Pepe Le Pew first appeared in the 1945 Looney Tunes short Odor-able Kitty as a French-accented skunk whose defining trait is his unstoppable romantic confidence. Created during the studio's golden age, he became a recurring character, usually pursuing Penelope Pussycat, a black cat who accidentally gains a white stripe and is mistaken for a skunk. His exaggerated accent, smooth delivery and total lack of self-awareness made him instantly recognisable, and short voice clips of his flirtation continue to circulate in memes, edits and soundboards long after the original cartoons.