I think Cartoon Network took off Speedy Gonzales due to complaints about racial stereotypes.
Here's a Speedy short, Mexicali Schmoes
The Hollywood Reporter article:
LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - Speedy Gonzales is taking his folk-hero status, incredible speed and signature red kerchief to the big screen, with help from George Lopez.
The comedian is attached to provide the voice of the fastest mouse in all Mexico for a politically correct live-action/CG hybrid feature set up at New Line Cinema.
The Looney Tunes character debuted in the 1950s as a regular nemesis of Sylvester the Cat. A 1955 short about the tiny hero, "Speedy Gonzales," won the Academy Award for best short subject, (cartoon). Pat Boone even released a hit song about the famous mouse in 1962.
Over the years, Speedy appeared in the live-action/animation features "Who Framed Roger Rabbit," "Space Jam" and "Looney Tunes: Back in Action." But the character has often courted criticism that the ethnic characterizations of him and his compatriots (especially lazy cousin Slowpoke Rodriguez) are stereotypically racist and severely outdated.
Aware of this, New Line and the producers plan to update the brand with a modernized sensibility.
"We wanted to make sure that it was not the Speedy of the 1950s -- the racist Speedy," said the comedian's wife Ann Lopez, who will serve alongside him as a producer. "Speedy's going to be a misunderstood boy who comes from a family that works in a very meticulous setting, and he's a little too fast for what they do. He makes a mess of that. So he has to go out in the world to find what he's good at."
That path becomes clearer once Speedy befriends a gun-shy race-car driver.
"Garfield" scribes Alec Sokolow and Joel Cohen will write the script.
Lopez hosts "Lopez Tonight" on TBS and appears in New Line's ensemble hit "Valentine's Day," which has grossed $158 million worldwide after two weekends. He also recently starred in "The Spy Next Door" and provided a voice for "Beverly Hills Chihuahua."
If it’s George Lopez, then he can call on the support of his Chicano American Brothers and Mexican illegals to support and hoot for him. I’m tired of hearing him crow about how Latinos are taking over and illegals are not going to go home. He can suck it.
As Speedy’s cousin would say, “where do we get these brains?”
Too bad, since some of his stuff is funny, like when he went off on the greens once, saying that “Latino’s don't give a #### about global warming” -—
Thanks for the warning. I'll be sure to miss this, and stick with the Warner Bros. cartoons.
Next is a remake of Popeye...except he won’t smoke a pipe, won’t have a ‘sqeenky’ eye, won’t eat his vegetables, won’t engage in violent encounters, and won’t be a he.
Other than that, Popeye will be the same cartoon millions of kids grew up with.
Speedy Gonzales wasn’t racist. It was a sex joke.
Mel Blanc even knew the joke (and I think it was alluded to in one of the shorts).
“Speedy Gonzales is in love with my sister!”
“Speedy Gonzales loves EVERYBODY’S SISTER!”
Well, yet another waste of time from the Hollyweird elites.
I don’t think anyone should include Space Jam in their filmography. OUCH.
Thank you for posting the link to the full cartoon.
I just enjoyed five minutes of sanity from this miserable world.
Jose and Manuel, the Cats, are no more stupid, lazy or evil than Wile E. Coyote, who is 100% American!
LOL.
WB was an equal opportunity insulter! hahahahahahahahahaha
Nobody at my house will see it because of the racist that has been cast in the starring roll.
ping
George Lopez is an expert on racists. He is one.
Speedy was a racist? I always thought he treated every predator the same; who knew?
dos chi chi’s!!
Great so now instead of being a generally lazy mouse who can run fast when needed and womanizing with everyones sister like in the classic cartoons, he’s going to be a whiner about how his cartoon never got the ratings of that damned racist bugs bunny.
Lopez is a DIRT BAG!