okay, I usually think The Boondocks is pretty clever, but the last few weeks have just seemed – lazy.
Week 1 - Make Fun Of Al Sharpton’s Hair For A Full Week Week 2 - Create A Clever “Most Embarrassing Black People” Storyline, But Use The Same Michael Jackson Punchline At Least Twice Week 3 - The Same Queen Latifah Joke Every Day.
It’s like McGruder assumes people only read the comics once a week, so they don’t need a new joke until seven days later.
But the worst was today’s Boondocks, which was just a box of text protesting the war and a throwaway joke about Cuba Gooding Jr.
It’s not that it’s a political message - The Boondocks is full of political messages. It’s not that it’s an anti-war opinion in the “funny pages” - Cartoonists are allowed to tackle issues through their medium, it’s happened many times before. It’s not even that there’s no art to speak of.
My issue with it is this: the throwaway joke about Cuba Gooding Jr. is the same damn joke he’s been telling about Queen Latifah all week!
I was rather puzzled by his sniping at Queen Latifah for showing black folks in a negative light in “Chicago.” Did MacGruder even SEE the movie? Apart from hapless husband Amos, EVERYBODY in that movie is a contemptible character! There AREN’T any positive role models in “Chicago!” Indded, that’s pretty much the point of the whole story (to the extent that it has a point at all)- that most people are either scheming phonies or complete imbeciles.
I mean, is Roxie Hart a more “positive” character than Big Mama? Is Velma Kelly?
Be fair - how many times could anyone draw a comic to say “Whitey Sucks” before running out of ideas?
He is suffering from “Famous Comedian Syndrome”, which is the delusion that his ideas are too important to joke about.
Jokes are the bribe to get us to read the strip/listen to the comedian/watch the commercial. Once you can’t even be bothered to provide a bribe, you lose the mainstream audience of those who are not already convinced.
I wonder how his syndicators will feel about him not even trying to provide the cartoon he contracted to draw. If he wants to change to being a syndicated columnist, good luck to him.
Or at least luck that is good enough to produce a column that is better than his stupid racist strip.
Gee, another self-righteous blatherskate losing it. Whooda thunk it.
Have you read the comic that often? I wouldn’t consider the sentiment of “whitey sucks” to be a central theme of the strip. More often it seems to be skewering black pop culture and the portrayal of famous black people in the media. You began your post with the words “Be fair”. You might want to read the strip more in order to live up to that suggestion.
Isn’t Mr. McGruder busy trying to get “Boondocks” on Showtime? If he is spending his time doing that, it could explain the decline in quality.
(Also, I’m trying to figure out what Vivaca Fox did that offended him so. It seems that his animosity to her is beyond that of using her as merely a symbol).
The quality does seem to be declining. When the Daily News first started running it here in NY, there was much more effective use of the"culture shock" aspect of the Huey character interacting with his thug brother, the interracial couple and their daughter, the white teacher(s), the curmudgeonly grandfather. The introduction of the Caesar character has resulted in Huey having a “yes man” so they can sit around and make fun of popular culture, and mostly its very repetitive.
Nobody is more irritated by Cuba’s post-Oscar choices than me, but enough already.
I tend to agree with you, Elvis. I liked Boondocks much better in the old days because more of the strips focused on the curmudgeon of a grandfather. As a cranky 43-year-old man, I can relate much better to curmudgeons than smartass kids.
Also, you hardly ever see Jazzmine and her parents any more.
I like Boondocks, but I don’t follow it regularly so I can’t say much about recent strips.
I’ve looked at the last week of strips online and find them passibly funny.
One should bear in mind that EVERY comic strip artist has some not too good strips. It’s fairly common that you find a series of basically mediocre strips followed by a better run. Sometimes they play better in book format where you can read them in succesion. Also, looking at the other stuff that’s on the comics page I don’t find many current strips that are anywhere near as good. I find Boondocks is nearly always passibly funny and I like his political commentary. Maybe if you disagree with his stance you are less likely to be as charitable as I am.
Frankly I’ve always found the strip to be juvenile, simple-minded and over the top, so I can’t say whether it’s gotten worse. That’s a bit like asking if an amputated leg has gotten worse.
I agree. The strip was much better with the wider cast. Most Boondocks strips these days are just Huey and Caesar talking to each other. If you do see the other characters, chances are that it’s a rerun from the old days (Macgruder takes frequent vacations).
According to someone on rec.arts.comics.strips, the Boston Globe removed the Boondocks strip that the OP is talking about! Maybe they felt that they weren’t getting what they were paying for.
The ‘Most Embarrassing Black People Awards’ is a recurring storyline. This is at least the third year (IIRC) he’s done it.
I agree, though, the strip has seemed a little weak lately.
Hey Shodan, go buzz a Star Wars thread and let them all know that it’s just a movie, why don’tcha?
