bmoore07 The title of this show is an interesting one because the show's setting isn't exactly in 'the boondocks' of American society. The Boondocks is about two children named Huey and Riley Freeman who move from the ghettos of Chicago to the fictional, peaceful (and very white) neighborhood of Woodcrest, where they embark on hilarious misadventures with their grandfather Robert Freeman as they adjust to their new environment.Huey Freeman is The Boondocks' main character and narrator (as well as the person I chose as my profile picture), an Afro-wielding martial arts master, a gun-toting terrorist with a Che Guevara poster on his wall, a supremely intelligent prodigy of few words (and one of my all-time favorite characters). Riley Freeman is Huey's younger brother and someone I was never fond of, a cornrowed hip-hop enthusiast famed for his expletive-filled rants and someone I find mostly one- dimensional, extremely egocentric, and unbelievably selfish. Robert Freeman is similar to Riley but is equipped with depth to his character (and a bizarre habit of dating psychotic women). The Boondocks offers a variety of richly detailed supporting characters like the politician Tom DuBois who looks exactly like young Barack Obama (and has a peculiar phobia), the infamous Uncle Ruckus, a racist who passionately despises his own kind (and someone whose voice I can imitate very well), Jazmine DuBois, who is Tom's innocent daughter, and Ed Wuncler III, a red- headed delinquent who looks a lot like Eminem. The Boondocks offers one of the best cast of characters I've ever seen. There are more than a few notable Boondocks episodes like "The Story of catcher Freeman", an attempt to analyze Huey and Riley's slavery- era ancestor who is profiled in three ways (Robert's version of Catcher is a beloved and brave hero who freed black people from slavery, Uncle Ruckus' version is a primal and vicious slavecatcher preventing black people from escaping the plantations, and Huey's version is an intelligent playwright who accidentally kills his white father). There's the episode "Smoking with Cigarettes", where Riley befriends Lamilton Taeshawn, a juvenile felon who punched his grandma and hijacked a car for a joyride (the detective chasing Lamilton sounds and looks similar to Obi-Wan Kenobi). There's also the episode "The Color Ruckus", an extremely emotional journey into Ruckus' past, and the episode "The Fundraiser", where Riley's attempt to make money from selling chocolates becomes out-of-control (highlighted by an unforgettable speech by Riley). "The Fundraiser" and "The Color Ruckus" are two of my three favorite Boondocks episodes.After the third season concluded, The Boondocks fell into a dry spell, only airing re-runs as America furiously pushed for Season 4. Four years after Season 3, The Boondocks returned. Season 4 was the show's first attempt at a running plot and it unfortunately aired for a pitiful 10 episodes. In those 10 episodes, The Boondocks mostly tried to recycle ideas from episodes of previous seasons (lowlighted by a return of the notorious Colonel Stinkmeaner as a mechanically modified clone to once again fight Grandpa Freeman), but there were a few shining moments in Season 4. The episode "Early Bird Special" was an interesting one but it didn't hold a candle to the classic "I Dream of Siri" (my third favorite Boondocks episode), where Robert's malfunctioned phone came dangerously close to destroying his life. The 10th (and final) episode of Season 4, "The New Black", was about Riley being targeted for calling a kid 'gay' and 'retarded', and the episode ended with Riley getting pummeled by a gigantic group of mentally disabled children as the show played Lethal Interjection Crew's "Stomp 'Em In the Nuts", a homage to the earlier seasons. It was a classic ending to a sub-par episode in a disappointing season.Sadly, when Season 4 concluded, Aaron McGruder (the creator of The Boondocks) quit his involvement in the beloved animated series for Black Jesus, a hilarious comedy that is nowhere close to The Boondocks, which was the last African-American classic, a show with supremely solid characters, first-class comedy, and occasional martial arts scenes, a show that casually ventured into polarizing social topics (race, snitching, homosexuality, etc.) and incited controversy along the way (The Boondocks labeled BET as "Black Evil Television", a sinister enterprise corrupting America, and the show suggested the famous playwright Tyler Perry is gay). With its memorable main theme, and historical and pop culture references, The Boondocks is a show that doesn't deserve to be ignored.

