by 
Updated on December 10, 2021
This week’s “Looney Tunes Show,” “Beauty School,” is one of the better ones in the series-to-date. Not only is Daffy depicted as somewhat less dumb than usual, but one of Bugs’ old shticks is revisited/played up (his cross-dressing). Porky and Speedy also get plenty of screen time, and even Lola’s tolerable here.
Plot: Daffy discovers he’s naturally gifted at hair styling, and helps Tina get through her cosmetology classes. Meanwhile, Porky takes dance lessons, which he ropes Bugs into as his dance partner. Bugs during all this is dressed in women’s clothing, as the result of modeling for Daffy’s hair styling.
As noted above, Daffy here is less obnoxious/dumb than usual, and for once has a bone thrown his way by being shown as actually good at something (without blowing it). Other amusing parts:
- Bugs insisting he’s not an “ugly woman” (despite what the others say about him).
- Speedy’s crush on Bugs-in-drag. No, they didn’t do the “you’re a dude?! (Vomiting)” cliche like some comedies would pull… Speedy instead is just disappointed/distraught. The shot of his mouse hole (and his shrine to Bugs) is great.
- Porky once again making a female friend. Guess last week’s episode’s ending didn’t work out for the pig.
- Daffy *also* in drag, as Tina… and looking remarkably just like her, down to imitating (badly) her voice.
- Porky talking to his reflection (and his reflection talking back).
No Road Runner short this week, but we do get a Merrie Melodie: “Giant Robot Love.” Porky asks Daffy how one tells one’s in love; Daffy responds with a bizarre song involving giant robots (and mermaids, or “female mermen” as Daffy calls them). I liked Porky’s playfully-sarcastic thanking of Daffy at the song’s end.
