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https://theconversation.com/andale-arriba-speedy-gonzales-set-to-make-his-triumphant-return-to-the-silver-screen-278753>
"“¡Ándale! ¡Ándale! ¡Arriba! ¡Arriba!”
Meaning “hurry up, let’s go,” the trademark slogan of Speedy Gonzales was, for
generations of children, the first Spanish words they learned.
But by the 1980s,
ABC had pulled his cartoons due to concerns that his dress,
accent and characters like his cousin, Slowpoke Rodriguez, were insensitive
toward Mexicans and Mexican Americans. The
Cartoon Network followed suit in
1999.
I’ve studied and written about the history of animation, including how
characters have been received around the world. Though rooted in a
well-intentioned effort at cultural sensitivity, taking Speedy Gonzales off the
air was a step too far for many viewers. He was one of the few cartoon
characters rooted in Mexican identity, and he’d become a cultural icon across
all of Latin America. The ensuing uproar in the wake of his cancellation
prompted the
Cartoon Network to reinstate the cartoon mouse in 2002.
With Warner Bros. greenlighting a new Speedy Gonzales movie in January 2026,
the character’s redemption arc appears complete."
Share and enjoy,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
