¡Arriba, arriba… andale, andale!

I don’t need to defend Speedy Gonzales.   LULAC, Mexico’s foreign ministry and Subcomandante Marcos have all spoken on behalf of el raton rapido.  (And Speedy is much better cartoon character and role model that the than that other Gonzales (Alberto).  You’ll see Speedy’s iconic image all over the Mexican republic.

The little guy has a lot of positive qualities.  He’s resourceful, cheerful, laughs at danger, a real caballero (he’s always polite to the mousaritas) and willing to defend even his dim-witted relations like Slowpoke Rodriguez.  O.K., he lives in a sort of run-down place (but, then where else do mice hang out?) and his English isn’t the best (but, hey, he’s a lot more bilingual than Sylvester will ever be) and eminently quotable.  During the Friday night traffic jams in Mexico City, the police bullhorns announce to commuters:  ¡Arriba, arriba… andale, andale!

Why this short was (and still is) “banned” from U.S. is a mystery.  Maybe because Speedy subverts Gringo hegonomy (and political intrigue) though seemingly giving the gringo exactly what he asks for… or maybe because “Gonzales Tamale” was filmed the same year “A Touch of Evil”,  and  el raton rapido doesn’t go all Chuck Heston about  marijuana?