There are very few figures in pop culture that are recognizable to most of the population, and that is what this week is all about as we welcome actor, advocate, and Big Fig Collective member, Danny Franzese. His crush will be revealed later this week, but it’s a character that most know and even more love. The same could be said about the icon I’ve crushed on since I was just a kid with nothing but a giant box TV, and that’s Bugs Bunny.
Long before streaming made it so the world of television was far too vast, we only had a dozen or so channels – if we were lucky. Syndicated programming was key and before I fell in love with Lucy’s antics, there was Bugs. It’s hard to remember whether or not I stumbled upon Looney Tunes on my own, or if my dad was the one who sat me down to watch because he’s a huge fan of Wile E. Coyote and the Roadrunner. Those were always just fine to me because my heart belonged to the gray rabbit who was full of sass and was always quick with the wit. Between him as a kid, and ‘South Park’ as an adolescent, it’s no wonder I am the way I am.
Anyways, Bugs was the funniest part of ‘Looney Tunes’ reruns to me from a young age, and because of that – you can only imagine how hyped I was in 1996. ‘90s kids know all too well that’s the year ‘Space Jam’ landed in theaters, and it’s as magical now as it was back then. Michael Jordan may have been the top-listed actor on the movie’s IMDB, but I’d argue that it was Bugs who carried that movie from start to finish. Not only are Bugs’ antics a laugh riot but he’s also got a level of confidence that I could only hope to have one day.
Another reason I love Bugs is because the man behind him represents so much of what I’d love to do in life. Bugs Bunny was brought to life by a master of voice acting, Mel Blanc, back in the 1930s. When you break down the art of voice acting, Blanc is top tier. Not only was he Bugs until he died in 1989, but also other Tunes like Elmer Fudd, Porky Pig, Bugs’ frenemy Daffy Duck, Sylvester, and Barney from ‘The Flintstones.’ When you’ve been told your entire life you should voice cartoons/you sound like a cartoon, you tend to pay a little more attention to those who have mastered the craft, and as a kid, I may not have known Mel Blanc’s name, but as I’ve gotten older I’ve come to appreciate him more and more.
Blanc helped the world hear Bugs for many, many years but this rabbit isn’t just recognizable when heard, but seen. His simple gray and white design is as ingrained in pop culture as the Simpsons’ yellow hue, Which makes sense since he’s got like a 50-year head start, but still – Bugs, and many of his Looney pals, are aspects of pop culture that have managed to become universally loved, and I love that. Because there are so many things that we feel separate us from one another but who doesn’t perk up a bit when they catch an old episode featuring Bugs and the rest of his crew? Exactly.
Again, that’s what this week is about – icon crushes that are not only some of the most recognizable but also those that spark joy in those who see them, no matter who or where they are.
Crushgasm 