Talk:Speedy Gonzales

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Is this the right spelling? I thought it was Gonzales. Deb 17:01 18 May 2003 (UTC)

"Gonzales" is the way the common Hispanic surname is spelled, but checking a handful of animation books reveals that the cartoon mouse spells it "Gonzalez." I've made "Speedy Gonzales" a redirect; it looks like at least one other Wiki user thought the way you did . .  :) Amcaja 02:57 19 May 2003 (UTC)
It can be spelt with a 's' at the end or a 'z' at the end.Dogru144 18:18, 21 January 2007 (UTC)
Why has User:Modemac moved the article to Speedy Gonzales, then? — Paul A 01:43 4 Jun 2003 (UTC)
That's funny.
I have always read and wrote González.
Note the a-acute is because of some grammatical rules in spanish one of which says that if the stress goes in the second to last syllable of the word, it will have an acute in its vowel if the word ends in anything but a vowel, an 'n' or an 's'. (Thus it is GonZÁlez or GonZAles... just some info)
Since there is no acute in english, having both (Gonzalez and Gonzales) with one as a redirect to the other is the best that can be done.
González is the correct spelling, but the mouse is named Gonzales, it's an error caused by ignorance (Like my terrible english...).

In his first appearance in CAT-TAILS FOR TWO (1952), Speedy hands out a business card spelling his name Gonzalez. Starting with his second appearance in SPEEDY GONZALES (1955), his name was spelled with an S on the end. This discrepancy is the real reason for the popular confusion, I think. Ramapith 18:57, 29 March 2007 (UTC)

Should mention be made of the Pat Boone song about Speedy? That's a lot less PC than any of the "controversial" shorts, I think. 66.119.33.155 05:18, 1 Jan 2005 (UTC)

Anyone know who's faster: Speedy or Road Runner? Timrollpickering 13:08, 21 May 2004 (UTC)

I seem to remember there is some movie or cartoon in which it is suggested that teh RoadRunner is faster
My dad, the walking, talking Looney Tunes expert, says it's Road Runner because he's got longer legs. (I know he's a boy because in Wizzard of Ow it showed Road Runner holding wings with another, more feminine-looking Road Runner). --Wack'd About Wiki 19:28, 27 October 2005 (UTC)
When Looney Tunes was on Nickelodeon, I remember seeing a cartoon in which a race was held between Speedy Gonzales and the Roadrunner. In the cartoon, Wile E. Coyote was teaming up with some other character (maybe Sylvester?) to catch the two of them. They got some Acme rockets or something and Sylvester/Wile E ended up "winning" the race because their rockets caused them to fly right past Speedy and the Roadrunner. Does anyone else remember this cartoon? Or did I just imagine it? :) 66.251.84.28 17:41, 14 September 2006 (UTC)

This episode was indeed real. It is on the 4th Edition of the Loony Toons best of. Shentok 16:34, 30 November 2006 (UTC)


Contents

[edit] Paper Mario

The name "Gonzales" is also used in Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door. Grubba names Mario "The Great Gonzales" in the Glitz Pit. This may or may not have been inspired by Speedy Gonzales.

I removed this since the possible link seems too tenuous, unless there's any specific reason for believing this to be such a reference. Lots of people are named Gonzales. - furrykef (Talk at me) 5 July 2005 06:18 (UTC)

[edit] Translation?

"Arriba! Arriba! Ándale! Ándale!"

Babelfish translates Arriba! as It arrives! but does nothing with Ándale!. Perhaps it's spelled wrong?

arriba means up, but in this context it means wake up or stand up
Ándale means "walk it"
¡ándale! is a colloquial term meaning "Hurry up!". See [1].--Cab88 12:32, 7 January 2006 (UTC)
That's correct. Ándale it's derivative of the verb "andar" ("to walk/move", in this case), refering to a third person. It's an encouragement for someone to hurry, or start moving. It's much more likely to be a taunt ment for his antagonist. It's certainly doesn't mean the prepostrous thing some one wrote in this article. "To wake them mexicans". Ridiculous. —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 200.77.32.176 (talk) 21:08, 23 February 2007 (UTC).

