Bunny Hugged

Bunny Hugged is a 1951 Merrie Melodies short directed by Charles M. Jones.
== Plot ==
A wrestling match pits professional wrestler Ravishing Ronald, "a de-natured boy", against current champion, The Crusher. Bugs, the mascot of Ravishing Ronald, says, "It's a living," and watches from a corner as The Crusher uses Ronald, tied up in his own hairnet, as a punching bag. Worried that he's losing his "bread and butter", Bugs enters the match as "The Masked Terror", wearing a mask over his face. The Crusher sees the new opponent as "fresh meat", disposes of Ronald, whose signs "HELP", "SOS", and "FOUL" go unanswered, and goes after Bugs.
Bugs tries to wrestle Crusher, but Crusher is able to knock him around and send Bugs flying into the audience. When he's quickly pinned between Crusher's legs, Bugs declares "It's about time for me to employ a little stra-gedy". He then tears his mask apart, which Crusher thinks is a rip in his shorts. Bugs comes back from off-screen wearing a sandwich board advertising his services as "Stychen Tyme", a tailor. While humming the tune to "Stitch in Time", Bugs jabs a needle in Crusher's backside, causing him to fly screaming through the audience.
Enraged, Crusher then comes charging back, but Bugs opens a safe door, letting Crusher run through it and bounce off the ring before bouncing back into the now closed door. A now disoriented Crusher is able to be pinned, literally, as Bugs put a coat on Crusher and pins the coat to the mat. When the match ends and Bugs is declared the new champion, Crusher snaps out of it. He offers his hand to shake Bugs', despite the crowd's objections. Crusher merely growls them into silence. Bugs relents, but when Crusher tries to bite Bugs' hand, he is instead biting through a stick of dynamite, which blows up in his face. Now finally done with Crusher, Bugs tries to flex his muscle... but sees his muscle droop instead. Bugs simply accepts being weak, pushing his drooping muscle like a little swing.
== Availability ==
W UK10553 LooneyTunesVideoShowNo18The.jpg|(1984) VHS The Looney Tunes Video Show Volume 18
Lt bbwa.jpg|(1985) VHS Bugs Bunny's Wacky Adventures
Lt bbwa beta.jpg|(1985) Beta Bugs Bunny's Wacky Adventures
BUGS BUNNY WINNER BY A HARE.jpg|(1993) LaserDisc Bugs Bunny: Winner by a Hare: 14 of Bugs Bunny's Best
Lt collection bugs bunny.jpg|(1996) VHS Bugs Bunny
Bumper03.jpg|(1996) VHS Special Bumper Collection (Vol. 3)
515P04M6R6L. AC .jpg|(2003) VHS Bugs Bunny (2003)
Golden Collection box 2.jpg|(2004) DVD Looney Tunes Golden Collection Volume 2, Disc One
Lt cbobb2.jpg|(2005) DVD Looney Tunes Collection Best of Bugs Bunny Volume 2
LooneyTunesSpotlightVol8-210x300.jpg|(2014) DVD Looney Tunes Spotlight Collection: Volume 8 Disc 1
LTPC Volume 3 Cover.png|(2014) Blu-ray Looney Tunes Platinum Collection: Volume 3, Disc One
LT Platinum Collection VOL 3 DVD Cover.png|(2014) DVD Looney Tunes Platinum Collection: Volume 3, Disc One
Looney Tunes Bugs Bunny Golden Carrot Collection.png|(2020) DVD Looney Tunes Bugs Bunny Golden Carrot Collection
61gBQ7uKQYL._SL1000_.jpg|(2023) Blu-ray Storm Warning
=== Streaming ===
Lt boomerang.jpg|Boomerang App ( - )
Lt hbo max.jpg|HBO Max (2020 - 2022)
Lt max.jpg|Max (2024 - )
File:Lt itunes.jpg|iTunes ( - ) (restored)
== Notes ==
* Ravishing Ronald is a parody of Gorgeous George and "Nature Boy" Buddy Rogers.
* At the time, there was a revival of the 1910s-era Masked Marvel wrestling persona. A future American Wrestling Association competitor donned Bugs Bunny's wrestling name, "The Masked Terror," between 1963 and 1964. Reginald Lisowski, a prominent AWA wrestler, began using the ring name "The Crusher" in the late 1950s.
== Gallery ==
615-Credits1.png
615-Credits2.png
Bunny Hugged screenshot.png
31640184-bunny-hugged.jpg|Colorized lobby card
BunnyHuggedLobbyCard.jpg|Lobby card
28535401 1.jpg|Lobby card
615-CA1.png|Concept art
== References ==
Category:Cartoons directed by Chuck Jones
Category:Bugs Bunny Cartoons
Category:Hollywood in Cartoons
Category:Shorts
Category:1951
Category:Merrie Melodies Shorts
Category:Wrestling Cartoons
Category:Blue Ribbon reissues
Category:Re-released cartoons whose original titles are known to exist
Category:Cartoons with characters voiced by Mel Blanc
Category:Cartoons written by Michael Maltese
Category:Cartoons produced by Eddie Selzer
Category:Cartoons with layouts by Peter Alvarado
Category:Cartoons with backgrounds by Philip DeGuard
Category:Cartoons with film editing by Treg Brown
Category:Cartoons with sound effects edited by Treg Brown
Category:Cartoons with music by Carl W. Stalling
Category:Cartoons with orchestrations by Milt Franklyn