Connect with us

Blog

The Desexualisation of Lola Bunny from Space Jam has Riled Up the Internet

I’m going to be completely honest here and say that this is probably going to be a bit of a weird blog post. I wanted to address a topic that has got the Internet somewhat up in arms. So buckle up kiddos, today we are going to be talking about the obsession that some seem to have with a sexy cartoon bunny rabbit because I am a professional and this is what I do.

Space Jam 2
Lola Bunny has switched out sexy for sporty in her new design for Space Jam 2: A New Legacy, the sequel to 1996’s Space Jam.

Some promotional pictures of the upcoming Space Jam 2: A New Legacy were recently released and fans were instantly drawn to the redesign of a certain character who caused quite a stir when the first film was released back in 1996: Bugs Bunny’s female alter ego Lola Bunny. If you look at her design from the first movie I’m sure you will be able to see why. Much like Jessica Rabbit and countless other female characters before her, Lola was hypersexualised to the point where she became a confusing crush for many at the time. The promotional images of Lola from the second movie show her with a much more toned down design, wearing proper sports gear rather than a crop top and short shorts. The main change that fans have addressed is her lack of…how do I put this? You know what; I’m just going to say it. She no longer has bunny boobs. At least, they are nowhere near as prominent as in her 1996 design. I can’t believe I actually wrote that sentence but let’s move on. As you can imagine, some are saying that this change is political correctness gone mad and that it is ridiculous to take away a female characters breasts to prove that this is a woman who needs to be taken seriously. I actually agree with that notion. You can lessen the sexualised aspects of a female character in all sorts of ways. A costume revamp or even a simple change of pose can do that. You don’t have to take away the body part that instantly makes you think “woman!” to prove that this is a serious lady who won’t take any nonsense. But there are others who are simply upset that Lola is no long as “sexy” as she was before. Those who had a crush on Lola from the 1996 film are bawling at the loss of their bunny babe but at the end of the day, this is a cartoon rabbit from a kids movie-let’s not forget that.

I wanted to give my perspective on this matter (I can’t believe this is actually something being discussed but that’s the Internet for you) as I was in the demographic that Lola would have been catered for when the first movie released: I was a little girl. Girls want girl characters in their movies so they can see themselves in them and that’s exactly what I wanted. So here is my hot take on this whole Lola Bunny thing. I was a huge Space Jam fan when I was little and would watch the VHS all of the time. Lola was my favourite character because- you probably guessed it- she was the only girl character. I would watch the movie most probably between the ages of 5 and 8, so as you can imagine I didn’t notice the sexiness attributed to her character. What I did notice is how she was the best basketball player of all the cartoons and how she didn’t put up with any of the crap or the creepy advances from the men around her. God forbid you call her “doll.” Despite being an anthropomorphic bunny rabbit, I remember looking up to her and admiring her for being so strong, skilled, confident and beating out all the boys at their own game. It was nothing to do with how she looked (although watching it now you can see how she was certainly designed with sexiness in mind). To me- a little girl who wanted to see myself in my favourite characters- Lola was a capable character who I wanted to be like. But she still managed to be that even with her sexy outfit and that weird smooth jazz that would play when she was on screen. If a little girl can still look at Lola in the sequel when it comes out and feel the same things I did about her when I saw in 1996, does her outfit or design matter? I really hope they don’t change her characters personality because I am certain she could be looked to as a role model for little girls now like she was for me all those years ago. I’m not kidding; I literally started playing basketball because of her. Not because I wanted to be like Michael Jordan or Bugs Bunny but because I wanted to be like Lola. Whilst I agree that it is ridiculous to take away a female character’s breasts in an attempt to reduce sexualisation, I do appreciate her costume redesign because at the end of the day, it makes more sense to have a proper basketball outfit. Oh and by the way, we have these things called “sports bras”. Insane concept I know. They make things easier when you’re playing sports and can hide them a little so maybe Lola is wearing one of those? I still cannot believe that I am discussing an animated bunny and her boobs.  

Space Jam 2

So, what is my point in this? I’m actually not entirely sure what my point is. Okay, I think I have something. At the end of the day, this is a cartoon rabbit and people who are complaining just because they don’t find her as sexy as they once did should probably re-evaluate their life choices. I do understand the frustration of seeing a female character getting their boobs removed in an attempt to desexualise them and get them to be taken seriously. As long as Lola is the same character she was in first film, I figure that’s all that matters. If she can encourage little girls to get into a sport like she did with me, then who cares what she’s wearing? The only thing I’m hoping is that she actually gets some proper screen time this time around.

Space Jam 2: A New Legacy is set to be released in cinemas and on HBO Max on July 16th, 2021.

Written By

Antonia Haynes resides in a small seaside town in England where she has lived her whole life. She's a simple girl with a passion for zombies, writing, film, television, drawing, superheroes, Disney and, of course, video games. Her ideal day would consist of junk food, fluffy pyjamas and video games because quite frankly going outside is overrated. Follow her on Twitter on @RainbowMachete

1 Comment

1 Comment

  1. Anonymouse

    August 12, 2023 at 9:32 am

    Thank goodness they changed Lola Bunny’s design.
    Otherwise “Space Jam 2” could have been a massive flop at the box office…

    Oh wait.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Facebook

Trending

Aaliyah’s Brother “Rashad Haughton” Claims She Would’ve Been “Biggest Star In The World”

Celebrity

2025 Oscar nominations predictions: See contenders for Best Picture and acting, from Demi Moore to Wicked

Celebrity

Mia Khalifa dating history

Celebrity

Trevor Noah Returns to Host 2025 Grammy Awards

Celebrity

Who is Bree Purganan? The untold story of Jalen Green’s mom

Celebrity

Skilla Baby Offers To Cover Costs Of Celebration Of Life For Missing Teen, Na’Ziyah Harris

Celebrity

The Weeknd Donates $1 Million to Los Angeles Wildfire Relief Efforts

Celebrity

‘Together’ Review: Dave Franco and Alison Brie Are a Couple Falling Apart (and Fusing) in a Looney-Tunes Bash About the Body Horror of Love

Film

Rachael Kirkconnell says ‘everything was fine’ the night before her breakup with Bachelor star Matt James

Celebrity

Rabbit Trap Review: Dev Patel Stars In A Blend Of Cosmic And Folk Horror

Film

Box Office: ‘Dog Man’ Shows Bite With $36 Million Opening Weekend

Film

Nike Air Foamposite One “Galaxy” Drops This February

Reviews

Why Steven Spielberg Is Disappointed With Vin Diesel

Film

Mac Miller’s “Balloonerism” Review

Celebrity

DDG Pledges His Unbreakable Allegiance To Drake

Celebrity

Jim Jones Finally Drops Cam’ron Diss “JOMO” After Weeks Of Intense Online Beef

Celebrity

Connect