User:Edlross/sandbox

Political Criticism
The Boondocks gives commentary on American politics from an African American perspective. The series accomplishes this by using satire and controversial statements, such as one of the opening lines in the series, "Jesus was Black, Ronald Reagan was the devil, and the government is lying about 9/11." The show has also given input on subjects like the American government's response to Hurricane Katrina, the War in Iraq, and other controversial political events that took place throughout the 2000's. When asked about the show and the approaches taken that make it so controversial, series creator Aaron McGruder stated, "...I just hope to expand the dialogue and hope the show will challenge people to think about things they wouldn't normally think about, or think about it in a very different way."

Black Cultural Relevance and Critique
The series typically features appearances by well-known entities (signers, rappers, public figures) within the Black popular culture as well as parodies of these entities. Episodes often feature many cameos, much like the episode "Let's Nab Oprah," which features appearances from Oprah Winfrey, Maya Angelou, and Bill Cosby. Other appearances and parodies within the show includes R. Kelly on trial for sexual misconduct accusations, DMX's disbelief when told about Barack Obama running for president in an interview, and an episode that mimicked Juice. The series also involves parodies of famous news reports including an broadcast in which a freshman in high school was called called a "nigga" by his teacher, who thought the word was acceptable to use. The Boondocks recreates this incident with Riley and his teacher.

The series often challenges the way in which African Americans behave and think within its episodes. The show has used sardonic humor to teach lessons and get people thinking since it was a comic strip, making critiques at the behavior of famous African Americans throughout the early 2000's. Aaron McGruder was interviewed by Nightline in early 2006 on the episode, "The Return of the King," which sparked much controversy after Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. reprimanded a crowd of African Americans for being lazy and unaware of their political climate. In the interview, McGruder said, "In the episode, King is critical of our apathy and inactivity... We carry the blame of our own apathy and inactivity... We deserve to take a look at that and be honest about it."

The "N" Word
The Boondocks is known for its frequent usage of the "n" word, which has been a source of controversy for the show throughout its tenure. However, McGruder once stated about the word within the show, "I think it makes the show sincere... the N-word is used so commonly now, not only by myself but people I know, that I feel it's fake to write around it and not use it." He also said in a 2005 ABC News article, "This isn't the n---a show... I just wish we would expand the dialogue and evolve past the same conversation that we've had over the past 30 years about race in our country."