# Why does Bugs Bunny wear gloves? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [June 28, 2005, 7:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-bugs-bunny-wear-gloves/310253 "2005-06-28T19:28:15Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![El\_Zagna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/d2c977/32.png) [@El\_Zagna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/El_Zagna)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2005, 2:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-bugs-bunny-wear-gloves/310253/21 "2005-06-29T14:10:34Z")
It’s my understanding that many of the cartoon characters have AIDS. I could be wrong about this, so don’t quote me. ---
**Author:** ![chaoticbear](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f07891/32.png) [@chaoticbear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chaoticbear)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2005, 4:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-bugs-bunny-wear-gloves/310253/22 "2005-06-29T16:06:44Z")
> [@El Zagna](#): > > It’s my understanding that many of the cartoon characters have AIDS. I could be wrong about this, so don’t quote me. No, some of them have AIDS. They all have _Hepatitis C_. Close though. (oops, I quoted you) ---
**Author:** ![mobo85](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b19c9b/32.png) [@mobo85](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mobo85)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2005, 4:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-bugs-bunny-wear-gloves/310253/23 "2005-06-29T16:47:22Z")
Shigeru Miyamoto, who created the “Super Mario” character, says he gave Mario white gloves since it was hard to represent hand movement in early video games (Mario’s first appearance was in _Donkey Kong_ in 1981). I wonder if the early animators decided to give their characters white gloves so their hand movements could be seen- Mickey Mouse is completely black, and one wonders if his hands would be as noticable in the early '20s and '30s cartoons if he didn’t wear gloves. ---
**Author:** ![Scupper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b9bd4f/32.png) [@Scupper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scupper)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2005, 7:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-bugs-bunny-wear-gloves/310253/24 "2005-06-29T19:25:25Z")
Force of rabbit. ---
**Author:** ![GargoyleWB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gargoylewb/32/199_2.png) [@GargoyleWB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GargoyleWB)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2005, 8:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-bugs-bunny-wear-gloves/310253/25 "2005-06-29T20:23:58Z")
It would be my guess for the same reason that mimes or vaudeville folks wear white gloves…much of their communication and expression is through gesture, and it provides a nice contrast for the viewer. Notice the difference between Bugs (gloves, very detailed important gestures that define much of the comedy) and a modern Bart Simpson (gloveless, couldn’t care less what Bart’s hands are doing). ---
**Author:** ![Cartooniverse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cartooniverse/32/3084_2.png) [@Cartooniverse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cartooniverse)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2005, 3:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-bugs-bunny-wear-gloves/310253/26 "2005-06-30T03:20:38Z")
> [@Enola Straight](#): > > The Pink Panther wears no gloves…or anything else at all, for that matter…and has no trouble with the FCC. :rolleyes: Oh. That’s different. The Pink Panther’s French. You know how liberal those French are, what with fan dances and paintings and nudes and…and…and…stuff. 😃 Cartooniverse ---
**Author:** ![chaoticbear](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f07891/32.png) [@chaoticbear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chaoticbear)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2005, 4:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-bugs-bunny-wear-gloves/310253/27 "2005-06-30T04:49:54Z")
Oh, he wears clothes sometimes. Remember Drawn Together? Didn’t he have a pride shirt on? ---
**Author:** ![Loopus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loopus/32/15343_2.png) [@Loopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loopus)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2005, 6:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-bugs-bunny-wear-gloves/310253/28 "2005-06-30T06:38:07Z")
> [@mobo85](#): > > Shigeru Miyamoto, who created the “Super Mario” character, says he gave Mario white gloves since it was hard to represent hand movement in early video games (Mario’s first appearance was in _Donkey Kong_ in 1981). :dubious: Mario was always drawn with white gloves in the promotional art (as far as I know) but he didn’t have gloves that you could really see in any game until Super Mario World in 1991. For example, look at [this image](http://www.empire-of-the-claw.com/files/Donkey%20Kong_640.jpg) from Donkey Kong, in which Mario’s hand, which is the same color as his face, looks like a deformed square. The color limitations at the time may have made it impossible for Mario’s hands to be a different color from the red, blue, and flesh color that made up the rest of him. His flesh-colored hands are easily seen, however, because of his long-sleeved shirt. It’s certainly possible, even probable, that they gave him a long-sleeved shirt for that reason. ---
**Author:** ![Ike\_Witt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ike_witt/32/283_2.png) [@Ike\_Witt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ike_Witt)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2005, 2:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-bugs-bunny-wear-gloves/310253/29 "2005-06-30T14:21:17Z")
> [@Cartooniverse](#): > > Oh. That’s different. The Pink Panther’s French. The Pink Panther is not French. He is, however, a sociopath. ---
