History YMMV / BugsBunny

* AwardSnub: Bugs' debut cartoon, "WesternAnimation/AWildHare", was nominated for an Oscar in 1941 for best animated short, along side the [=MGM=] cartoon, "WesternAnimation/PussGetsTheBoot" (which featured the debut of WesternAnimation/TomAndJerry). Both cartoons lost to the long since forgotten, and [[TastesLikeDiabetes rather schmalzy]] cartoon, "The Milky Way". While the cat and mouse duo would go on to win several Oscars during their theatrical run, it took Bugs 18 years to finally win the award with "WesternAnimation/KnightyKnightBugs". It ended up being the only one he would ever win.
* BaseBreakingCharacter: Cecil Turtle can bring divisive opinions; believe his victories over Bugs to be unearned, others believe giving Bugs ATasteOfDefeat helped make him avoid InvincibleHero status and thus retain the audience's interest.

* DorkAge: Robert [=McKimson's=] shorts from the late 1950s are seen as this for Bugs's classic run, due to generally suffering from mediocre animation, unoriginal stories and uninspired gags. Mckimson by his own admission had a difficult time working with Chuck Jones' revised characterisation of Bugs and considered him too suave and reserved to utilise properly. "Pre-Hysterical Hare" in particular is widely considered to be Bugs's worst cartoon, due to suffering all the aforementioned problems, plus a bland stock music score and Dave Barry's ''terrible'' voicing of Elmer Fudd. Fortunately, [=McKimson's=] shorts would improve in the early 1960s, after his long-time story artist Tedd Pierce left the studio, and John W. Dunn became story artist for all three units.
* EnsembleDarkhorse: Perhaps the most famous example in all of 20th century media. Bugs was only intended to be a one-shot character, but became an AscendedExtra, then the franchise mascot and, eventually, the single most famous cartoon character ever.
* FairForItsDay: The satire on confederate sympathizers in "Southern Fried Rabbit" still holds up, despite being yet another Golden Age cartoon to feature some unfortunate racial stereotyping. Though Bugs's "slave" disguise avoids the always-uncomfortable {{blackface}} (he looks more like a normal rabbit in a summer coat), it's [[DistinctionWithoutADifference still an impression of a black slave]] {{played for laughs}}. However, Sam is still depicted as an idiot for acting like the Civil War never ended and Bugs using said disguise to to bust him for beating slaves by [[ItMakesSenseInContext leaving and re-entering dressed as Abraham Lincoln]] (who tells Sam to "look me up at my [[{{Pun}} Gettysburg address]].") is played for such absurdity that [[CrossesTheLineTwice it's hard to find it offensive]].

** Elmer is ''always'' smitten by Bugs' cross dressing antics. It says something when at least two cartoons end with Bugs ''marrying'' Elmer. The icing on the cake is that Bugs doesn't seem to mind at all to kiss him or be held by him, in fact, he seems to ''enjoy'' it. Then again, he is a savvy, [[KarmicTrickster iconic trickster]] to boot...
** This does not only happen with Elmer. There has been FoeYay moments with any of his opponents at some point (Yosamite Sam, K-9 etc.)

* SeinfeldIsUnfunny: Bugs's "What's up, doc?" was meant as CasualDangerDialogue as he was being hunted. Now that it's simply a common American saying, it's hardly seen as anything special.

** An example self admitted by the creators themselves. Creator/FrizFreleng was convinced Elmer Fudd was such an incompetent pushover that Bugs came off as bullying him, creating the far more belligerent Yosemite Sam to rectify this.
** And then it started to lean too much the opposite way, with Bugs becoming so laid back it became hard for writers to even put focus on him anymore and essentially made him a HeroAntagonist in his own series (Creator/RobertMckimson even stated outright he thought Bugs had no personality during the fifties). Finding the middle ground was apparently very difficult, though given his popularity, they must have gotten it right for the audience a good few points.

** "WesternAnimation/AllThisAndRabbitStew", and most infamously, "WesternAnimation/BugsBunnyNipsTheNips". The latter even got the first "Golden Age of Looney Tunes" laserdisc set recalled when it was included on it, replacing it with ''Racketeer Rabbit''. It also got the 7th Golden Age VHS release(Bugs Bunny By Each Director) recalled(as well as the five tape box-set that included that volume). If you can find an unaltered copy of that laserdisc set with the Nips cartoon on it, you've got a nice collectors item on your hands.

