The Boondocks - A Mini-Commentary

This has been my show as of late, The Boondocks, based on Aaron McGruder's comic strip of the same name. It's humorous, thought-provoking, and quite insightful of contemporary Afro-American culture in the United States. As I see it, it's a social commentary of the culture through the perceptions and interactions of the main characters at hand. While the comic strips often focus on smaller, immediate situations and its impact upon the culture (such as 9/11), the cartoon manifestation  of the strip seems to focus on the culture at large, and how it fits (or rather doesn't fit) with other cultures that aren't similar to the modern Afro-American life. I'm quite confident that each main character of the show offers a current and different perspective to modern Black life.

Huey: As Riley's older brother, he represents the ideal Black Man: intelligent, progressive, affluent, and keenly aware of his racial identity (but it doesn't define him at all) in a healthy manner. Huey strives to see Blacks and Whites as equals, rather than one being superior or inferior to the other (but sometimes, his racial perceptions cloud his judgment). Furthermore, Huey, much like Martin Luther King desired, views people based upon their heart of their character, rather than the color of their skin. Huey, in essence, sees the self-destructive/self-defeating tendencies that modern Black culture embodies proudly and strives to help his people overcome that disastrous culture to become a people worthy of the color of their skin. 

Riley: Huey's younger brother, Riley is seen as the real life Black Man: he embodies (idolizes, really) the contemporary Black culture of today - the lifestyle, the lexicon, the interest in music, and even the reputation of that comes with being Black. Essentially, Riley is a product of the mass media. Like Huey, Riley is also aware racial identity and the power of racism; however, Riley sees it as an advantage of sorts, especially since he's Black in the White, upper-middle class city of Woodcrest. Riley's idolatry of contemporary Black culture allows us, as viewers, to see the fallacies, shortcomings, and even dangerous repercussions of the culture, despite Riley's apparent ignorance to the flaws themselves.

Robert Jebediah Freeman, "Grandad": As the grandfather and legal guardian of the two boys, Grandad often is the voice of reason throughout the show, although he sometimes has his lapses of judgment also. In the context of Afro-American culture, Grandad is both the older generation of the Black people and the complacent, modern Black Man of American society. Like the two boys, he is also aware of his racial identity, but unlike Huey or Riley, he doesn't actively embrace the color of his skin. Being a witness to key world/social events (namely World War II and the Civil Rights Movement), Grandad sees the amount of progress his people have made since the Movement and perhaps realizes that the current culture will be the best that Black people can achieve (however this is my speculation - I could be wrong). 

Thomas Dubois: Thomas is the Americanized (or White-washed) Black Man of our society. While he is aware of his skin color, Thomas doesn't identify with his race at all. This is evidenced by the fact that he's married to Sarah DuBois, a White woman, as well as the fact that he doesn't face the same discriminations that most Blacks face in our current society. Furthermore, he is a district attorney, and while most of his clients are indeed Black, Thomas doesn't identify with their struggle at all. 

Jazmine Dubois: The daughter of Thomas and Sarah, Jazmine is a bi-racial. Having mixed characteristics of both race and culture, Jazmine is caught in between two worlds. Somewhat naïve about the world and the circumstances of life around her, she is more eager to adopt her Caucasian roots than her Afro-American roots. 

"Uncle" Ruckus: Uncle Ruckus, in essence, is a Black White Supremacist, similar to Dave Chappelle's fictional character. Similar to Huey, Ruckus is highly aware of his racial identity, but unlike Riley, Ruckus sees that identity as a sources of weakness and a curse upon this world. Ruckus embodies the idea that Whites are inherently superiors than Blacks, rather than at least being on equal standing. Thus, Ruckus is likely harshly berate and castigate his fellow Black man, while being more likely to dismiss or adore his Caucasian peers. In fact, Ruckus nonchalantly throws racial slurs and stereotypes towards Blacks. Ironically, Ruckus is the one with the darkest skin complexion, which is quite ironic given his disposition toward Black people and the culture that is embodied.

So, that's that: a lengthy mini-commentary of a show that I've been enjoying immensely. This is one of those shows that you can't help but to analyze and critically think about the portrayals and perspective that each character brings to the show. These are my initial understandings of the characters, but if I had more time to research and watch the show more analytically (I'm watching it in small chunks, rather than to watch it as a lengthy marathon), then perhaps I can be more thorough and develop a greater understanding of what the current Afro-American culture is today. I hope you enjoyed this lengthy post, hopefully I can write more of these analytical-type posts in the near future. Until next time, fellow readers!