I was taught in Spanish that "Andale!" meant Quickly or Fast!, and "Arriba!" meant Now! In that way, it would be a pun on Speedy's name, as he's literally saying "Fast! Fast Fast! Now Now!" ~Rich, 12 June 2007

Is it possible that this is some sort of allusion to Superman's "Up,Up,and Away?" Perhaps a rough translation?Smalllaura (talk) 22:42, 30 January 2008 (UTC)

[edit] Speedy's accent

Rather than put scare quotes around the word "Mexican", I have added the word "stereotypical" to the sentence describing Speedy's accent. Perhaps the accent isn't very accurate. It is how most Americans would speak if asked to fake a Mexican accent, in my opinion. — Amcaja 20:22, 17 January 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Slowpoke

I believe slowpoke saved himself a few times, but he did so in a rather politically incorrect way for kids cartoons. Essentially his line was something like "But I carry a gun" and then he'd shoot the cat. Am I remembering right?--T. Anthony 07:54, 26 February 2006 (UTC)


In the episode you mention, Slowpoke never speaks. After two birds fail to capture Speedy one tells the other about Slowpoke, who rushes off to catch him. His partner arrives too late with the warning "I forgot to told you! Slowpoke Rodreguez, he pack a gun." Slowpoke walks back into his mouse hole blowing smoke from the barrel of his pistol.




I know this is old, but the did shoot a cat-Dark Dragon Flame 06:36, 30 December 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Sylvester's accent

"It should also be noted that while Speedy spoke with a Mexican accent Sylvester spoke English with an American accent."

Umm why should this also be noted? The cartoon I believe was made by Americans in America so characters with American accents shouldn't be even interesting. (I'll add something that might make it interesting, but I'm curious about this)--T. Anthony 08:02, 26 February 2006 (UTC)

I'm not sure why that was ever added in the first place. I've removed the line completely, per your comments. — Amcaja 14:31, 26 February 2006 (UTC)

Anyone know where to find some videos or clips of some of the episodes?

Wouldn't that be...illegal or something? Clips though, try Youtube, that place always has something.EAB 23:15, 22 July 2006 (UTC)

[edit] TV commercials

I saw a VW commecial that had a cameo of Speedy being run over by new model of car.

[edit] Speedy's accent

I modified the article to say that Speedy has a "Mexican accent" and that was reverted to "stereotypical Mexican accent." What, in your opinion, makes his accent oversimplified?

