Naughty Neighbors (film)

Naughty Neighbors is an animated short, directed by Bob Clampett and first released on October 7, 1939. It features Porky Pig as the leader of the McCoy clan and Petunia Pig as the leader of the Martin clan. The script was written by Warren Foster, the main animator was Izzy Ellis, and the music director was Carl Stalling.

Images of family feuds had become part of Folklore of the United States since the late 19th century, deriving from the depictions of actual conflicts such as the Hatfield–McCoy feud in the sensationalist press. By the 1930s, depictions of hillbilly culture in mass media typically involved two families engaged in an armed conflict over mountains and hills. Michael Frierson points that the image of the hillbilly so popular in media during the Great Depression, could have different meanings for the American audience of the time. On one hand, they were images from what was for most Americans a half-forgotten past. An Atavistic throwback to the 19th century. But the economic hardship that was also part of the hillbilly image resonated with what much of the audience was either already experiencing or feared it would experience.

Warner Bros. Cartoons adopted pre-existing stereotypes concerning hillbillies for their cartoons. As a variation, the familiar image of the bearded and barefoot yokel was transformed into that of an anthropomorphic barnyard animal. Otherwise, the characterization of the stereotypical hillbillies remained the same and humor was derived from their feuds, their violence, their stupidity, their odd speech, their music, and their laziness. The overall image was clearly related with other contemporary stereotypes concerning Southerners, such as their supposed strange way of speaking, laziness, and that they were quick to anger and resort to violence.

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