The 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.

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.

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..

This show is "black" comedy in multiple senses of the term. Here is a memorable example. Grandad opens a restaurant featuring a menu high in fat, pork, sugar, and serving sizes. Huey comments that the food is "destructive" to those that eat it. Grandad asks him, "What's wrong with you boy, this is your culture." To which Huey responds, "well then the culture's destructive!" Now that's a point worthy of consideration coming out of the mouth of a small child in a cartoon. Personally, I think its worth watching several hours of this show just for the reward of being challenged to think about that one line, but others will not agree. My wife hates the show because, in her opinion "its simply not funny." I must agree, that the writing is bit uneven. Uncle Ruckus's trip to "white heaven" and King's speech at his political rally are absolutely priceless, while the entire episode "Let's Nab Ophrah" was a complete waste of time when Samuel L. Jackson's character wasn't talking. I strongly expect the reviews of this show to be highly polarized - you either love it or hate it. Watch a few episodes and make up your own mind.

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