Republicans Are Betting Their Phony Cancel Culture War Can Deliver the House in 2022
Dr. Seuss, Mr. Potato Head, and Pepé Le Pew shouldn’t be the central focus of a political party
As a kid, I thought Mr. Potato Head was a little creepy. As cartoon critters go, Pepé Le Pew was, well, pretty stinky. And although I enjoyed several Dr. Seuss books, they hardly made me the man I am. I never dreamt I’d grow up to see the day when the platform of a major U.S. political party would fixate on these relics from my childhood.
But here we are. Over the last two weeks, Dr. Seuss Enterprises announces it would no longer sell six of its books that contain racist images, toy manufacturer Hasbro reveals it would be rebranding Mr. and Mrs. Potato Head under the gender-neutral “Potato Head” name, and sources told The Hollywood Reporter that Pepe Le Pew — the Looney Toons character who’s recently been accused of normalizing rape culture — would be basically scrubbed from the upcoming film Space Jam 2. To some, these actions might seem like overdue recognition of the potentially damaging effect of racist and sexist elements in children’s entertainment. But to Republicans, they represent the further destruction of American culture as they knew it — and an easy opportunity to score points by blaming Democrats.
