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No, Yosemite Sam was not banned from television for being 'too violent'
It may have been a while since we’ve seen Yosemite Sam chase Bugs Bunny around while calling him a "long-eared galoot," but that doesn’t mean that the gun-slinging cartoon character isn’t on television anymore.
Some social media posts circulating the internet, however, say that Yosemite Sam has been "banned" from appearing on the airwaves for being too violent.
One such post, shared on March 18, displays an image of Yosemite Sam in front of a confederate flag with his two guns drawn, and says: "I was banned from television for being too violent. Like and Share if you grew up watching me on television, have a gun, and haven’t shot or killed anyone!"
The post was flagged as part of Facebook’s efforts to combat false news and misinformation on its News Feed. (Read more about our partnership with Facebook.)
There is no documented evidence, or any past or present media reports that say Yosemite has ever been banned or cut from the show for any reason.
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The only Looney Tunes character to be temporarily banned was Speedy Gonzales, a small Mexican mouse who was deemed an offensive stereotype and reportedly pulled off the air in late 1999. But fans of Speedy rallied to get the character back on TV. Animated shorts featuring the mouse returned in 2002.
Ten episodes of "Merrie Melodies" (a Looney Tunes sister series also produced by Warner Bros.) and one Looney Tunes segment called "Angel Puss," were all pulled from syndication in the 1960s over racist content. Angel Puss, which was released in 1944, depicted a young boy in blackface. These cartoons are sometimes referred to as the "Censored Eleven" and none include Yosemite Sam.
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Meanwhile, you can still see Looney Tunes reruns on television today. On Boomerang, a cable television network and streaming service owned by Warner Bros., you can stream the show and catch the show’s characters, including Yosemite, at 10 a.m. on weekdays.
A social media post claims that Looney Tunes character Yosemite Sam was banned from television for "being too violent."
There is no evidence that Yosemite’s segments were ever banned. We can still find the red-bearded cowboy on television today.
This post is False.
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Our Sources
Facebook post, March 18, 2019
Fox News, Speedy Gonzales Caged by Cartoon Network, March 28, 2002
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, A Speedy return, June 21, 2002
Huffington Post, Speedy Gonzales’ Relationship With The Hispanic Community, Oct. 3, 2013
UpRoxx, 15 Banned Cartoons You'll Never See on TV, April 4, 2012
OnTVTonight, Looney Tunes showings, Accessed March 18, 2019
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No, Yosemite Sam was not banned from television for being 'too violent'
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