**Author:** ![mobo85](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b19c9b/32.png) [@mobo85](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mobo85)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2005, 8:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-bugs-bunny-wear-gloves/310253/30 "2005-06-30T20:45:31Z")
> [@Loopus](#): > > :Mario was always drawn with white gloves in the promotional art (as far as I know) but he didn’t have gloves that you could really see in any game until Super Mario World in 1991…His flesh-colored hands are easily seen, however, because of his long-sleeved shirt. It’s certainly possible, even probable, that they gave him a long-sleeved shirt for that reason. Miyamoto is quoted in a number of sources about drawing Mario the way he did due to limitations. In a 1991 Nintendo of America publication _Mario Mania_ that “Mario wears overalls because that shows the movement of his arms, and he’s wearing white gloves because the white contrasts better with the colored backgrounds.” In David Sheff’s _Game Over_, Sheff says “it was important that characters’ arms moved, so [Miyamoto] drew stocky arms that swung back and forth.” Perhaps Miyamoto has forgotten that Mario hasn’t always worn gloves in games, or maybe he has always drawn the character with the gloves on (Miyamoto is also a talented cartoonist). You’re probably right regarding the shirt, since the reason Mario wears a hat is so his hair doesn’t have to be drawn (of course, with the advances in video games in 25 years, Mario can be and has been depicted hatless in some areas of games). Mario’s white gloves make this Japanese character look more like an American creation, among other things, and his look may be why he has been successful in both countries. ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2005, 10:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-bugs-bunny-wear-gloves/310253/31 "2005-06-30T22:21:13Z")
> [@Inigo Montoya](#): > > Well if he’d just remember to turn RIGHT at Albuquerque… LEFT; shoulda taken that LEFT turn at Albuquerque. ---
**Author:** ![ouryL](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ouryl/32/6067_2.png) [@ouryL](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ouryL)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2005, 10:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-bugs-bunny-wear-gloves/310253/32 "2005-06-30T22:28:45Z")
Bugs Bunny is an obvious alias: The gloves are to obscure his fingerprints. 😛😛😛 ---
**Author:** ![CrankyAsAnOldMan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crankyasanoldman/32/11670_2.png) [@CrankyAsAnOldMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CrankyAsAnOldMan)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2005, 1:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-bugs-bunny-wear-gloves/310253/33 "2005-07-01T01:09:07Z")
> [@Enola Straight](#): > > The Pink Panther wears no gloves…or anything else at all, for that matter…and has no trouble with the FCC. :rolleyes: He ought to–he’s going to get awful fiberglass splinters. ---
**Author:** ![Cartooniverse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cartooniverse/32/3084_2.png) [@Cartooniverse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cartooniverse)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2005, 9:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-bugs-bunny-wear-gloves/310253/34 "2005-07-01T21:10:39Z")
> [@adam yax](#): > > The Pink Panther is not French. He is, however, a sociopath. My recollection is that Capucine, the French actress, played The Pink Panther. The diamond was also called that but IIRC, it was the femme theif that earned the monicker, no? ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2005, 9:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-bugs-bunny-wear-gloves/310253/35 "2005-07-01T21:50:20Z")
I can’t find anything to support this on [IMDb](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0057413/). The Pink Panther is just the name of the gem. ---
**Author:** ![Ike\_Witt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ike_witt/32/283_2.png) [@Ike\_Witt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ike_Witt)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2005, 9:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-bugs-bunny-wear-gloves/310253/36 "2005-07-01T21:53:12Z")
> [@Exapno Mapcase](#): > > I can’t find anything to support this on [IMDb](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0057413/). > > The Pink Panther is just the name of the gem. Okay, confusion reigns here. In the movies, the Pink Panther is the gem. I was refering to the Friz Freleng cartoon character, myself. ---
**Author:** ![Diceman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/22d042/32.png) [@Diceman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diceman)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2005, 1:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-bugs-bunny-wear-gloves/310253/37 "2005-07-02T01:24:59Z")
I always thought that Bugs Bunny wore gloves to help identify him as a “civilized” creature, and not just a wild animal. He didn’t normally wear any other form of clothing, after all, whereas Porky Pig usually wore a shirt or something. IIRC, all of the major Disney characters wore some amount of clothing, but this seems to have fallen by the wayside at Warner Brothers, since several characters usually didn’t wear clothes (Daffy Duck, the Roadrunner, Wile E. Coyote, Taz) ---
**Author:** ![BChenowith](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e47c2d/32.png) [@BChenowith](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BChenowith)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2005, 2:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-bugs-bunny-wear-gloves/310253/38 "2005-07-02T02:15:09Z")
So he’ll be more believable when dressing up as a lady. The ladies - they wear gloves. White ones. ---
**Author:** ![Hombre](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/ecb155/32.png) [@Hombre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hombre)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2005, 2:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-bugs-bunny-wear-gloves/310253/39 "2005-07-02T02:57:07Z")
IAAArtist, The real reason: Started with early cartoons (Mickey Mouse, et al), It’s so that when his hands cross his body they won’t ‘disapear’. ---
**Author:** ![don\_Jaime](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b4bc9f/32.png) [@don\_Jaime](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_Jaime)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2005, 3:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-bugs-bunny-wear-gloves/310253/40 "2005-07-02T03:57:53Z")
> [@chaoticdonkey](#): > > Oh, he wears clothes sometimes. Remember Drawn Together? Didn’t he have a pride shirt on? That was Snagglepuss, not the Pink Panther. I did not watch that show, I swear. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-bugs-bunny-wear-gloves/310253.md?page=1)