Pepe Le Pew

Pepé Le Pew is a cartoon character from the Warner Bros. Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies series of cartoons, introduced in 1945. Depicted as an anthropomorphic French striped skunk, Pepé is constantly in search of love and romance, but his offensive odor and often forceful kissing typically cause other characters to run away from him. He usually pursues a cat who has accidentally had a white stripe painted on her back and tail. Pepé Le Pew has been criticized for portraying the pursuit and harassment of unwilling female characters as comedy, with his behavior often interpreted as stalking or implying sexual assault. His exaggerated accent, mannerisms, and romantic behavior have also been criticized by some for reinforcing national and cultural stereotypes of French men as overly amorous and sexually aggressive.