There are perhaps limits to the film's offense; Bugs treats the hunter with contempt, but no more than other hunters with whom Bugs battled at the time. "Rabbit Stew" was clearly not a criticism of Fetchit and his stereotypical mannerisms; at the time, Warner Bros. had satirized numerous celebrities of the era, regardless of race. As Fetchit's own performances were later subject to criticism from civil rights activists for portraying negative stereotypes, so too did this cartoon, eventually prompting its effective suppression.