A Daily Thing

My mother believes in age-specific child raising: when you hit a certain age and she deems you too old for something, you’re done.

She tried to steer me from Looney Tunes cartoons that – horror – I still enjoyed watching past the age of 12 (maybe I should have been a more sophisticated child in her mind and read the Economist instead?).  With one exception: the marvellous, flamboyant and frisky Pepe le Pew.  He made her laugh and we watched him together many times.  She actually does a fantastic Pepe impression to boot.

So when I think of Pepe I am not only rolling around laughing at his accent, at the signs in the cartoons saying ‘Le’ everywhere, but I am also picturing my mother saying ‘Weeeere ah-re yoo peegeon?’.  If you have never heard her say that, something in your life is missing.  Honest.

(Image is from here – how could such a cute little creature have such an evil stink?)

PS: My sister just reminded me in a comment of this absolute classic, so for those of you who don’t read French here is the lowdown:  mother goes to rubbish bins.  Mother hears someone coming, mother thinks it’s my sister.  Mother screams: ‘Weeeere ah-re yoo my leeetle peeeenk rah-beet??’.  Mother comes face to face with neighbour.  Is it more evil than Pepe’s stink to find deliciousness in her embarrassment?