A few years later Adult Swim premiered a new and raunchy show titled The Boondocks from creator Aaron McGruder. The show which was based on the comic strip of the same name also created by McGruder, followed native Chicagoans Riley and Huey Freeman who lived with their grandfather Robert Freeman as they struggled to adapt to their new suburban town of Woodcrest.
During it’s four season run over the span of ten years, The Boondocks was one of the most popular shows on television. Just like the comic had done, the show sparked outrage from both the media as well as the public.
I attribute the outrage to it’s brash and brazen use of the word “nigga”, it’s main protagonists being children and probably most of all because of it’s use of negative stereotypes regarding African-American culture. Many called the show ignorant and offensive.
My question is was it really that offensive or was The Boondocks really just holding up a picture of what Black America has become? If you are one of those critics take a closer look at the undertones. McGruder is clearly satirizing everything wrong with pop culture in urban America.
Materialism, false black political figures, drug culture and glorified gang violence in Hip-Hop. Not only has the show satirized the black culture but it has also poked fun at America as a whole. Let’s explore these ideas a little more.
If you’ve read Blought #9 you got a sense of my feelings towards the ‘faux black elitist’. These are people who claim to be enlightened or want better for the Black people while spewing inaccurate and skewed facts. This term can also be used for fake black political leaders like Al Sharpton (trust me, the majority of black Gen X and millennials hate the Reverend almost as much as GOP supporters).Reverend Al Sharpton has been satirized by McGruder on a few occasions. The character Rollo Goodlove, voiced by Ceelo Green always seems to appear when it’s most convenient for him and his brand. In the episode “The S-Word” Riley is called a “spear chucker” by his teacher. Following the outrage Rollo Goodlove jumps in to represent the Freemans.
When the Freemans are scheduled to appear on a Fox News show, it is revealed that the Reverend Goodlove and Anne Coulter are good friends. Now I’m not suggesting Sharpton and Fox News pundits pal around, but the lack of sincerity by Goodlove is used to show what many believe about Sharpton. He’s an insincere opportunist out for a dollar and exposure.
In the episode “Kentucky Fried Flu” the idea of media transparency is thoroughly exhibited. A KFC like restaurant unveils a new recipe for chicken that uses more herbs and spices. When Granddad and Riley hear of the new chicken they react and hop in the car to go and taste the new recipe.
When they arrive the two are met with long lines which leads to violence when the restaurant announces they don’t have anymore chicken. The storyline then turns into an epidemic supposedly caused by eating the chicken. The news reports estimated millions would die from the food borne illness.
President Obama was even prompted to give an address from a secret bunker. Turned out the projections were false and nobody even died from the illness. Sounds a lot like the anthrax scare post 9\11 or the bird flu epidemic a few years later. How about that disease Ebola we were supposed to be so worried about (Yeah people died but the disease was contained fairly quickly with a vaccine being distributed not too long after that).
I’ll be the first to admit it, black guys really love sneakers and name brand clothing. Levi Strauss jeans, a Ralph Lauren t-shrt or polo, Nike Jacket and sneakers costing between $50 to $200 is a pretty dope outfit to me. Materialism is a part huge part of the urban Black experience.
There’s nothing wrong with having nice clothes. It’s when you step outside of your means to obtain these objects is when it becomes a problem. No one expresses this in the show more than Riley. In the episode “Home Alone” Granddad goes on a trip leaving the boys home alone. He leaves a jar of money for the boys to use for food until Riley uses the jar of money to by himself a new outfit.
The culture of materialism has even lead some to turn to crime in order to afford what they may not be able to at the time. In his single “Nobody’s Perfect”, Hip-Hop artist J. Cole was quoted saying “Death over dishonor/ they killin niggas for J’s/ that’s death over designer.” While at a release myself in 2012 a fellow shopper told me about having to put his Jordan concords in his backpack because walking through the projects brought the risk of him being robbed.
This behavior isn’t anything new. Jordan brand releases have been prime targets of robberies and assaults since the creation of the shoe in the mid 80’s. In 2011 following the release of the highly coveted Nike Galaxy Foamposite, there were reports of customers not only being robbed but also being killed over the rare and limited sneakers (yeah my people are kind of fucked up).
Now that the Boondocks is off of the air it’s legacy is surely one that I believe will live on forever. Many can call the show ignorant or degrading but as the old cliché says, the proof is in the pudding. Black culture (even some of the things I personally like) is a bit misguided. The show pushed the envelope and shared messages we all needed to hear. Question is, did you get it?
I've loved the Boondocks since I first saw it. McGruder has brought his show to the intersection of satire/humor/and anime culture. A nice mix.
ReplyDeleteIt's funny because I only know a few people who watch the show, with whom I can communicate about it. I feel like to really get the value out of that show you have to have grown up lived in a black family, be somewhat well-versed in modern American cultural history, be aware of current issues in the U.S., and have a ear and mind for hip-hop. McGruder slips so many 'easter eggs' in the episodes.
It's interesting because I think on the surface, the show will offend a lot of people with (like Brendan) said its gratuitous use of n**ga, and over the top portrayals of black culture (mostly negative portrayals). But is packed with a true unapologetic perspective on black culture in general. the show reminds me of a Lauryn Hill quote, that goes something like "...and after all the logic and the theory, I add a motherfucka so you ignant n**gas hear me.." She recognizes that in order to drop 'knowledge' sometimes you have to coat the pill in chocolate. A lot of people come for the animated 'coonery' and antics of Grandpa, Riley, Thugnificent, Stinkmeaner, etc. but in the process they might (by osmosis) gain some perspective on black life. I love the episode where they 'woke' a cryogenically frozen MLK, and black people are going crazy to see him speak. After he sees all the crazy behavior, ingnorance, and general bufoonery displayed by modern-day blacks, MLK says, " Do you mean to tell me, that THIS is what I took all those ass-whippins' for!!" I love it. There's so many examples of when the writers truly held a mirror up to black culture (stereotypical behavior or not) . I cold write a thesis based off of the Philosophy of 'Boondocks'. Great points, to bring up, Brendan!!