I finally watched an episode of The Boondocks tonight and it was a pure act of artistic ruthlessness that Aaron McGruder should be praised for. FINALLY a show from a black artist that’s politically charged and throws bloody, crack your teeth punches to an unsuspecting Cartoon Network audience.
The Boondocks is from the legendary urban comic strip of the same title. The story follows the adventures of junior revolutionary Huey Freeman and his hip-hop obsessed younger brother, Riley (BOTH narrated by the incredibly talented Regina King) , who live in a white, middle-class suburb with their grandfather.
The episode titled "The Trial of R. Kelly" opens with images of Whitney and Bobby, BET and the pissmaster himself, R. Kelly. Words like "nigger," "chocolate monkey" and "colored" are tossed around as much as flabby booty on a bad hip-hop video. My mouth dropped in scenes with protesters (three people -- one including Cornell West!) and supporters (a massive crowd) at an R. Kelly trial. Images of black folks with sloppily hand painted misspelled signs stating "Free R. Kelly" and a heavy set woman eating fried chicken with blonde corn rows, screaming at a news camera exploded on my television with a humor and sarcasm that I've never seen on a cartoon.
One of the main characters, Riley, screams: "I see piss I move...she see piss she stays." Sadly, this is what I've heard from some black folks about R. Kelly. Kelly wins the trial with this "move out of the way philosophy" and supporters dance and shake their titties/ass in the courtroom to Kelly’s music. It was insane!!!! McGruder takes one punch after the other depicting images of black folks that I only talk about in the company of other black folks.
The Boondocks television premiere has gotten protests and critiques from Muslim activist Najee Ali and serial whiner Bill Cosby -- mainly due to the use of the word nigger. While I am not a fan of the word in music there is artistic merit of the word in The Boondocks. McGruder is turning the mirror on black folks (it is a magnified mirror!) asking US to take a look at US -- he is not concerned about positive representation for the eyes of white people. In a recent interview McGruder stated: “I think it makes the show sincere. At a certain point, we all have to realize that sometimes we use bad language. And the ‘N word’ is used so commonly, by not only myself, but by a lot of people I know, that it feels fake to write around it and to avoid using it.”
Some of the images were shocking (I am hard to shock!), but an intelligent audience can easily dissect that this isn't McGruder praising this foolishness -- like BET -- this is McGruder giving a sharp, unapologetic critique with no censorship. I can imagine more people will be offended and would rather have sugary-sweet shows like Everybody Hates Chris from the once in-your-face comedian Chris Rock.
Here are some moments that wore me out:
In the courtroom a woman had on a "PEE ON ME" shirt ....
Huey says: "Every Nigga that goes to jail is not Nelson Mandela!"
Whitney: Hell to the naw!! Bobby, don't hit me. See...we have this TV show...and...and...it's our TV show...and I was trynna get a lil bit mo' time on it...
Bobby: It's my show bitch!! (SLAP!)
Huey again: I am often vexed by the behavior of my own people. You do what you can to help black folks and it makes you wonder why even bother, but they are our people so you gotta help them regardless ...one thing for sure you can't blame this one on the white man -- what am I saying? Of course I can!
I am in awe of this show and will be a loyal fan every Sunday night at 11pm on the Cartoon Network!
Labels: Race
