By William M. Dowd
Any day now a mail carrier should start dropping Social Security checks down a rabbit hole.
No, this is not the start of a diatribe against Social Security reform. Or in favor of it, for that matter. It’s just our way of saying happy birthday to an American icon: Bugs Bunny qualifies for full SS benefits by turning 67 today. Sort of.
It was on July 27, 1940, that the smart-mouth rabbit debuted in “A Wild Hare,” his first starring role after a couple of fleeting embryonic appearances in earlier short films — “Hare Hunt” with Porky Pig in 1938 being his first, although then he was smaller and completely white. “A Wild Hare” is the one I like to count as The Real Debut because it’s the first time onscreen that he chomped on a carrot, mockingly kissed Elmer Fudd and uttered his signature line, “Eh, what’s up, doc?” Curiously, though, he was referred to as Bug’s bunny for several years but wasn’t called Bugs Bunny until 1941 in “Elmer’s Pet Rabbit.”
This may seem like much ado about nothing but an animated character, but let’s see a human match his legions of fans and decades of popularity coupled with three Academy Award nominations — for “A Wild Hare” in ’40, “Hiawatha’s Rabbit Hunt” in ’42, and “Knighty-Knight Bugs” in ’58, when he won his Oscar.
Speaking of rabbits, keep an eye on your garden today. With most of the rainclouds cleared out of the region, a nice amount of sun predicted along with generally cooler temps in the 80s, growth spurts for your favorite veggies and herbs are due. And that means wascally wabbits will be out in force.
(Posted 07/27/07)