I had been a fan of Aaron McGruder's comic strip "The Boondocks" since its debut. The strip drew controversy because of the way it deals with current events such as the Bush Administration, the war in Iraq, Hurricane Katrina, to name a few. It also takes great jabs at racial stereotyping of many cultures. Some newspapers put the strip in the editorial section instead of the comics due to its subject matter. "The Boondocks" now makes the leap from the funny pages to television via the Cartoon Network's Adult Swim line-up. After viewing the first episode, it's safe to say there are quite a few changes that have been made from the strip. It is a little more on the vulgar side than its print counterpart. The strip and show deal with the same cast of characters: Huey Freeman (voiced by Regina King) and his younger brother Riley (also voiced by King) are two young boys from the South Side of Chicago who go to live with their grandfather Richard (the always hilarious John Witherspoon) in the suburbs. Being thrown into an environment of mixed races doesn't exactly set well with the boys: Huey is a militant-type who wants to shake up the Establishment while Riley is a gangsta-wannabe. Both drive Grandpa up the wall with their antics. The show's first episode, entitled "Garden Party", allows each character to jell into their roles. As the show starts, Huey tells the audience about a dream he has where he tells whites at a garden party that "Jesus was black, Ronald Reagan was the Devil and the government is lying about 9-11. Thank you." These comments send "Whitey" into a panic. However, when he makes the same comments in at a real garden party, he's only commended for being an articulate speaker, much to Huey's chagrin. Riley, meanwhile, meets an Iraq War veteran and is only interested in shooting one of his guns.
Also at the party is a black valet car parker who is intent on keeping the Freemans out because "there ain't no room for no mo' n-----!" This scene made me feel a little uncomfortable. Maybe that was the effect that McGruder was going for, maybe not. I just felt that this bit of vulgarity wasn't necessary. The show could have made its point in the same manner that the comic strip does without crossing that shock value line. Still, I think that the show will strike nerves with viewers. Both good and bad. I think I'm a fan of the show, as long as it doesn't push the envelope so hard that it rips.
Also at the party is a black valet car parker who is intent on keeping the Freemans out because "there ain't no room for no mo' n-----!" This scene made me feel a little uncomfortable. Maybe that was the effect that McGruder was going for, maybe not. I just felt that this bit of vulgarity wasn't necessary. The show could have made its point in the same manner that the comic strip does without crossing that shock value line. Still, I think that the show will strike nerves with viewers. Both good and bad. I think I'm a fan of the show, as long as it doesn't push the envelope so hard that it rips.