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"
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