Cartoon a Day: Ballot Box Bunny

Ballot Box Bunny
1951
Directed by Friz Freleng (as I. Freleng)
Available on: Looney Tunes Golden Collection Vol. 1

With the election today I thought "Ballot Box Bunny" would be an appropriate cartoon to feature.

Yosemite Sam is running for mayor and in the course of a speech announces that he will get rid of all rabbits. Of course, to Bugs Bunny who's hole is beneath the band shell this means war. So the long-eared one launches his own campaign.



This short features the great comic timing evident in so many Freleng directed shorts. Many of the gags involve explosions, but what's great is that many of them happen off camera. Much of the humor lies in reactions and Sam's condition in the aftermath.



I think Yosemite Sam is my favorite Bugs Bunny nemesis. He's a character of pure rage and we laugh at him because we see the ridiculousness of being ruled by anger. To be honest, we probably see a little bit of ourselves in him, and it probably helps us get a little bit closer to being better people when we see his tantrums literally blow up in his face one more time. I didn't plan this commentary out, but perhaps that's a lesson all those elected today should take to heart.