** Or that Bugs' love of carrots stemmed from a [[http://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title/12648/It-Happened-One-Night/notes.html deliberate reference]] to [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wcrth90C3D4 the iconic hitchiking scene]] in ''Film/ItHappenedOneNight'' that suffered {{Flanderization}}? How many people [[CommonKnowledge do you think believe that rabbits love carrots]] because of Bugs? [[note]]Rabbits do not eat carrots as part of their diet in the wild, actually, preferring wild grasses, hay and alfalfa. The Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals [[https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/health/pets-health/9353529/Carrots-are-bad-for-rabbits-RSPCA-says.html warns]] that giving a rabbit a steady diet of carrots will cause [[RealityEnsues tooth decay and digestive health problems]]. One as an occasional treat is fine, but rabbits are not built to live on carrots.[[/note]] In fact, it's pretty clear that the Warner animation crew had ''It Happened One Night'' in the back of their mind all throughout creating the characterization for Bugs. Creator/ClarkGable's character has a Bugs-like knack for using [[TheTrickster Trickster]] tactics to get out of jams. In one scene he pretends to be a gangster and talks about someone named Bugs Dooley. And one supporting character (played by Roscoe Karns) has a VerbalTic of calling people "Doc".

* DorkAge: Robert [=McKimson's=] shorts from the late 1950s are seen as this for Bugs's classic run, due to generally suffering from mediocre animation, unoriginal stories and uninspired gags. "Pre-Hysterical Hare" in particular is widely considered to be Bugs's worst cartoon, due to suffering all the aforementioned problems, plus a bland stock music score and Dave Barry's ''terrible'' voicing of Elmer Fudd. Fortunately, [=McKimson's=] shorts would improve in the early 1960s, after his long-time story artist Tedd Pierce left the studio, and John W. Dunn became story artist for all three units.

** There's also Bugs' friendship-slash-rivalry with Daffy. As much as Bugs revels in observing and/or causing Daffy's suffering, in ''Film/LooneyTunesBackInAction'' he's willing to go to great lengths to get Daffy re-"hired" by Warner Brothers. After all, without Daffy, who is he going to play DuckSeasonRabbitSeason with?

** Or that Bugs' love of carrots stemmed from a [[http://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title/12648/It-Happened-One-Night/notes.html deliberate reference]] to [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wcrth90C3D4 the iconic hitchiking scene]] in ''Film/ItHappenedOneNight'' that suffered {{Flanderization}}? How many people [[CommonKnowledge do you think believe that rabbits love carrots]] because of Bugs? [[note]]Rabbits do not eat carrots as part of their diet in the wild, actually, preferring wild grasses, hay and alfalfa. The Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals [[https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/health/pets-health/9353529/Carrots-are-bad-for-rabbits-RSPCA-says.html warns]] that giving a rabbit a steady diet of carrots will cause [[RealityEnsues tooth decay and digestive health problems]]. One as an occasional treat is fine, but rabbits are not built to live on carrots.[[/note]]

* FairForItsDay: The satire on confederate sympathizers in "Southern Fried Rabbit" still holds up, despite being yet another Golden Age cartoon to feature some unfortunate racial stereotyping. Though Bugs's "slave" disguise avoids the always-uncomfortable {{blackface}} (he looks more like a normal rabbit in a summer coat), it's [[DistinctionWithoutADifference still an impression of a black slave]] {{played for laughs}}. However, Sam is still depicted as an idiot for acting like the Civl War never ended and Bugs using said disguise to to bust him for beating slaves by [[ItMakesSenseInContext leaving and re-entering dressed as Abraham Lincoln]] (who tells Sam to "look me up at my [[{{Pun}} Gettysburg address]].") is played for such absurdity that [[CrossesTheLineTwice it's hard to find it offensive]].

* ValuesResonance: In "Southern Fried Rabbit", Yosemite Sam is a prideful Confederate soldier convinced the Civil War had never ended. Bugs tells him it ended [[DatedHistory "almost 90 years ago"]] and that he should move on. Sam's attitudes aren't too far off from Confederate enthusiasts' today, and [[SomeAnvilsNeedToBeDropped the short very much puts him in the wrong for his beliefs.]]

** In "Rebel Rabbit", Bugs finds out that the reward for Foxes is $50, but the reward for rabbits is $.02. When he goes to Washington to complain about this, he's told it's because Foxes are destructive, but rabbits are harmless. Maybe Bugs decided to prove them wrong by sending some relatives [[UsefulNotes/AustralianWildlife down under]]...
*** In the same cartoon, Bugs literally detaches Florida from the United States and lets it drift away into the ocean. The clip of Bugs sawing away at the Florida-Georgia border is now used to varying degrees of irony when discussing things that (supposedly) happen OnlyInFlorida.

