The Boondocks: Controversial Satire or Simply Inappropriate?

The third season of The Boondocks is currently airing on Adult Swim. It may be because I was younger and not college educated, that at one point I found the Boondocks to be complete hilarity. Now however, I can see that it is really black social satire. But is it satire to the point where it is offensive? So far the first episode featured a song entitled "Dick Riding Obama" and the episode was generally about people who voted for Obama for the sole reason that he is Black. The second episode was about Thugnificent a washed up rapper (Ice-T reference), whose music wasnt selling anymore due to the increase of music being made by Sergeant Gutta (soulja boy reference)who made pointless songs about dances. The following clip is from last weeks episode about a racist recording artist (who apparently really exists under a different name).




Here does Boondocks go too far? Throughout this episode I think I've heard every negative stereotype possibly in existence about Black people. What was this episode setting out to prove or demonstrate? It didn't have any real value and if I had been watching it with Caucasian people in the room I would have been angry and embarrassed that it was perpetuating such stereotypes. Not many laughs were had from watching this episode. I felt offended.

However, this past week's episode hit home more so. The episode is about a crew who we assume come to get revenge on Grandpa Freeman after he accidentally kills their friend in a street-fight.




The episode speaks of an equation known as "A Nword Moment" which is defined as "A moment where ignorance overwhelms the logic of an otherwise rational negro man." plus "Nword Synthesis" defined as "Perpetual bond between Nwords over an appreciation of trivial or ignorant things. This is the opposite of a Nword Moment, which is perpetual conflict between Nwords over trivial or ignorant things. This is unlike a bond between friends or family members, which is mutually beneficial to all of the parties involved. When a Nword moment collides with a Nword synthesis, you get a Complete (fucking) Disaster: Nword Moment + Nword Synthesis = Complete Disaster."
{definitions taken directly from episode}

In the end the three people kill this man (this incident is known as the complete disaster) and state that they didn't even do it for revenge. More so they did because they could. This is the basis behind gang behaviors and the reason people die in Chicago's streets. People are apart of a gang where the members don't even care about them, and murders occur for no reason. Senseless violence.

But is the way Boondocks addresses these issues appropriate? I am still undecided. Sometimes funny, but sometimes I feel objectified.