I think that the difference is that Mel Blanc was simply mimicking a Mexican accent, not doing an authentic one. He was playing it up for humor and not going for naturalism. If Speedy had been played by a Mexican voice actor, I would have no problem calling his accent simply Mexican. But I think that we need some sort of modifier there. Perhaps stereotypical is not the correct word, but there should be something. — Amcaja 22:20, 13 August 2006 (UTC)
I think "Comedic" is good, Brian... I was thinking of suggesting something along the lines of of "caricatured," or "cartoonish,"... but "comedic" works too, since that's obviously what it is. It's not to be taken as a serious "Mexican" accent any more than a "pip-pip cheerio, jolly good show, what!" cartoon British accent is supposed to be a true English accent. Rizzleboffin 22:37, 14 August 2006 (UTC)
I would still go with "inauthentic", Rizz... no one, not even a linguist, has the authority to analyze Speedy's speech patterns and label them stereotypical. Speedy is a comedic character, but there is no evidence that his ethnicity was a purposeful source of humor. Speedy was just a Mexican character that had funny things happen to him. - ShadowyCabal 06:51, 15 August 2006 (UTC)
That's just it — Blanc was going for comedy, not just with Speedy but with all his characters. I have no idea how authentic or inauthentic Speedy's accent is, but I do know that it's supposed to be funny. It's a little tic that makes people remember the character, like Yosemite Sam's southern drawl or Porky's stutter. — Amcaja 07:45, 15 August 2006 (UTC)
I'd have to respectfully disagree, Shadow. I don't think that anyone would disagree that the accent is "inauthentic," but I think calling it "inauthentic" in the article is something of a judgment, and an inappropriate one at that. It gives me the impression that Blanc was aiming for an "authentic" Mexican accent, but didn't quite pull it off. This is not the case. Any a purely objective, neutral description of these films would include a phrase like "animated comedy shorts." He was aiming for a comic, caricatured, exaggerated... inauthentic accent. To do otherwise would be contrary to the nature of the films.
Also, Blanc's accent is a stereotypical Mexican accent. But this is a culturally relative term, and, I think, not the best to use in this case. Wiki calls a stereotype "a group concept, held by one social group about another." In this case, the stereotype is one held by white, middle-class United States citizens towards Mexicans during the 1940s and 1950s. Other people at other times may hold other stereotypes. The linguist's authority is moot here-- in fact his accurate knowledge of language may actually be a hindrance to his understanding the cultural stereotype (which might be completely inaccurate to the true nature of the other cultural group). If Blanc were going for a typical (i.e. authentic) Mexican accent, on the other hand, we would call in the linguist for his authority. But, again, these are short, animated comedies, not gritty true portrayals of Mexican life. Every character in these shorts-- their actions, their speech, their physical representation, everything about them-- are exaggerated, comedic caricatures. Rizzleboffin 19:01, 15 August 2006 (UTC)
I guess I'm having trouble drawing the line between representation and stereotype. The division seems subjective. If it is indeed "a group concept, held by one social group about another" who are we to say the few creators of Speedy represent the entire social group? Yes, Blanc is white, and it is the 50's. But does that mean his Mexican interpretation reflects the view of most whites in the 50's? Can you prove that Speedy is a stereotype, and what process do you use to prove it? - ShadowyCabal 07:10, 16 August 2006 (UTC)
The easy answer is we don't. We consult critical analysis of the character and report what it says. I can say that as the person who wrote the original article on Speedy here, the sources I consulted call him a stereotype. Unfortunately, I did not WP:CITE my sources in this early stage of my wiki career, and those books are now boxed up and half a world away. Still, when I get some time, I can check for something on Google Scholar or Google books. — Amcaja 22:12, 17 August 2006 (UTC)
Here are a couple quickies off Google, nothing very citable though:
"No Speedy Gonzales cartoons were shown, presumably because of their Mexican stereotypes."[2]
"Mexican stereotypes were everywhere, and they were wonderful fun. Many people in today's world choose to look at the stereotypes in a negative light"[3] Rizzleboffin 22:33, 17 August 2006 (UTC)
So he's a stereotype because some notable people called him one. - ShadowyCabal 15:03, 18 August 2006 (UTC)
No, we say "Critic so-and-so describes Speedy as a stereotype." That's absolutely indisputable. But here are a few references, some of which agree that Speedy is a stereotype, and some that do not: "Appearing in Looney Tunes cartoons, 'Speedy Gonzales,' . . . did seem to break the mold of media portrayals of the lazy Mexican. Yet, to balance this industrious image, Speedy's cartoon cousin, the sleepy-eyed Slowpoke Rodriguez, was dubbed the slowest mouse in Mexico. . . . Slowpoke compensated by carrying a large pistola, as would any stereotypical Mexican. Speedy himself was portrayed as lacking initiative in Pat Boone's 1962 novelty smash song 'Speedy Gonzales.' . . . Although it had suspended replay of Speedy Gonzales cartoons over concerns about Speedy's supporting cast of lazy, hard-drinking, señorita-chasing Mexican mice, the Cartoon Netweork began airing Speedy in the summer of 2002." This is from Bender, Steven W. (2003). Greasers and Gringos: Latinos, Law, and the American Imagination. New York University Press. But, "Squeaking out 'Arriba! Arriba!,' the rodent with the greasy accent has long been reviled by Latino activists as the worst kind of Hollywood stereotype". This from the 23 January 2000 issue of The Independent, quoted in White, Michael (2002). A Short Course in International Marketing Blunders. Novato, California: World Trade Press. Another: "But to claim that Zorn's music is innocent because of its roots in children's cartoons is to overlook the racism that pervades both the cartoons and Stalling's music. Engraved into my memory is the Speedy Gonzales character, who speaks in a thick pseudo-Mexican accent and is accompanied by Mexican hat dance music . . . ." from Everett, Yayoi Uno (2004). Locating East Asia in Western Art Music. Middletown, Connecticut: Wesleyan University Press. Another pro-stereotype view: "The popularity of the western as film and television form placed numerous lethargic shadowy figures muttering richly vocalic phrases in the courtyards of haciendas or reliving scenes of courtship over the objections of jealous families as old as the earllier period of English-Spanish relations. The 'vaquero' became the 'buckeroo' with little sense of the original deriviation. Mexican food, and the words for it, had to be refracted through Texas before it became acceptable. Comic and cartoon characters, José Jimenez, Speedy Gonzales, and the Frito Bandito overlaid the ground already formed by the Cisco Kid (and Pancho), Pancho Villa, and Zorro. Many Americans know how these characters sound and who they sound like. The Spanish sound and image is so simple and well installed in consciousness that only a fleeting reference, the pronunciation of a word, the use of the article 'el,' an article of clothing, or the shape of a face is enough to call up Spanish language and culture." From Swiderski, Richard M. (1996). The Metamorphosis of English: Versions of Other Languages. Westport, Connecticut: Bergin & Garvey. This essay also discusses Speedy's stereotypical nature as an over-sexual Latino. Interestingly, J. K. Grant in Companion to V. (2001) claims that Speedy was named for a 1950s joke about a Mexican man who suffered from premature ejaculation!
At any rate, there's support for both views. The article should reflect this difference of opinion. — Amcaja 01:59, 19 August 2006 (UTC)
Not sure I can agree that the first reference claims Speedy isn't a stereotype. No, he's not a stereotypical "lazy Mexican," but he plays with that stereotype by turning it upside-down. And he also lives up to Mexican stereotypes in other ways-- accent, dress, etc. By the way, interesting though the topic and the debate is, I'm beginning to suspect Shadow is having us on... Rizzleboffin 02:40, 19 August 2006 (UTC)
I am being a little bit of a douchebag, but I genuinely want to know how wikipedia is going to give examples of stereotypes. Will it have to just give examples of alleged stereotypes? Or is any representation done by an outsider a stereotype? The rules are unclear. And it could easilly turn into a "I was offended so its a stereotype" kind of thing, and thats subjective. - ShadowyCabal 15:52, 19 August 2006 (UTC)

