Pepé Le Pew (character)

Pepe Le Pew, often shortened to just "Pepe" (although he is referred to as "Henry" in his debut), is a fictional character in the Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies film-short series. An anthropomorphic, French skunk, Pepe is continuously in search of romance, but is inhibited from getting it by his smell, self-delusion, and overly persistent manner. Pepe is stereotypically French in the same way that Speedy Gonzales is stereotypically Mexican.

Concept
Pepe Le Pew cartoons typically feature the amorous polecat pursuing what he believes is a "female skunk." Usually, however, the supposed female skunk is actually a black cat (retroactively named "Penelope Pussycat") who has had a white stripe painted down her back, often by accident (such as by squeezing under a fence with white paint). Usually, Penelope runs away from Pepe because of either his putrid odor or overly assertive manner, but the skunk won't take "no" for an answer and hops after her at a leisurely pace.

Role-reversals
In a role-reversal, the Academy Award-winning short For Scent-imental Reasons ends with an accidentally painted (and, at this point, terrified) Pepe being amorously pursued by a love-struck Penelope (who has been dunked under dirty water, leaving her with a ratty guise as well as a developing head cold that has completely clogged up her nose).

Subversions
To be added.

Production
To be added.

Cameo appearances
To be added.

Modern media
To be added.

Voice
Pepe speaks with a phony French accent, often using a mixture of English and French words. This voice has been provided by all the following people:


 * Mel Blanc (1945 - 1989)


 * Maurice LaMarche (Space Jam, Looney Tunes: Back In Action: The Game)


 * Bruce Lanoil (Looney Tunes: Back In Action)


 * Joe Alaskey (Bah, Humduck! A Looney Tunes Christmas)


 * Billy West (some video games)


 * Greg Burson (Carrotblanca, Tiny Toon Adventures)


 * Jeff Bennett (Dancing Pepe)


 * Frank Welker (The Sylvester & Tweety Mysteries)


 * Rene Auberjonois (The Looney Tunes Show)

Film
In October 2010, it was announced that Mike Myers will voice Pepe in a feature-length, live-action/animated film based on the character.

Quotes

 * "You know, eet eez possible to be too attractive!" ~For Scent-Imental Reasons
 * "'I'm playing eet too cool, non?"
 * "Non, non, non. Not 'pew.' Le pew. 'Pepe Le Pew's' my name." ~Really Scent
 * "Vair are you, my leetle Mona Lisa? I'm going to collect you!" ~Louvre Come Back To Me!
 * "Lovely view, eez eet not?"
 * "Le bow wow wow! Le bow! Le wow! Le rowr. Le [Tarzan-like yell]! A screech to you eez jungle love, non?" ~Past Perfumance
 * "Julio, Julio, herefore art me, Romiette." ~Past Perfumance
 * "Ah, my leetle, Shvedish meatball, eet eez love at first sight, eez eet not, no?" ~Wild Over You
 * "Coffee, tea, or moi?" ~Carrotblanca
 * "Baby darla!!"
 * "Vi eez eet zat vennever a man eez captured by a voman, all he veesh to do eez get avay?" ~Little Beau Pepe

Trivia

 * Pepe and Penelope are possibly the first to get frozen by Otto The Odd in The Hunter, in which the skunk is, once again, trying to woo the cat.