Do you remember
the old Bugs Bunny Nips the Nips from
1944? The anniversary of its release date is actually this month! This cartoon
was created during WWII and thus strongly reflects the United States’ attitude
toward Japan at the time, showing Bugs Bunny’s dehumanization of the Japanese
soldiers. In his article titled “Reading Wagner in Bugs Bunny Nips the Nips (1944)” Neil Lerner mentions that the title
of the cartoon itself is significant in referencing the slang term in the U.S.
for Japanese people as well as the verb for “bite.” The cartoon also significantly
uses two Wagner quotations from Die Walküre.
Take a glance at
the cartoon here before reading further.
Before discussing
the significance in the use of Wagner, it is first important to note how the
Japanese are portrayed. The Japanese soldiers all appear with buck teeth and
barefoot and Bugs refers to them using names such as “Monkey Face” and “Slant
Eyes.” They are also depicted as lacking intelligence as Bugs seems to rule
over them as he hands out ice cream treats that contain explosives. Bugs Bunny
was a well-known character by this time who always acted in retaliation to
being provoked. He always came out on top in the end, his opponents being
inferior to him. These traits are important in paralleling the action of the
cartoon to real-world relations between the U.S. (represented by Bugs Bunny)
and Japan.
Looking at the
music, the first Wagner quotation occurs when Bugs is declaring that he cannot
stand peace and quiet following the removal of the Japanese from the island. Here,
notice an excerpt from the third act of Die
Walküre, the “Ride of the Valkyries.” The quotation of “Ride of the
Valkyries” refers to the Valkyries in Wagner’s opera taking the fallen warriors
to Valhalla. This is ironic in that Bugs
“did not view the Japanese soldiers as honorable warriors worthy of an
afterlife paradise,” as stated by Lerner in his article.
The second Wagner
quotation occurs when Bugs spots the U.S. ship coming his way and yells that he
is now saved. “The tragic motif” from Die
Walküre is heard possibly relating Siegfried’s name, (meaning peace through
victory) to Bugs’ situation.
What are your
thoughts on this cartoon? Do you think the use of Wagner effectively parallels
the narrative?
