Bunny Hugged is a 1951 Merrie Melodies short directed by Chuck Jones.
Plot
A wrestling match pits professional wrestler Ravishing Ronald, "a de-natured boy", against current champion, The Crusher. Bugs, the mascot of Ravishing Ronald, says, "It's a living," and watches from a corner as The Crusher uses Ronald, tied up in his own hairnet, as a punching bag. Worried that he's losing his "bread and butter", Bugs enters the match as "The Masked Terror", wearing a mask over his face. The Crusher sees the new opponent as "fresh meat", disposes of Ronald, whose signs "HELP", "SOS", and "FOUL" go unanswered, and goes after Bugs.
Bugs tries to wrestle Crusher, but Crusher is able to knock him around and send Bugs flying into the audience. When he's quickly pinned between Crusher's legs, Bugs declares "It's about time for me to employ a little stra-gedy". He then tears his mask apart, which Crusher thinks is a rip in his shorts. Bugs comes back from off-screen wearing a sandwich board advertising his services as "Stychen Tyme", a tailor. While humming the tune to "Stitch in Time", Bugs jabs a needle in Crusher's backside, causing him to fly screaming through the audience.
Crusher then comes charging back, but Bugs opens a safe door, letting Crusher run through it and bounce off the ring before bouncing back into the now closed door. A now disoriented Crusher is able to be pinned, literally, as Bugs put a coat on Crusher and pins the coat to the mat. When the match ends and Bugs is declared the new champion, Crusher snaps out of it. He offers his hand to shake Bugs', despite the crowd's objections. Crusher merely growls them into silence. Bugs relents, but when Crusher tries to bite Bugs' hand, he is instead biting through a stick of dynamite, which blows up in his face. Now finally done with Crusher, Bugs tries to flex his muscle... but sees his muscle droop instead. Bugs simply accepts being weak, pushing his drooping muscle like a little swing.
Availability
The Looney Tunes Video Show Volume 18
Bugs Bunny's Wacky Adventures
Bugs Bunny's Wacky Adventures
Bugs Bunny: Winner by a Hare: 14 of Bugs Bunny's Best
Looney Tunes Collection - Bugs Bunny
Special Bumper Collection (Vol. 3)
Bugs Bunny (2003)
Looney Tunes Golden Collection: Volume 2, Disc One
Looney Tunes Platinum Collection: Volume 3, Disc One
Looney Tunes Platinum Collection: Volume 3, Disc One
Looney Tunes Spotlight Collection: Volume 8 Disc 1
Streaming
Notes
- Ravishing Ronald is a parody of Gorgeous George and "Nature Boy" Buddy Rogers.
- At the time, there was a revival of the 1910s-era Masked Marvel wrestling persona. A future American Wrestling Association competitor donned Bugs Bunny's wrestling name, "The Masked Terror," between 1963 and 1964. Reginald Lisowski, a prominent AWA wrestler, began using the ring name "The Crusher" in the late 1950s.
Gallery
References
External Links
- "Bunny Hugged" at SuperCartoons.net
- "Bunny Hugged" at B99.TV
| Preceded by Rabbit Every Monday |
Bugs Bunny Cartoons 1940-1964 |
Succeeded by The Fair Haired Hare |
