“The Boondocks”: Racial Put-Downs or Welcome New Attitudes?
(Digital City – Washington, DC – Dialogues Online)
http://home.digitalcity.com/washington/wash_race/main.dci?page=boondocks (October 4, 1999)
Covering news of interest to multiracial individuals and interracial couples since 1997.
I think that Boondocks is very irratating. It keeps racial tentions at a peake. Why not just stay that there are no good white people and all black people are good.
From Tommy on Sun, Oct 10, 1999, 15:45:32
To “tommy” First of all, a cartoon is certainly not the thing that keeps racial tensions at a peake. Second of all, you can not have regualry read the cartoon if you think all the blakc people in it are portrayed as positive. “huey” thinks that mowing the law is a conspiracy against the black man. “Riley” tries so hard to be a thug that he is happy when whites are afraif of him for no reaosn, and refuses to do homework unless the teacher pays him. “grandpa” hang sup on the principal to finish his daydream about dorothy daindridge. All the characters in the series are silly, thats why its a cartoon. But they are all based on things that are actually done by people of both races. instead of trying to attack the cartoon, we should be glad that someone has used charicatures to illustrate how people act over race. People of all races can learn from this cartoon.
From Danielle on Sun, Oct 10, 1999, 17:17:03
It’s truly a great comic. Makes fun of everybody! Very well though out and well rounded. Keep it up.
From carrie on Sun, Oct 10, 1999, 16:12:15
I have read the cartoon since its inception… Although I understand the satire, I question its placement within others comic strips. Much like “Doonesbury” was placed in the editorial section of the daily comic strips, so should “Boondocks”. Often the satire is not funny, nor insightful, much rather it is condescending of intelligent people who are tired of blowhards like McGruder who offer problems and never solutions.
From Flozelle on Sun, Oct 10, 1999, 18:27:15
Race is like homosexuality – misunderstood from lack of communication and information (racism is clear evidence of ignorance). “Boondocks” helps. Discussing race here is good, too. Not everyone who writes about race is a racist.
From bantawc on Sun, Oct 10, 1999, 22:52:02
I like the comic. It does what a comic is suppose to do, make you think and make you laugh. i don’t put too much though in to it. after all it is a comic. At times I laugh out loud and other I shake my head because he is right.
From D on Sun, Oct 10, 1999, 23:19:15
Heres a white man who reaches for the comics just to read the Boondocks. It is hilarious to laugh at yourself each day. If you can not laugh at your own flaws then you have a problem. People need to read the Boondocks for what it is: a comic! I believe that The Boondocks can help us realize what prejudices we have We all should be able to talk about our differences. Too many times we glance over them in the name of “unity”. All we create is disfunction by sweeping them under the rug. We should embrace the Boondocks adn be able to laugh at the stereotypes! By the way, Grandpa is the BEST!
From Rob on Mon, Oct 11, 1999, 00:20:23
Boondocks is great. It only perpetuates the progress in color-blind reality that most folks who I know who are under twenty-five take for granted. I have a different favorite every episode. I love the barbs at the conventional wisdon. Boondocks does prompt useful interracial and, more importantly, intraracial, dialogue. This peice you have prepared is only one of the many good inquiries I’ve seen or participated in since Boondocks started in my newspaper and quickly thereafter become one of my favorite strips.
From David L. on Mon, Oct 11, 1999, 00:35:30
hell i love it, , hey it tell the truth , Amreica is not color-blind, an as a black man i say if you feel offended by iy your blind.
From Kell on Mon, Oct 11, 1999, 12:39:28
Although McGruder compares his cartoon “Boondocks” to Bill Cosby’s earlier TV animation on “Fat Albert,” I do not see the comparison. “Fat Albert” was about Cosby’s life as a kid growing up in Philadelphia. He taught kids to accept each other on their own terms, without projecting hurtful labels. McGruder, on the other hand, is all about summing people up with racist shorthand. A person should be allowed to definer her own identity without labels.
From Billye on Tue, Oct 12, 1999, 12:46:30