Ben Hinman I've gotten plenty of laughs out of the boondocks and they have a insightful perspective for sure, but there's also been a bunch of times where i've shook my head thinking, yeesh, black people exist, get over it. The boondocks is one of those shows who pokes at the ignorance of social standards by playing them out, and like any show, there are things it takes too far.Basically the only sensible, open minded person in the entire series is Huey Freeman, the main character who often predicts the wild, ridiculous fallout of the exploits of his grandad Jebediah Freeman and brother Riley Freeman, to no avail. Being the only reasonable character in a world full of bigots and disillusioned saps, Huey and his sage advice is constantly ignored in the favor of selfish, harebrained or otherwise ridiculous plots, often ending in gunfire, samurai sword battles or someone getting swindled. So you can expect a show that puts an emphasis on nigga culture as the driving force behind much of the shows plot to basically showcase one giant melting pot of ignorance, which is actually brilliantly captured.This is, so far, the only show that can reimagine what it would be like if martin luther king came back from the dead in our time, or highlight the ridiculousness of the r kelly trial without seeming pretentious. It has a great way of taking a step back from all the ego and social stigma and make light of it in a way that really just makes you shake your head at the world and all we've grown used to. But on occasion it crosses the threshold from exposing ignorance to personifying and even glorifying it, and you just have to thank god Huey at least has a clear head on the matter. For one, i don't know if all the "Nigga Moment" episodes are helping anyone redefine their reality and it seems hypocritical next to their own criticisms of BET for perpetuating the same stereotypes. Buuuut i do agree that BET is the single worst proponent of social segregation in the modern world.

tcopp95 If you get angry just hearing the word Nigga then this show will make you commit murder so don't watch it!!!.For those who seen it and see it as only as full of stereotypes and stuff just watch BET shows from 04, Cribs, remember everyone with chains, thats what they mainly made fun of not a race of people if you think that way you yourself are ignorant or already have your mind set one way and not open enough for those who said this show blacks have trouble in suburbia well there is Tom the weak willed lawyer and truth is in life if you are a minority in an racial majority neighborhood you are treated different and it bothers you until you feel accepted.Thouse who said this has no message it, its actually clear racial equality, relax and enjoy things, no matter how full of hate give a helping hand Robert Freeman to Uncle Rucus, have faith, and don't quit on your beliefswell thats what I got out of it.

Sheldonshells An antidote for an ailing contemporary black mainstream culture, Aaron McGruder's comic stip turned TV show offers finally much needed criticism of a culture jaded and leaden with ennui from years of unmitigated platitude. Whether it's played out gangsta pop, the "coonery" imagery of movies like soul plane, constant images of bling and brand flashing rappers and just plain flashing from half naked women in music videos, the resurgence of lame black stereotypes, this show satirizes all that garbage and in the process partially sanitizes the dirt and grime of mainstream black culture. To be fair, this show offers a number of new and old black stereotypes itself, but almost always they are presented as satire–though sometimes they are presented as just extreme sick jokes, like the character of Uncle Ruckus, whose basically the most submissive, uncle Tom, self-hating black man you would ever meet.Boondocks replaces Family Guy and Southpark as the animated show with the sharpest bite. With its gratuitous use of the words "nigger" or "nigga", bitch, and constant cussing beeps, the show deals in frank language, which is congruent with the general straight up frankness of the entire show. One of the great things about the it is this appeal of candour–such a refreshing break from the norm of most black TV shows--or any other kind of show for that matter. It doesn't relent on any issue. But the show has a contradictory deliverance of satirical message and apathetic nihilism. Then again, the fact that the show highlights the often undiscussed assaults on the black collective consciousness (I glad that someone finally cited the problems of BET and movies like Soul Plane)is enough to redeem it. Many shows are satirical, and there have been black satirical shows too. What's truly innovative about it has more to do with its style. A silk road is paved between the animation form and the show's content. The combination of Eastern influenced animation and the black American themes is something new to our culture It's the first black themed TV show that I ever saw animated in the anime style. The manga inspired fight scenes are particularly enjoyable to watch. I mentioned that this was an antidote for an ailing contemporary black mainstream culture; well, I'll modify that and declare it is an antidote for an ailing mainstream culture as well, because it doesn't only attack aspects of black culture. It's always such a relief when something comes along and kicks the bull---- out of the mindlessness of the current state of affairs. Two of McGruder's chief influences did it: All in the Family and Monty Python. So maybe somewhere deep down in himself, McGruder reverently strives for the greatness of his favorites comedies on the edge as he irreverently attacks the things he despises. The Boondocks is a likely candidate to be in those high ranks.