Porky's Romance is a 1937 Looney Tunes cartoon directed by Frank Tashlin.
In this short (the debut of Petunia Pig), Porky Pig tries to propose to Petunia Pig, only to get rejected by her. He ends up having a dream about what would happen if he married her (prior to becoming unconscious in a failed attempt at suicide).
This is the last cartoon where Porky was voiced by Joe Doherty. In later cartoons, he would be voiced by Mel Blanc.
This short features examples of:
- Abusive Parents: Petunia is shown to be a neglectful parent, lounging around while Porky does all the work in the house, and shouting at him to shut them up when they cry. Disturbingly, when Petunia starts beating Porky, their children cheer their mother on even though he’s only getting beaten for failing to take care of them because she wouldn’t help.
- Awful Wedded Life: In Porky's fantasy after he passes out, he gets married to Petunia. Later on, she becomes overweight from eating too many sweets, and Porky is doing the housework. To top it all off, they have many children all by the same name Porky, Jr, who hate him and cheer Petunia on when she physically abuses him.
- Bowdlerization: When this cartoon aired on The WB's "Kids WB" line-up, the part at the end where Porky takes the candy and runs away from Petunia, only to run back and kick Petunia's snooty dog, was cut.
- The Dog Bites Back: Never has Kick the Dog been so cathartic.
- Domestic Abuse: In the nightmare, Petunia spends her time lazing on the couch eating candy while Porky does all the housework and child-raising. When Porky eventually fails to balance everything, Petunia begins beating him, while their children cheer her on.
- Driven to Suicide: After being rejected by Petunia, Porky tries to hang himself from a tree. The branch breaks and knocks Porky unconscious instead, leading to the dream sequence.
- Early-Installment Weirdness: Petunia Pig. In this short, she has no hair and is thinner than Porky. In later media, she has black hair and more or less resembles him. Also, Petunia is portrayed her as a snob and a gold-digger (she only likes Porky because he brought her chocolates and flowers) and the dream sequence shows that, if Porky married her, she'd be lazy, fat, and abusive towards him. Later portrayals of Petunia would have her be a little nicer to Porky.
- Formerly Fit: Petunia in Porky's dream. She becomes overweight from eating chocolate and general laziness. Fluffnums becomes much fatter for the same reason.
- Girls Love Chocolate: Petunia. It's the only reason she takes Porky back in the first place.
- Henpecked Husband: Porky in his dream/nightmare.
- Literal Ass-Kicking: Before the short ended with Porky running off after Petunia accepts his proposal after rejecting him, he kicks her dog Fluffnums in the butt.
- Mister Muffykins: Petunia's spoiled Pekingese dog Fluffnums.
- Motion Blur: Petunia becomes a streak and a trail of smoke as she races to get Porky (and the box of chocolates) back inside.
- Too Many Babies: In Porky's dream sequence, he and Petunia have dozens of children, all of whom scream and cry. He tries to soothe them, but the only thing that calms them down is violence (namely, Petunia smacking Porky in the head with a rolling pin).
