Which Is Witch

This article contains mature content and may not be suitable for all readers. This article particularly deals with content blacklisted from contemporary television for containing harmful, outdated racial stereotypes and/or imagery. This article is not censored, as to censor the article would be to pretend that these prejudices never existed. Please continue at your own risk.

Which Is Witch
← Previous	Hippety Hopper
Next →	Bear Feat
Airdate:	3 December 1949
Series:	Looney Tunes
MPAA Number:	12760
Production Number:	1099
Vitaphone Number:	1777
Copyright Renewed:	20 February 1976
Starring:	Bugs Bunny
Crew
Voice Characterizations:	Mel Blanc
Director:	I. Freleng
Written By:	Tedd Pierce
Producer:	Eddie Selzer (uncredited)
Animated By:	Ken Champin Virgil Ross Arthur Davis Gerry Chiniquy
Effects Animation:	A.C. Gamer
Layout Artist:	Hawley Pratt
Background Artist:	Paul Julian
Film Editor:	Treg Brown (uncredited)
Musician:	Carl Stalling

Which Is Witch is a 1949 Looney Tunes short directed by I. Freleng.

Plot

Bugs Bunny is exploring Dark Africa, but he runs into a short, big-lipped, dark-skinned witch doctor, Dr. I.C. Spots, who wants to use him as a key ingredient in a prescription or recipe. At first, Bugs tricks the mad doctor, but the doctor threatens Bugs with his spear and takes Bugs backs to his hut. Initially believing he is enjoying a hot bath, Bugs notices that he's being cooked and escapes, and Dr. Spots chases him. Bugs disguises himself as a stereotypical Zulu native woman but this ploy fails. In the river, he finds and swims to a ferry boat. As Dr. Spots follows Bugs to the boat, a crocodile eats him, and swims over to the boat. Although the witch doctor is his enemy, Bugs wrestles with the crocodile, finally emerging from the water with a crocodile skin handbag, from which Spots emerges unharmed, clad in crocodile skin heels and a handbag.

Censorship

• On CBS in the 1980s and Cartoon Network's Japanese channel, the entire sequence where Dr. I.C. Spots forces Bugs into his pressure cooker cauldron was cut, jumping from Bugs being forced into Dr. Spot's hut to him running out in a panic.
• Nickelodeon aired this short with the pressure cooker cauldron part intact, but cut the part where Bugs tries to get away from Dr. Spots by posing as a Zulu native (stretching his lips with plates and putting a spring on his neck).
• This cartoon was part of the "Twelve Missing Hares" that were barred from airing on Cartoon Network's June 2001 Bugs marathon due to African American stereotyping that would be deemed offensive to modern audiences. As with the other members of the "Twelve Missing Hares" as described in the unreleased ToonHeads episode, it was originally intended to air in the marathon, but was pulled due to executive backlash from AOL Time Warner. This short has not seen airing on American television since its final airing on Nickelodeon, nor has it been released on home media or streaming services, though as mentioned in "Notes," it almost made it to the "Bugs Bunny Hare Extraordinaire" volume of the Looney Tunes Super Stars DVD.

Notes

• This is Friz Freleng's first short to have Arthur Davis animating in his unit, since his unit was dissolved due to budget problems at Warner Bros.
• The cartoon was originally intended to be included on the Looney Tunes Super Stars' Bugs Bunny: Hare Extraordinaire DVD, but was withdrawn early in development due to being deemed family-unfriendly for the Warner Home Video division.
• Despite "Which is Witch" being a banned cartoon and rarely airing in America since the 1990s, the end shot of Bugs' face after he compliments Dr. I.C. Spots' heels and handbag has become an Internet meme known as "Disappointed Bugs".

Gallery

Lobby card

Lobby card