YMMV / The Perils of Penelope Pitstop

• Alternate Character Interpretation: Is Penelope a Hidden Badass Action Girl beneath that Wide Eyed Idealism, or is she just a Dumb Blonde who's Too Dumb to Live?
• Badass Decay: Downplayed. While Penelope's performance in Wacky Races was varied, she could always fend for herself. Here, Penelope is a Damsel in Distress who can still fend for herself, but there's almost never an episode where she isn't kidnapped.
• Draco in Leather Pants: The Hooded Claw has his share of fans who are willing to overlook the fact that he's attempting to murder his charge and steal her money, and insists on doing it the most slow and elaborate manner possible too.
• Fair for Its Day: Despite being famed for revolving around the Damsel in Distress trope these days, it was intended more as a parody rather than playing it straight. It's surprisingly progressive that Penelope frequently saves herself without the assistance of the Ant Hill Mob or that circumstances switch roles so that the Ant Hill Mob are the ones in danger and that Penelope is the one who saves their lives. In spite of the stereotypical characterisation of them both, this ironically makes it actually one of few cartoons where both the female and male leads hold the Smart Ball pretty evenly or are at least no more bungling and helpless than the other.
• Fridge Brilliance: Also lapses into Fridge Horror. Why is it the Hooded Claw's perils are so needlessly time consuming and take so long to get to Penelope's fate? Beyond clear cut sadism, this way he has a chance to appear as Sylvester Sneekly elsewhere and avoid any suspicion of murder.
• Germans Love David Hasselhoff: Despite its short run, it remains popular in the United Kingdom to this day.
• Hilarious in Hindsight: "Who did you expect? Dick Dastardly?" That line from "Jungle Jeopardy" sounds even funnier when one knows there were plans to include Dastardly and Muttley in that series.
• Iron Woobie: Penelope is surprisingly chirpy and nonchalant about being put into a ceaseless supply of lethal and humiliating booby traps Once per Episode.
• Just Here for Godzilla: A few people watch the show only for the Hooded Claw and his Rube Goldberg Device death traps.
• Rooting for the Empire: There's a decent number of people who wanted the Hooded Claw to kill Penelope and take her fortune. Of course, it helps that he:
  1. Is played by Paul Lynde
  2. Is a Large Ham
  3. Has a killer Evil Laugh and
  4. Is incredibly snarky!

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