* MemeticMolester: Thanks to MeatCanyon's video, “[[https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=o-HmYLtnQIY Wabbit Season]]”, Bugs Bunny is depicted as a tragic rapist struggling to reform and be a better person. The video has since been [[MissingEpisode taken down]] by Warner Bros, who filed a copyright claim. [=MeatCanyon=] disputed it, but [=YouTube=] sided with Warner Bros. This effectively means that Warner Bros has claimed the video as their property which, as pointed out in [[https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=enRM2TifKls another video]], has [[GoneHorriblyWrong the unintended side effect]] [[EpicFail of making it canon to Bugs' lore that he was a struggling rapist all along]].

* MemeticMolester: Bugs Bunny is portrayed in “[[https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=o-HmYLtnQIY Wabbit Season]]” as a tragic rapist struggling to reform and be a better person. The video has since been [[MissingEpisode taken down]] by Warner Bros, who filed a copyright claim. [=MeatCanyon=] disputed it, but [=YouTube=] sided with Warner Bros. This effectively means that Warner Bros has claimed the video as their property which, as pointed out in [[https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=enRM2TifKls another video]], has [[GoneHorriblyWrong the unintended side effect]] [[EpicFail of making it canon to Bugs' lore that he was a struggling rapist all along]].

** The 1940-1944 Bugs: A hilarious ScrewySquirrel or an outright bully who torments people for no reason other than personal pleasure?

* AccidentalInnuendo: In ''Invasion of the Bunny Snatchers'', Bugs sticks the Nudnik copies into a burlap sack, but the exact dialogue when he starts:

* TheScrappy: Cecil Turtle isn't very well beloved to those who believe his victories over Bugs to be unearned. Perhaps in response to this, he's depicted as an outright villain in ''WesternAnimation/TheLooneyTunesShow''.

* EnsembleDarkhorse: Was originally intended as a one-shot character, but became an AscendedExtra and eventually the studio's mascot due to positive response.

** Elmer is ''always'' smitten by Bugs' cross dressing antics. It says something when at least two cartoons end with Bugs ''marrying'' Elmer. The icing on the cake is that Bugs doesn't seem to mind at all to kiss him or be held by him, in fact, he seems to ''enjoy'' it. Then again, he is a savvy, [[KarmicTrickster iconic trickster]] and a MagnificentBastard to boot...

* MagnificentBastard: Perhaps the most magnificent in all of animation.

** "WesternAnimation/AllThisAndRabbitStew", and most infamously, "WesternAnimation/BugsBunnyNipsTheNips". The latter even got the first "Golden Age of Looney Tunes" laserdisc set recalled when it was included on it, replacing it with ''Racketeer Rabbit''. It also got the 7th Golden Age VHS release(Bugs Bunny By Each Director) recalled(as well as the five tape box-set that included that volume). If you can find an unaltered copy of that laserdisc set with the Nips cartoon on it, you've got a nice collectors item on your hands. ** African Americans,American Indians,Nazis and other racial stereotypes have been featured in various Bugs Bunny shorts.

** "WesternAnimation/AllThisAndRabbitStew", and most infamously, "WesternAnimation/BugsBunnyNipsTheNips". The latter even got the first "Golden Age of Looney Tunes" laserdisc set recalled when it was included on it, replacing it with ''Racketeer Rabbit''. It also got the 7th Golden Age VHS release(Bugs Bunny By Each Director) recalled(as well as the five tape box-set that included that volume). If you can find an unaltered copy of that laserdisc set with the Nips cartoon on it, you've got a nice collectors item on your hands. ** African Americans,American Indians and other racial caricatures have showed up in various Bugs Bunny shorts.

** "WesternAnimation/AllThisAndRabbitStew", and most infamously, "WesternAnimation/BugsBunnyNipsTheNips". The latter even got the first "Golden Age of Looney Tunes" laserdisc set recalled when it was included on it, replacing it with ''Racketeer Rabbit''. It also got the 7th Golden Age VHS release(Bugs Bunny By Each Director) recalled(as well as the five tape box-set that included that volume). If you can find an unaltered copy of that laserdisc set with the Nips cartoon on it, you've got a nice collectors item on your hands.

