So if my previous posts haven’t enlightened you I am a nerd. Part of my claim to everything geeky is the fact that I am a huge fan of cleverly done animated shows like anime, traditional animation, or the more adult focused cartoons like “Family Guy” and “American Dad.”
One of the best shows that I will always recommend is “The Boondocks.” This show is honestly clever, unapologetic, and a well-rounded social commentary. The show focuses on the Freeman family who is comprised of Robert (the grandfather), Riley (the youngest brother), and my favorite character Huey (the oldest brother). The show combines witty and distinct characters with a beautiful animation style that borrows heavily from Japanese influences.
The three main characters each portray a distinct personality that leaves them burned in the imagination. Robert is the cantankerous old man who hates everything, can’t remember his age, and believes he was at every major civil rights event. He is self-centered and is obsessed with younger women and making himself look good. However, he cares deep, deep down. Riley is the money obsessed, gang culture obsessed, and all around comedic relief. He serves to annoy and always has some plan up his sleeve. He is obsessed with being a real n***a and honestly represents the current culture.
However, we can get into that later. The final and probably the most interesting character is Huey. He is smart (almost genius level intellect), a political activist, martial arts expert, has been described as a domestic terrorist in the context of the show, and is often the voice of intelligence and reason. These three characters are supported by a cast of secondary characters including the highly racist, yet surprisingly funny, Uncle Ruckus, the very white-washed Tom the Lawyer and his wife Sarah, various rappers including Thugnificent and the Lethal Injection crew, and Grandad’s mortal enemy Stinkmeanor who is essentially evil.
The typical story of the show involves the trio of characters getting into some type of trouble in their suburban town. Some of the troubles are racially motivated (such as a series of episodes detailing “n***a moments”) or other ones in which the characters get into a wacky adventure (like the time Riley and his friends essentially become the grade school, chocolate version of the mob). The adventures are well thought out and often touch on some sort of current event.
There was an episode in which R. Kelly was put on trial. Huey and Riley take opposing sides and in the end Huey curses everyone out for just assuming R. Kelly is innocent just because he’s famous and can sing. The episodes are heavily laced with sharp whited humor and dialogue between the characters that honestly has me laughing. Besides the very obvious jokes that involve low brow humor, there are more discrete jokes and digs between the characters.
The show is a satire and does poke fun at black culture and some logical fallacies in current society. It does so with the subtlety of a bull in a china shop. The show’s creator Aaron McGruder adapted it from a comic strip of the same name with many of the same characters and honestly he has done a great job. While the show can’t always be as current as the weekly comic strip, it does a good job.
I highly recommend you check this show out on Netflix or on Cartoon Network’s adult program block, Adult Swim (considering the show is in syndication). Watch it, there is a high chance that you will enjoy it (if you can get passed the coarse language). Trust me, it’s funny.
