. . . as the Looney Tunes folks vainly try to warn America against one of their own former starlets, who used his Democratic Term as President of the Screen Actors Union for a stepping stone into the White House. (As BUNNY HUGGED opens, Bugs is employed by wrestling pretender "Ravishing Ronald," an unmistakable allusion to the POTUS occupying our Seat of Government between Jimmy Carter and Poppa Bush.) Yes, America, the rise of a turncoat Dem with NO qualifications other than popularizing a demeaning two-word catch-phrase on a third-rate TV show is NOT "unprecedented," as so many uneducated media pundits have claimed this month. Before Trump shilled his steaks in the middle of a victory speech, "Ravishing Ronald" Reagan was pushing Borax Soap during breaks on TV's WAGON TRAIN show. (As with THE APPRENTICE, some poor Schlub was fired--literally--at the end of most WAGON TRAIN episodes.) As Arnold Schwarzenegger proved, you don't need to be an authentic American to be Gubernator of California (or even be able to pronounce this state's name). This fact makes Trump equally as unqualified as Ravishing Ronald to eat jelly beans in the oval office. Hopefully, Mrs. Trump's astrologers will be equally adept as Nancy Reagan's in Ruling America. Otherwise, we're in for a bumpy ride.

Bunny Hugged (1951) *** (out of 4) Spoof of wrestling has Bugs Bunny jumping into the ring after his owner is destroyed by The Crusher. Once inside the ring the rabbit is totally out of his league so he must use his brains to try and bring down the best. There's quite a bit that happens inside the seven-minutes of this short. There's pretty much action from the start to finish and most of it is very good. The best sequence is early on in the picture and doesn't even feature the hero Bugs. It's a scene where The Crusher destroys the other wrestler, a "pretty boy" type and the way he's destroyed is just hilarious. The violent action is another plus as is all of the animation, which looks extremely well.

Almost half a century before everyone got really obsessed with wrestling, that carrot-chomping rascal engaged in it...with a vengeance. After belligerent wrestler The Crusher clobbers a challenger, Bugs Bunny quickly enters the fray. At first, The Crusher has the upper hand, but of course Bugs has some tricks up his sleeve. Some of Bugs' antics seem a little risqué, especially for 1951, but there's nothing offensive here. These sorts of cartoons are the REAL definition of "family fun". As Chuck Jones once noted: "Bugs Bunny does what most of us would like to do, but don't have the nerve to do." Splendid.

If it hadn't been for this cartoon, I would have never watched professional wrestling today, watching Legends and Superstars like Hulk Hogan, Bret Hart, Randy Savage, Mick Foley, "Stone Cold" Steve Austin, Goldberg, The Rock, and more! Bugs Bunny made his "debut" as a pro wrestler with the gimmick called "The Masked Terror," substituting Ravishing Ronald's position as challenger for the World Title. The champion at that time was a bald and bearded heel (bad guy) named the Crusher. At the end, with a "little strategy," Bugs Bunny took off his mask and knocked out the champion with a safe and went for the pin. That is why I'll worship Bugs Bunny forever, along with Mickey Mouse, Hulk Hogan, and more of the greatest heroes there had ever been.