Les Boondocks

In a day, of all we can hope for is reruns of beloved classics, and some of the dumbest crap-anime to brainwash young children, there is one that truly gets it right : The Boondocks.

Animation wise, it is the best looking show in syndication. It has a sharp blend of realism, with the 'glow' of a cartoon, thrown into nicely painted backgrounds. It sets the mood of McGruder's comics perfectly.

As a comedy, it features off-the-wall insanity, hilarious expressions, and well written 'stupidity'. Something that the old Simpsons used to do. Something that the old Simpsons didn't used to do, though, is make a grand statement about the African American culture, and the modern world today. Both the comedy and drama elements are carried out beautifully.

I can't name one character that sucks. All of them are heartwarming in their own way...and heartwarming in 'Boondocks' terms, to be more specific. Huey, Riley, Grandad, Uncle Ruckus, Ed the 3rd, and so on. I couldn't pick a bad one if I tried.

And not mentioning, the caliber of the voice acting is superb, as well. Regina King, John Witherspoon, and Cedric Yarbrough are just a few names that grace us each week. Not to mention the now and then Charlie Murphy, and the BMF himself...Samuel L. Jackson.

Compare this show to other shows. Become rational, if you are not, for an hour. Pull your head out of yourself, if it is there, for one hour. This is entertainment at its finest.

S1: Funny, wacky, underneath all the silliness lies a bigger pic, a bit far at times, quite consistent for the most part.

S2: Improved animation, I think this might be the best season, comedy not overdone, each episode had a purpose, great writing.

S3: Animation looks great, writing is as good as the second season, a bit weaker in terms of purpose, more comical then second season, but basically as good as the second season. Character development is the best in this season.

S4: Not bad, a bit better than S1, a bit of reused things, feels like it's missin something, best animation out of the 4 seasons.

The voice acting, music, and everything else was superb. Alot of cool and wacky characters that are unique in their own rights.

Overall it was quiet an enjoyable series.

Memorable: Sort of, Rewatchable: Likely..

Aaron McGruder is an admitted militant liberal, and his comic strip has provided quite an insight into his world view on politics and the lack of political tactfulness. But the television show has effectively upped up the ante, making even starker commentary on society and the racist ills that have fallen on it.

Some may attack McGruder for attacking African American culture by using the profane language and in his depiction of Riley, but what he has effectively provided is a sensible argument toward the ills of all cultural settings. He's effectively illustrating what people EXPECT from black culture.

McGruder has always been very critical of the "hip-hop" culture, calling it feminine and useless. In my opinion, McGruder's commentary is almost as powerful as Spike Lee's "Bamboozled," where he basically states hip-hop culture is just another form of black-face to entertain suburban white people. While the television seems to border more along the lines of cultural inequities and absurdities as opposed to the full-on political commentary of the strip, he still hammers home a lot of good points. Years from now, people will look at this show as a daring look at junk cultural paradigms and laugh at the absurdity of it all.

This show is just what we people that aren't afraid to speak our minds need, and what all those PC wussies asked for!

Not only does this show pack a bit of a political punch, but it does it in such a humorous way that it's actually watchable... and I'm not political at all.

I actually thought that this show would be a real drag to watch... it turns out that if you give it a chance, you'll be hooked just like I am.

Aaron McGruder is an absolute genius. He has created a show that, as the site's show explanation puts it, represents the "much-needed foot in the ass of the man."

10/10

With his basketball-sized afro and genius I.Q., you'd never guess that 10-year-old Huey Freeman is WAY beyond his years. His 8-year-old brother Riley isn't of equal intelligence but what he lacks in that area he makes up for in attitude. Both young boys, the revolutionary-in-training Huey and the hip-hop-loving, hustler-in-training Riley, are moved from the big city to the 'burbs to live with their grandfather, and chaos ensues.

This is "The Boondocks" - "remote location; far from civilization" (IMDb trivia). There's also a fine cast that includes Regina King, Gary Anthony Williams, and John Witherspoon voicing the main characters.

Created by Aaron Mcgruder in 1997 while a student majoring in political science at the University of Maryland, his comic strip "The Boondocks" is revolutionary on all fronts and takes no prisoners. It's already stirred up a sh*tstorm for its fiery political rhetoric, pervasive language, sexual content, and frequent and unrepentant use of the N-word... and I love it! I'm absolutely, positively hooked!

This is what I've been waiting for as far as animation with an urban twist. It's way over the top in terms of animation, which is pseudo-Anime'-style, and doesn't forsake entertainment or message for political-correctness. No wonder it only comes on late at night. (Arrggh) I haven't been able to find too many black-themed comic strips or books that take a hard look at life in the black community without resorting to stereotypes without irony. Its two main characters Huey and Riley are presented in a way reminiscent of "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air," the ghetto youths taken out of their world and placed in land foreign to them and have to adjust. "The Boondocks" is all of that.

I really can't see how anyone can't like "The Boondocks." I'm 20, a young black male, and my mother saw two minutes of it the other night and her jaw hit the floor. It was yanked from circulation due to its attacks against the Iraq war, George W. Bush and his administration, and McGruder has been completely unapologetic. I know, and viewers should know a reaction like that shows you're watching something special. I won't dissect McGruder's views, which he funnels through his characters, but they are inflammatory and make me want to watch more, just to see what he's really trying to say.

I won't comment on the controversy, other than I'll say that many have already missed the point, and "The Boondocks" has only been on Cartoon Network's Adult Swim for a month. People are afraid of stuff like this for reasons completely unknown to me. They take one look at it and decry what they see, making big scenes in magazines, newspapers, and television. What they're missing is a brilliant expose of the problems of the black community. Yeah, it's over the top; that's because it's satire! It is supposed to be ridiculous because black people use the N-word frequently, glorify guns, violence and the gangsta life, condone the degradation of women, smoke weed a lot, listen to blaring rap music, and experience genuine "N***a moments."

It's funny in the same way we've laughed at comedians like Dave Chappelle, Richard Pryor, Eddie Griffin, Eddie Murphy, and Chris Rock in the past. Wake up! Maybe our community can take a cue from "The Boondocks" and take steps to improve our culture in the eyes of the rest of the world. Welcome to "The Boondocks."