What I Learned from Looney Tunes Today: Daffy Goes On a Date

I grew up watching Looney Tunes.  So yes, I had a good childhood. Apparently an updated and newer version of the classic cartoon series is out and in syndication. My son and I were watching it recently and I came across the following scene of Daffy Duck going on a date for the first time.






This scene caught my eye for a number of reasons. This is obviously a kids cartoon and we must be careful not to read too much into cartoons, but in this scenes there are assumptions that reveal the tendencies of the culture and of relationships in general.

Regarding Daffy, we men can relate to him. Not knowing what to say or how to say it all while wishing we had a list of pick-up lines and things women (we think) want to hear would be nice. We've all had sweaty palms while trying to talk to a girl we like.Certainly we can relate to him.

But Daffy throughout is a weak coward dominated by his date. He isn't confident, but cowardly. And when she says something negative to him, he quits and wants to leave.  He is also dominated by his date. Let me just say that if this relationship goes anywhere (I am aware that we are talking about imaginary characters) it will not end well.  Daffy reflects a trend among men who are weak and emasculated. The problem isn't that he is nervous, but that he is wussified. Men grow up and lead.

Another thing that caught my eye was regarding Daffy's date. When asked why she doesn't think the date is over, she goes on this lecture about how to her Daffy is a like an old building that should be destroyed can be fixed. And she, of course, is the one who can fix Daffy.

Ladies, let me just say: You cannot fix your significant other. That is not your responsibility to fix him. He is not an old building that needs your renovation. Enter a relationship to fix a man and you are the one who is going to get broken. There is a strong desire among many women to chase men whom they see some small spark of sweetness in them and think that it is their job to transform them into this heartbreaker into a hearthrob. If that is you, you are only going to get hurt. Don't do it.

This issue reveals something else. Those who rationalize dating a guy that should be avoided use the fixing argument as an excuse for something much deeper. Oftentimes women who feel something around a certain man will oftentimes overlook his shortcomings with her desire to fix him so that she can feel more of it. There is a lust for infatuation that oftentimes clouds our judgment and reveals our idols. More than fixing him, too often young women are chasing something like infatuation, a wrong sense of what love is, or they simply want to be pursued.  Ladies, don't fall for that.

I never thought I could learn so much from a 2 minute scene from Looney Tunes, but as a pastor I feel like I've seen this scene before over and over again. Men grow up and man up. Ladies, don't fall for the traps that your desire to be loved create for you.