** Zig-zagged in "Southern Fried Rabbit." On the one hand, Bugs's "slave" impression avoids the always-uncomfortable {{blackface}} (he looks more like a normal rabbit in a summer coat), and only uses it to bust Yosemite Sam for beating slaves by [[ItMakesSenseInContext leaving and re-entering dressed as Abraham Lincoln]]. On the other hand, it's still an impression of a black slave {{played for laughs}}.
* ValuesResonance: In contrast to the above in "Southern Fried Rabbit", Yosemite Sam is a prideful Confederate soldier convinced the Civil War had never ended. Bugs tells him it ended [[DatedHistory "almost 90 years ago"]] and that he should move on. Sam's attitudes aren't too far off from Confederate enthusiasts' today, and [[SomeAnvilsNeedToBeDropped the short very much puts him in the wrong for his beliefs.]]
* WeirdAlEffect: How many modern viewers - hell, how many viewers ''period'' - recognize that some of Bugs' most popular traits were lifted directly from Groucho Marx (carrot = cigar, "Of course you realize, this means war!")?

** "WesternAnimation/AllThisAndRabbitStew", and most infamously, "WesternAnimation/BugsBunnyNipsTheNips". The latter even got the first "Golden Age of Looney Tunes" laserdisc set recalled when it was included on it, replacing it with ''Racketeer Rabbit''. If you can find an unaltered copy of that laserdisc set with the Nips cartoon on it, you've got a nice collectors item on your hands.

* MemeticBadass: Big Chungus. His ''[[InsistentTerminology thicc]]''ness [[BigFun is part of his badass.

*** BIG CHUNGUS

* FoeYay: Elmer is ''always'' smitten by Bugs' cross dressing antics. It says something when at least two cartoons end with Bugs ''marrying'' Elmer.
** The icing on the cake is that Bugs doesn't seem to mind at all to kiss him or be held by him, in fact, he seems to ''enjoy'' it. Then again, he is a savvy, [[KarmicTrickster iconic trickster]] and a MagnificentBastard to boot...

* HilariousInHindsight: In "Rebel Rabbit", Bugs finds out that the reward for Foxes is $50, but the reward for rabbits is $.02. When he goes to Washington to complain about this, he's told it's because Foxes are destructive, but rabbits are harmless. Maybe Bugs decided to prove them wrong by sending some relatives [[UsefulNotes/AustralianWildlife down under]]...

* ValuesDissonance: "WesternAnimation/AllThisAndRabbitStew", and most infamously, "WesternAnimation/BugsBunnyNipsTheNips". The latter even got the first "Golden Age of Looney Tunes" laserdisc set recalled when it was included on it, replacing it with ''Racketeer Rabbit''. If you can find an unaltered copy of that laserdisc set with the Nips cartoon on it, you've got a nice collectors item on your hands.

* ValuesResonance: In contrast to the above in "Southern Fried Rabbit", Yosemite Sam is a prideful Confederate soldier convinced the Civil War had never ended. Bugs tells him it ended [[DatedHistory "over 70 years ago"]] and that he should move on. Sam's attitudes aren't too far off from Confederate enthusiasts' today, and [[SomeAnvilsNeedToBeDropped the short very much puts him in the wrong for his beliefs.]]

* FunnyAneurysmMoment: In "Falling Hare", Bugs narrowly stops the Gremlin from crashing into a pair of identical twin skyscrapers by flying in between them. Not sixty years later...

* CharacterRerailment: Some of Bugs' entries in the early 60s reverted him slightly to his earlier more hyperactive persona. According to director Robert [=Mckimson=] this was deliberate, as some of the creative team thought Bugs had become too reserved and bland.

** And then it started to lean too much the opposite way, with Bugs becoming so laid back it became hard for writers to even put focus on him anymore and essentially made him a HeroAntagonist in his own series (Robert [=Mckimson=] even stated outright he thought Bugs had no personality during the fifties). Finding the middle ground was apparently very difficult, though given his popularity, they must have gotten it right for the audience a good few points.

* CharacterRerailment: Some of Bugs' entries in the early 60s reverted him slightly to his earlier more hyperactive persona. According to director Robert Mckimson this was deliberate, as some of the creative team thought Bugs had become too reserved and bland.

** An example self admitted by the creators themselves. Director Friz Freleng was convinced Elmer Fudd was such an incompetent pushover that Bugs came off as bullying him, creating the far more belligerent Yosemite Sam to rectify this.
** And then it started to lean too much the opposite way, with Bugs becoming so laid back it became hard for writers to even put focus on him anymore and essentially made him a HeroAntagonist in his own series (Robert Mckimson even stated outright he thought Bugs had no personality during the fifties). Finding the middle ground was apparently very difficult, though given his popularity, they must have gotten it right for the audience a good few points.