Racist Boondocks Cartoon in Sunday papers 1/9/05

Philadelphia Inquirer | 1/9/05 | American Infidel

[American Infidel]

I know I shouldn't be nearly as angry as I am over this (In fact, I know I shouldn't even care), but I couldn't help but notice that featured prominently on the top of the front page of the comic section of today's Philadelphia Inquirer (big surprise) was today's blatantly racist Boondocks comic strip. The strip in question consisted of one frame in which two young black characters observed a white character jogging in the snow while dressed for warm weather. The line written for the black characters is simply “White People”. The implication was obviously that only white people would do something as stupid as to go jogging in the winter, while being dressed for warmer weather. Imagine for a moment that the strip consisted of two white men waiting for a bus to take them to work while observing a black man sitting on the corner, drinking a 40 ounce malt liquor beverage, with the line, “Black People” coming from one of the white characters, implying that only black people would be sitting on the corner on a week day, getting drunk while other people were on their way to work. Not only would this strip never see the light of day, but all future strips from the cartoonist would have been cancelled. The Philadelphia Inquirer on the other hand, chooses to run the strip and to feature it prominently at the top of the front page of the comic section. I understand that Aaron McGruder is the “voice of angry black America” and that he must be treated with kid gloves, otherwise they will be accused of being racist and no corporate entity wants that kind of P.R., but this is ridiculous. It's not the strip itself that ticked me off (it was sort of humorous actually), it was the hypocrisy and the double standard of UPI, the Philly Inquirer, and the other urban newspapers that I am sure ran the strip today. OK that's my rant. Thanks for listening.

[cyborg]

Thanks. It'd not be the first time I heard that word racist pronounced that way. Although some people can get quite articulate when ranting about the evils of capitalist America.

[weshess]

I am totally opposed to the hyphenated American syndrome, it says to me that certain people can never truly be American.

[shellshocked]

Here is a decent article by Larry Elder, a black guy, about this cartoonist.

[cyborg]

I have yet to see anyone period running in a snowstorm ever *LOL* Just goes to show you some people have stereotypes about what white people do and what black people do. Most of it is wrong. That's why I like to be my own person and do whatever I want hehe.

[longtermmemmory]

you would not say that if you heard what black racism is spewed at lawyer conferences. When discussing race, it is a litany of stereotypes in support of quotas, attacks on non-black peoples, and victimology.

[Arkinsaw]

That old man in Boondocks is the wisest one and does have some sense. He's protrayed as being at peace with himself whereas that main character is perpetually angry and unhappy.

Reminds me a bit of the "banned" movie Song of the South. It is banned, allegedly, because it shows a happy slave.

But the slave is happy, not because he is a slave, but because he has his own inner strength. The white parents in that movie are portrayed as shallow people. The scene where the wise, friendly, old slave has to be subservient to the stiff-as-a-board, narrow-minded parents does not come across as portraying a good thing. The children learn a great deal of life lessons from the slave, and are quite distant from their parents.

I have no idea how the critics can see what they see in Song of the South.

In another example of how weird this is, take the mascot of Ole Miss. They want rid of the stereotypical "Colonel Reb" mascot because it supposedly honors the old aging Confederate soldier. But at the same time, it is considered offensive to Native Americans to be portrayed in the same way. It can't be both ways....is it an honor to be on a football helmet? or is it offensive to be on a football helmet? Apparently it IS both.

This political correctness is hard to figure out on your own since it is not internally consistent with itself. Thats why we need the elites to tell us what is politically correct and what is not.

[dinodino]

So, if someone were to reverse the roles in the cartoon and show the two kids sticking up the jogger at gunpoint, and him saying, "Black people!", would that be racist?

[cyborg]

Elder has a new book out. I saw it yesterday in the bookstore. Looks pretty good and has 'why I switched from Libertarian to Republican' chapter. Anyway, McGruder is doing what all other popular liberals are doing. They are using their noteriety as a bully pulpit.

[World'sGoneInsane]

The two boys attribute him running with no coat, no hat,etc. on in the snow to white people being crazy. I've heard similar come from the mouths of black people.

LOL, if you haven't noticed, some white people ARE crazy. Black people don't jog in the snow, they'd get arrested for suspicion of some crime.

You see, I just gave you another example of "black" humor. You would either have to be black or know enough of the culture to understand it.

[cyborg]

I had to stop a minute because it sounded like something Chappelle would say! LOL

[conservativeharleyguy]

Maybe it's just because he (or more accurately, the character he's likely based on) probably grew up listening to John Lee Hooker, Howlin' Wolf, B.B. King, and Gospel, while the youngsters are all hooked on the endless stream of angry crap from Snoop Dog, P. Whatever His Name is This Week, and Ice T.

If you listen to angry, ignorant music and watch angry and ignorant "music videos", you'll probably be angry and ignorant.

But there's nothing that a good dose of blues guitar can't take the edge off of (IMO).

[ViLaLuz]

This is yet another example of the liberal double standard.

Imagine the outrage if the shoe was on the other foot.

[altura]

Lighten up, everyone. Boondocks can be funny when it deals with black/white people.

Politically and personally he's an idiot, but I have to laugh at some of the strips he does.

[Nataku X]

Sounds about right... you make good points. Would love to see the movie Song of the South one day but I doubt I ever will have that privilege.

I have learned that God does not heal the body nor does He strike down your personal foes in this world... but He can heal your soul if you ask Him to, and give you that "inner strength". He didn't heal me... but He took away my bitterness and hate, and that's 1000 times more of a miracle.

[cyborg]

That's a beautiful to say about yourself.

[HairOfTheDog]

Conversely, I live in a predominantly white area (96%) and have not seen a white guy jog in a snow storm as described by the cartoon. Not once, ever.

Been in the city much? Urban people do strange things like this that country people don't do.

[HairOfTheDog]

In fact... if I had written the comic strip, I'd have said "City People". ;~D

[robertpaulsen]

Actually, I saw a similar cartoon that was even closer to the truth. It was two farmers working in a field remarking on the jogger as "City people".

[csvset]

Here's a interview with Aaron McGruder & Frank Cho from 2000, (Cho's comic is Liberty Meadows).

Cho and McGruder attended the same school, the University of Maryland.

Strip Mining The Boondocks' Aaron McGruder and Liberty Meadows' Frank Cho Take the Funny Pages in New Directions

[cyborg]

You're be absolutely right *lol*