BOONDOCKS: MacGruder drinking Cosby Koolaid???

[UdoKier]

I LOVE Boondocks, and I think Aaron MacGruder, in addition to being a great cartoonist, is a very insightful commentator when they have him on TV.

Here, he seems to be parroting the "black people are lazy/undependable" meme.

Why? Is there something coming up later? This just gives some white people the chance to get all smug and say "See- even Cosby and MacGruder admit that the only problem in the black community is lack of initiative. We need to abolish all welfare, medicaid and unemployment."

Does MacGruder have some kind of libertarian streak I didn't know about?

[Richardo]

1. Knowing Macgruder (which I don't); I'd say 'irony'

Sticking it to Cosby, looks like to me.

[DrWeird]

2. Not much context.

This must be a part of a series, right? I think I'd have to see the whole sequence to judge.

[salvorhardin]

6. It's only the second strip in the series

Too early to tell where he's going with this I think. Of course, I'm not all into the whole rap/hip-hop or whatever the kids are calling it these days thing so I often don't get MacGruder's jokes at all (when he deals with those topics). Boondocks is my favorite comic strip though, I think McGruder is truly the current-day Berkeley Breathed.

[Goldom]

3. NPR - a while ago:

"Boondocks' Creator vs. Bill Cosby

July 29, 2004

Bill Cosby's sharp speeches about the need for black self-responsibility are raising eyebrows and inspiring comic strips. NPR's Karen Grigsby Bates reports that the creator of The Boondocks comic strip, Aaron McGruder, is fanning the debate with a parody of Cosby's remarks."

[Corgigal]

4. All I see

is a bunch of young people who don't like to get up early for anything/anyone. I have a 14 and 17 y/o who are tanner then those drawn in the cartoon above, but I can relate. HA.

[theboss]

5. The name of the show would indicate otherwise...

In Monday's comic, the show they are on is called "Can a N---- Get a Job?" starring Russel Simmons.

[theboss]

7. MacGruder has always dealt in self-criticism

The first comic in this series had Huey lamenting the fact that the show is called "Can a N---- Get a Job?"

As for Cosby, Macgruder's been dealing with him all summer, rather fairly I think. There was a series were Grandpa gets inspired by Cosby to lay down the law on the grandkids, mainly by demanding that Huey pull up his pants (which are already up). Their debate was pretty interesting, with Huey ultimately making the most sense.

Then a few weeks ago, he had Huey watching the news describe some sort of horrible black-on-black crime (I can't remember the incident) and turning to the audience to say something along the lines of "I never said Billy Cosby was completely wrong."

Anyway, I view this similar to Chris Rock's routine about black people having money while white people have wealth in which he said, "Maybe we would have some wealth if we didn't spend all our money on rims."

[EEgrad2003]

8. It's more of a self critique

Both Bill Cosby and Aaron MacGruder are doing more of a self critique, if anything. It's not trying to undermine anyone for being lazy. It's more of a parody of how blacks are depicted on reality shows. I think he's trying to show how reality shows pigeon-hold black people into certain stereotypes. If you can't critique yourself, how can you change yourself for the better?

[Comicstripper]

9. HE'S BEEN ATTACKING COSBY LATELY

Pay attention!

[EEgrad2003]

11. He's attacking...

The way Cosby came ACROSS. He's NOT attacking Cosby's message, which he explains in the comic.

[Jacobin]

10. Yeah. A Winger friend of mine e-mailed me that one with

a "snarf" message.

I don't know wtf is going on with this cartoon. We shall have to wait and see what the coming 'toons say

[Logansquare]

12. He may just be saying that young people don't like

to get up early. Certainly been my experience, as someone who has employed student workers at a university.

[GiovanniC]

13. This Should Settle It, I Think

[Cocoa]

15. that was a great series

"tell it, Cos!" :-)

[WoodrowFan]

14. WTF? the Wash Post not runnign it!

This isn't the strip in the Washington Post, they've run some old "Kobe Bryant" strips instead! :grr:


Wash Post Comics Editor Email: [email protected]

[Insomnicole]

16. Oh, *there's* a shocker.

The Post yanks "The Boondocks" if it starts looking even remotely controversial. That "N***a" probably had the editors reaching for the smelling salts.

[WoodrowFan]

17. But, they ran today's Get Fuzzy with its "Beaver" joke!

[Lydia Leftcoast]

18. I don't know

When I was teaching on the college level, I had students of all races with exactly that attitude.

Maybe he's trashing young people (of all races) who talk big and then flake out on the easiest first steps.

[tinanator]

19. way too hip to be down with Cosby's fits

Cosby crossed a line, and fed every last in and out of the closet racist some courage.
FUCK THAT.

[EEgrad2003]

20. How did he cross a line?

People are so quick to call him a sellout. Clarence Thomas is a sellout. Alan Keyes is a sellout. Cosby addressed some tough issues that black people faces as a community. That doesn't make him a sellout, it makes him concerned. I could see if he said all this without trying to give back, but last I checked, he's always giving back to the community. He's being critical not to look down upon us, but so we can see where we need to re-evaluate ourselves. It's not out of conforming to what people expect us to be, but, it's realizing that we are falling short in certain areas, and that NO ONE will give you anything in life. If a person was a closet racist, they're STILL a racist and everyday people change things around to fit to their ideas (you can look at all the fundies and how they interpret the bible), that's just life. If you talk to any older black person, they'll probably say the same things that he says, but it's not out of hate, it's because they don't want to see us falling to the waist sides in America.

[DrWeird]

21. See post thirteen.

If Cosby had just "addressed some tough issues that black people face as a community," he wouldn't be a sell out. The problem is he spewed the same racist bullshit that one can find any given day at free republic.

[EEgrad2003]

24. But like it says in the comic....

Don't take what he said literally. What he said was harsh and fucked up, and you're right, there are racist people that think the same think everyday. But, those people are NOT the concern, the black community is. With the current administration, the chips are stacked against all minorities, but we can't fail the future generations to come. Education is an essential component of that survival and it needs to be taken seriously. The bush administration is trying to take that from us and we need to counter that (by setting up programs that encourage math, science, reading), if we are to survive the up coming years. But people only remember the negative comments, and not the whole-hearted point of the conversation.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A6615-2004Sep8.html

[cheezus]

22. today's might answer your question

(or just raise more)

[theboss]

23. I think he's sorta ripping off Chris Rock with this...

Chris Rock's bit about the war between "blac people and n---as."