Shirgaal’s Rant in E-Minor

When Robert Jebediah Freeman decides to move to the predominantly white suburbia of Woodcrest, to live out his twilight years in peace and quiet, his grandsons, Huey and Riley are somewhat less than enthusiastic.

This is the basis for the animated series based on the comic of the same name, by Aaron McGruder.

Huey, the 10 year old revolutionary activist, is distraught to live so far away from the “real struggle”, among rich white people, who usually proves to be ignorant in regards to racial matters. With a perceptive eye and a venomous toungue, he serves as the main narrator of the series.
The 8 year old Riley, on the other hand, is the complete opposite, caring nothing for his brother’s revolutionary ideals, valuing in stead the ideals of “thug life”, and idolizing Tony “Scarface” Montana and various gangsta rappers.
Granddad is a former civil rights activist, and has been affiliated with prominent figures such as Martin Luther King Jr, Malcolm X and Rosa Parks. However, he has left his days of activism behind, wishing only to fit in, and along with Riley merely scoffs at Huey’s activism.

Other characters include their black neighbor Tom DuBois, his white wife, Sarah and their bi-racial daughter, Jazmine. Ed Wuncler Sr, a capitalist who’d give Ebenezer Scrooge a run for his money, Ed Wuncler III and Gin Rummy, two gun-loving “wiggas” (And a parody of George W. Bush and Donald Rumsfeld.), and Uncle Ruckus, a self-loathing African-American, with nothing but contempt for the black man, and admiration for the white man.

The Boondocks is a highly satirical and politically incorrect show, that raises issues like racism, discrimination, social structure and foreign politics without mercy. Though you would think that the show would be most critical against whites, and “white culture”, the most venomous of criticism is actually directed at modern African-American culture. Aaron McGruder does not shy away from the most controversial topics, keeps the show up to date to counter his own critics.
The show features numerous references which may or may not be known to you. One of the reasons (I think) for why the strip stopped running in the Norwegian issue of Gary Larson’s Far Side, was the staggering amount of footnotes, which was a result of American politics and popular culture references unknown to most non-Americans. However, this has been lessened in the series, and most references should hit home.

If you are a fan of the comic strip, you will note that there are some differences in the series. Some of the main differences are the exclusion of Huey’s best friend, Caeser (Although, there are rumors of his introduction in a third season) the more prominent focus on Riley and Granddad, the inclusion of characters such as Uncle Ruckus, Ed Wuncler Sr, Ed Wuncler III and Gin Rummy, and the lack of focus on Jazmine’s struggle with racial identity.

The Boondocks avoids the “moral at the end” syndrome (Where everyone “gets it”, or everything “works out” at the end) that plagues so many shows these days. It refrains from the childishness that is unfortunately prominent in shows like “South Park” and “The Simpsons”.

These elements, combined with an excellent soundtrack, and superb animations, partially inspired by Japanese anime (But without the childish over-exaggeration that taints many anime shows), makes The Boondocks the best animated show. Ever.
Among my favorite episodes are “Return of the King”, “Granddad’s Fight” and “The Trial of R. Kelly”.

Anyway, I can whole-heartedly recommend this show, along with the comic strip, and I assure you it will be worth your while. The books can be found at Outland (At least the one in Bergen).

Free Jolly Jenkins!