Monday, Lafayette, Indiana

It was sixty-eight years ago today an American icon was born. Legendary toon Bugs Bunny began what was to become a five decade run that would forever read rewrite the image we have of “cute little bunny rabbits.”

Bugs Bunny, a chain Carrot chewer, was intelligent and wily, and set the standard for a variety of other Looney Tunes cartoon characters. In fact, he was named by TV Guide is the greatest cartoon character ever.

Bugs, but tough character replete with a Brooklyn accent, was no innocent little creature. In virtually every episode he appeared in, Bugs Bunny outwitted everyone who tried to make a meal out of him. But he was no scared little rabbit come he prevailed with a calm and the cocky attitude that infuriated all of his hunters. In particular, Bugs drove Elmer Fudd, the inept hunter with a speech impediment, virtually insane. In virtually every adventure, Bugs would be seen standing over the frustrated Fudd, chewing a carrot of course and offering a line that made him famous: “what’s up Doc?”

Every artistic expression reveals something of the unconscious imagination of the creator. Whenever we see a painting, a written character or a television detection, even a silly cartoon, we are getting a glimpse into the psyche of the individual who brought it to life. And if we stop and reflect upon the images and themes in the expression, we frequently can find themes that resonate with our own life as well. In television and film, whether the theme is deep and ominous or silly and even inane, we get a glimpse into the mind of the person behind the image.

And Bugs Bunny represents a fantasy of an innocent, vulnerable creature who uses his wits to overcome a superior threat. Elmer Fudd, the superior creature armed with a gun, is overcome by the little hare with a sharper imagination. And isn’t this a fantasy that resonates for us as well? For the majority of us who do not feel powerful in the face of superior aggressive force, we can imagine ourselves overcoming the threat with our wits. And, most importantly, like Bugs Bunny we do so with cool calm, munching on a snack and asking sarcastically,

"Ah, what’s up Doc?”