His accent certainly seems stereotypical to me just as the Mario accent is a completely inaccurate representation of an Italian accent, just a stereotypical comedic impression. I would know, I'm Italian, heard Italians speak English, even those from Rome don't sound like that. I'm sure any Mexican would say this accent is very inaccurate (working with Mexicans myself I would recognize a fake accent). 21:24, 22 February 2008 (UTC) mouse —Preceding unsigned comment added by 209.78.20.197 (talk)

[edit] atire

"He usually wears an oversized yellow sombrero and a white shirt and pants." I thought he was a mouse shoudn't oversized be removed as in fact it's small? 67.35.181.14 01:09, 15 August 2006 (UTC)

oversized is a relative term, smartass ShadowyCabal 06:43, 15 August 2006 (UTC)

[edit] INSPIRATION FOR SPEEDY?

Does anyone know if Speedy was inspired by the character actor Pedro Gonzalez-Gonzalez? (see his wikipedia entry) I note Speedy is listed as being created in 1953. This was the same year Gonzalez-gonzalez appeared on an episode of Groucho Marx's You Bet Your Life quiz show: an appearance which shot him to cult celebrity at the time, for the comedic value of his responses and exagerated sounding mexican accent...he was apparently spotted on that show by John Wayne and occupied that same "offensive stereotype" role in several western movies that Speedy is apparently criticised for. It seems too much of a coincidence. Does anyone know if the cartoon was inspired by the man? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 79.72.239.248 (talk) 16:40, 11 February 2008 (UTC) To add to my own question a search finds this webpage http://mercurie.blogspot.com/2006_02_12_archive.html stating that Pedro G-G supplied the voice for Speedy in several cartoons in the 60s.