk de pew", or by creatively mangling English expressions and French syntax, such as "My sweet peanut of brittle" and "Come to me, my little melon-baby collie!".
In the 1960 short "Who Scent You?", Pepe Le Pew finds himself on a French ocean liner. The cartoon features the usual French puns and jokes about Pepe's odour, as well as the typical colourful animation and well-drawn characters and backgrounds. The French style of the cartoon adds to the humour and charm of the story.
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Frequently asked questions
The Pepe Le Pew short where he is on a ship is called "Who Scent You?".
In "Who Scent You?", Penelope Pussycat wants to get on a French ocean liner but is not allowed to board. She accidentally gets a white stripe painted on her back while trying to sneak onto the ship. Pepe Le Pew sees her and swims out to her. The rest of the short follows the usual formula of Pepe chasing Penelope, except in this short, she is chasing him.
"Who Scent You?" features colourful animation, well-drawn characters and backgrounds, and timeless gags and humour. The music is outstanding, with lush orchestration, recognisable old favourites, and a charming French style.
Some other Pepe Le Pew shorts include "Odor-able Kitty", "Really Scent", "For Scent-imental Reasons", "Past Perfumance", "Scent-imental Over You", and "Cock of the Walk".
