Sex, lies, and
Speedy Gonzales?
Arturo Mercado, the voice of Speedy in Mexico and Latin America,
weighs in on the controversial Mexican mouse.
By VIRGINIA CUETO
HispanicOnline Staff
What do Fred Flintstone, Yoda,
Papa Smurf, Daffy Duck, Speedy
Gonzales
and George Clooney have in common?
They all speak Spanish in the
voice of one of Mexico's best-known voice actors, Arturo Mercado
Chacón. And they're in good company, too. Mercado also
does the voices of Simba the Lion King, Kermit the Frog, Tarzan's
elephant friend Tantor, Shaggy, Scrappy Doo and Winnie the Pooh;
and Uncle Scrooge and Patrick Duffy, too. Did I mention several
characters in DragonballZ, and Bugs Bunny and Chip's sidekick,
Dale? Yes, all of them hablan español thanks to
Arturo Mercado, perhaps Mexico's most versatile voice talent.
Born in Guanajuato, he now resides
and works in Mexico City, although he's often in Los Angeles,
where he recently reprised his role of Yoda in the latest chapters
of Star Wars, and cast and directed all the dubbing for
the blockbuster Spider-Man.
Like Mel Blanc, the original
voice in English of Bugs Bunny, Speedy, Daffy and Sylvester, to
name a few, Mercado's voice is instantly recognized as that of
these and other cartoon characters in Mexico and Latin America.
He's also dubbed all of George Clooney's characters in movies
such as One Fine Day, The Perfect Storm, and Batman
& Robin, as well as Clooney's hit series E.R. And
when Mexicans, like their neighbors to the north, were tuning
in regularly in the eighties to find out who killed J.R. Ewing
in the prime time soap, Dallas, it was Mercado's voice
they heard delivering all of Patrick Duffy's lines as good son
Bobby Ewing in Spanish.
But of all the characters he
brings to life, he is perhaps most intrinsically linked with Speedy
Gonzales, the fastest mouse in all Mexico.
The quick-witted mouse was recently
the subject of much controversy over his absence from Cartoon
Network's prime time programming in the United States. Although
Speedy remains immensely popular in Latin America, where it is
aired regularly on Cartoon Network, the network says its decision
to limit broadcasts of the cartoon in the U.S. was based on poor
ratings and content deemed offensive, especially to Mexican Americans.
However, many Mexican Americans, (and even U.S. Hispanic organizations),
say the character
is not offensive, and have joined other cartoon fans in petitioning
CN to reconsider.
HispanicOnline spoke to Mercado about the recent controversy.
HispanicOnline.com - When
did you start doing the voice of Speedy Gonzales?
Arturo Mercado - I started a long time ago, when they started
doing El Show de Speedy Gonzales, more or less 25 years
ago. Actually, I did a commercial for a product called "quechitos,"
they were a kind of snack, [that they used Speedy Gonzales to
sell.] I remember the animator came down to Mexico, and he would
draw the animation while we were doing the voices.
HispanicOnline.com - As a
Mexican, and having done the voice of Speedy Gonzales for so many
years, how do you characterize Speedy? Do you identify with him?
Arturo Mercado - Well, I wouldn't say that I identify with him;
but I am very well versed in who Speedy Gonzales is. And Speedy
Gonzales is simply a funny little mouse, that's all, who supposedly
is a representation of Mexicans, but-he is nothing like they say
he is! That he is a skirt-chaser, a drunk, that he smokes marijuana.
They made all that up, I don't know why. To tell you the truth,
I thought it was strange that they would say that. Because he
isn't like that at all. He has only one girl, Rosita, his girlfriend.
(Does Speedy: "Andale, Rosita, la más bonita,
my only girl, the only one in the world for me, I have no other
but she, and she's Mexican, and the most lovely, ándale,
ándale, ándale!") (Laughs)
That's how I do him. It's been
a long time since they've dubbed him, but I still do him, at conferences,
in performances throughout Mexico. They ask me to do him all the
time. He is one of the best-loved characters, people just love
him.
HispanicOnline.com - So Mexicans
enjoy the character. Have you ever heard say he was offensive,
or that people were upset because of the character?
Arturo Mercado - Oh, no, no, no, not at all. If you analyze
it, it is actually the other way around. I think it is poor Sylvester
who gets the worst of it. Daffy Duck and Sylvester, they always
end up beaten.
No, no, here he is much loved,
the character is well liked, as is the cartoon series. This weekend,
I was watching television and they are airing them as usual, exactly
the same, without any problem.
It's not a character that could
be considered denigrating to the human species, much less to Mexicans,
like they say. This is just totally, absolutely false.
The stories are very well written,
very well done. Speedy Gonzales does have some brothers that are
kind of lazy. They just hang around, and then Speedy comes to
rescue them from the cat, because the cat wants them for dinner.
But it is not done in any way that would alarm people, or showing
them drunk; they are not a bad example for youths, or children,
in no way, in no way. So I think it is exactly the opposite of
what they say.
HispanicOnline.com - Is there
anything about the cartoon that you would change?
Arturo Mercado - Yes, it is precisely that, depicting the Mexicans
as lazy. Because it isn't the sole prerogative of Mexicans to
be lazy. It's like everywhere else in the world, that's all.
HispanicOnline.com - But
Cartoon Network's argument is precisely that it shows the Mexican
characters as lazy; not Speedy himself, but the rest of the mice.
Arturo Mercado - And often Mexicans are shown stooped over, wearing
a big sombrero, arms around his knees, totally asleep-that is,
if they don't show him with a bottle of tequila next to him. (Laughs).
I would eliminate that, because that is what is objectionable.
HispanicOnline.com - But
those images don't come up all the time, and they aren't the focus
of the cartoon, right?
Arturo Mercado - Right. The
point of the cartoon is, Speedy is everything that's quick.
HispanicOnline.com - Would
you like to see Speedy star in a new series of shorts?
Arturo Mercado - Well, I tell
you, yes, I would like to see a new series, because the cartoons
that have been dubbed to date are the same old ones. There has
been no new animation. The latest were the ones done for El
Show de Speedy Gonzales. He was originally done for the movie
theater. They would show Speedy shorts before the feature film.
And those shorts have been replayed over and over again. They
should bring him back in an updated series, leave the character
as he is, but take out the objectionable material.
HispanicOnline.com - Do you
enjoy your work?
Arturo Mercado - I enjoy my work very much, definitely, if not,
I wouldn't do it. I love it, and it gives me particular satisfaction
that children, especially, recognize me in the characters. And
many people recognize me on the street. They hear me talk, and
immediately they say, "Ay! It's the voice of"