Rossini and the Wabbit; or, the Undeniable Impact of Looney Tunes on a Child’s Appreciation of Classical Music

To this day, I cannot listen to Rossini’s “The Barber of Seville” without picturing Bugs Bunny and Elmer Fudd.

I know I’m not alone.
I also know I’m not the first one to write about the use of classical music in Looney Tunes cartoons. In fact, a quick search revealed this great article, listing “15 Pieces of Classical Music That Showed Up in ‘Looney Tunes’” – it’s worth a read, if only to watch some of the classic video examples. Nevertheless, I feel the need to acknowledge my debt and express my deep gratitude to Bugs Bunny, Elmer Fudd and the cast of other Looney Tunes characters for turning me on to Rossini specifically, and classical music in general.

Any warm-blooded human in the general ballpark of my age will know what I’m talking about. If you grew up in front of the TV on Saturday mornings, watching Bugs and Elmer and Daffy and Porky and Tweety and Sylvester and crew, you will undoubtedly remember “The Rabbit of Seville” episode, where Elmer’s relentless pursuit of Bugs leads him right on stage during a production of “The Barber of Seville.” Madness ensues, as Bugs finds ways to repeatedly humiliate Elmer.

Although there were plenty of other classical pieces used in Looney Tunes cartoons (“What’s Opera, Doc” may be my favorite runner up, set to the timeless strains of Wagner), "The Rabbit of Seville" always stood out for me. It was the combination of the dramatic, immediately memorable music and some of the most hilarious, visually hysterical images – especially Bugs in his white barber’s coat, giving Elmer a most unforgettable scalp massage.

These cartoons stayed with me for a lifetime, creatively, musically, and visually. They were part of the landscape of my childhood and they no doubt played a part in shaping me into the writer I am today. I read a job description for a copywriter recently that said they were looking for someone who is a “student of pop culture.” Hi, that would be me. I’ve always been intrigued with pop culture on many levels – and I have to give credit to Looney Tunes and some of those unforgettable episodes for not only instilling in me a love of classical music, but for also for helping to birth, feed and fuel my pop culture fascination.

I listen to classical music often while I’m writing and Rossini’s “Barber of Seville” comes on fairly frequently. I will never not see Bugs and Elmer in my mind when I hear it. I will never not smile when I hear it. And they will never stop inspiring me, at some level, to continue engaging my own creativity through writing.