The Boondocks

Tonight we went to go see an interview with Aaron McGruder, the guy behind the Boondocks (both the comic strip and animated cartoon). The cartoon and strip are quite different - Josh Cohen impressed upon me to see the show, and Netflix is a great enabler. OMG. The show is intense - seriously funny, super offensive/racial, but somehow is able to maintain an undercurrent of being really smart.

They started out by launching into questions about Imus. Aaron thinks that what happened was really not that big a deal, but the circus that surrounds it is of absolutely no value. He thinks the media needs something to rally around and now is totally psyched cause they get to say "nappy headed ho's" multiple times per segment.

He wanted to make a show that brings viewers outside their comfort zone. It sounded like he had a real average suburban upbringing, which is kinda surprising based on the polarized political themes that run in the show/strip. Dave Chappelle's financial success for TV enabled his edgy animated show to exist. It sounds like people often push him to preach his politics, but he's realized that he tells jokes for living. He says its difficult to straddle the line between re-enforcing racial stereotypes vs. flipping them.

He talked about Gangsterlicious, a gangster rapper he introduces in the first season who turns out to be gay. "The hip hop community is homophobic, which is interesting since it has so many gay influences. That's where the comedy comes from. Gangster rap has gone to ridiculous. There is literally no place left to go but gay."

All in all, a great interview. He definitely got everyone real excited for season 2.