I readily admit that I like the Boondocks but I must also confess that I do not care for its creator, Aaron McGruder's leftist politics. Others (myself included) are not fans of his over indulgence in the use of the n-word pejorative. I guess I really became a fan of the series after the infamous (and Rev. Sharpton boycotted) Dr. Martin Luther King episode from the first season. One would have to surmise that if Dr. King did survive and lived to see ghetto culture define the entire spectrum of African-American culture he might lose his legendary composure. And as far as McGruder's politics, check out this New Yorker article from a few years ago and decide for yourselves:
The Radical: Why do editors keep throwing “The Boondocks” off the funnies page?
As the above article demonstrates, McGruder will allow his politics to manifest itself like a form of Tourette’s syndrome abandoning all appropriate decorum. This is not to take away from his talent but why does expressing one’s political opinion have to result in a common display of rudeness? Nevertheless, I find it fascinating that despite McGruder’s abundant use of the word “nigger” in his animated efforts-a strong conservative message of accountability and cultural critique permeates throughout the Boondocks. Or perhaps more accurately, he straddles the fence. On one level, the name and characterization of the main protagonist Huey (in the spirit of the late Black Panther, Huey Newton) affirms a radical left position and yet Riley (Huey’s brother) connotes a current neo-minstrel archetype. How conservatism rears its head in my estimation becomes apparent at each episode’s conclusion when McGruder critiques people of color for perceived misguided collective values. Social progressives often chalk up Black aberrant behavior as cultural expression and should be above criticism. Let’s take a look at a recent article courtesy of ProgressiveU.org which attempts to debunk conventional leftist apologia:
BOONDOCKS Bows Down to the N-word
By goldfingers - Posted on October 2nd, 2007
Language has been and remains an effective means to marginalize minorities. Consider the persistent and incessant use of the n-word, America’s swastika to the African American. The term is a discreet, deceiving form of psychological, social, and spiritual abuse; the n-word desecrates the sacred memories of hard-fighting African-American ascendants. After almost 400 years of conditioning, a community of people have become immune to, or accepted, the adverse implications and negative effects the term, and all it encompasses, imposes on their mind state, and ultimately their life’s success.
The word n**ger was not embraced willingly by ascendants of African Americans, no quite the contrary, for more than 300 years they were terrorized, dehumanized, brutally assaulted, maimed, killed and wantonly raped. All because they were looked upon as 3/5 human, sub-human unfit to be treated as human beings, in other words they were a n**ger; the very word which African American descendants—today— embraces with tender loving care.
What kind of twisted minds would take such a diabolical word and embrace it? especially such a word that justified the dehumanization of their ancestors. The sacrifices, struggles and honor of our black ancestors we will not defend nor respect; but yet we will defend and respect those who desecrates and defiles their memories by embracing this word and making it a part of their everyday language. There is absolutely no rational excuse for such untoward behavior.
This month of October, Machiavellian Aaron McGruder, creator of the Boondocks plans to release myriads of videos laced with the n-word. Returning from a hiatus, Mr. McGruder—through a premeditated, diabolical scheme—plans to saturate America with heavy doses of the n-word. McGruder will prove to be a true emissary of the Prince of Darkness, becoming the most dangerous and greatest threat—psychologically—to the black community in all of America.
Several hip hop stars will be lending their voices to the program this season such as Snoop Dogg, Mos Def, Ghostface Killah, Cee-lo, Lil Wayne, Aisha Tyler, Tichina Arnold, Mo’Nique, Tavis Smiley, Cedric the Entertainer, Xzibit, Charlie Murphy, and a few others. Ironically, the voices enshrining and glorifying the sacred memories of our ancestors are deafeningly silent, whereas the n-word is taken and praised to the high heavens.
At some point the African American community must learn to start holding one another accountable for the debilitating conduct and actions of those who think nothing of trampling on and dishonoring the memories of our black ancestry. African Americans have been conditioned to hold nothing sacred about themselves, this need to change. We must learn how to acknowledge the rich and rewarding heritage of our ancestors and it isn’t done by spitting on their graves, slapping them in the face with the very word that was used to dehumanized and crucify them.
The actions of Aaron McGruder and his band of disciples who are doing the voice-overs are a discredit to the millions of each and every black man, woman and child who for more than 300 plus years, had to endure the indignation of atrocious acts, such as brutal rapings, maiming, sodomizing with hot pokers, hangings, being boiled and burned alive. If these very same acts were being perpetrated upon your loved ones today, such as was the case in a recent isolated incident in West Virginia, all because this is what you do to n**gers I don’t think you would find any humor in it.
Not unless of course you find the following humorous: In l904 black sharecroppers Luther Holbert and his wife were chained to a tree and a audience of 600 white spectators enjoyed treats like deviled eggs, lemonade and whiskey in a festive atmosphere while Mr. and Mrs. Holbert had first their fingers chopped off one by one, followed by their ears, followed by a severe beating that left Mr. Holbert with one eye dangling from it's factured socket, followed by "spirals...of raw, quivering flesh" being extracted from both Holberts via corkscrew before the couple were finally burned alive. And as they were drawing their last breath the last words they would hear were the jeers of n**ger, n**ger, n**ger…a word that is today condoned, tolerated and embraced by descendants of people such as the likes of a Mr. & Mrs.Holbert.
There is however, a light at the end of the tunnel, slowly but surely, like a sleeping giant some of us are starting to wake up, two years ago Earl Graves probably would not have pulled the plug on Eddie Griffin, but today is a new day, more and more blacks are starting to awake from their deep slumber of almost 400 years of sleeping.
H. Lewis Smith is the author of Bury that Sucka and the Founder/CEO of United Voices for a Common Cause, Inc.
No comments:
Post a Comment