Open Letter to Aaron Mcgruder:What Would Huey Do?
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allhiphop.com/2014/07/28/open-letter-to-aaron-mcgruder-what-would-huey-do/
Dear Mr. Mcgruder,
Without a doubt, you are one of the most brilliant satirists that the black community has ever produced. The first season of your Boondocks series was pure genius and the creation of the militant, socially conscious “Huey Freeman” character was instrumental in raising the consciousness level of many African Americans, especially those with short attention spans or weak bladders who could never sit through a two hour -plus black history documentary like “Hidden Colors” but would watch a 30 minute cartoon. Your impact was especially felt during this season’s Boondocks, as your departure has left the show extremely lacking in the social relevance department.
However, I am concerned about your latest venture on the Adult Swim Network, Black Jesus, that preaches a ghettoized gospel to your former Boondocks congregation. I don’t find a Messiah that turns water into malt liquor entertaining. Of course there will be many people who will find Black Jesus hilarious, especially Adult Swim’s predominately white audience. So the fact that many people will find humor in the comedy is not up for discussion. After all, many white folks thought that lynchings were pretty funny…But I digress.
I have read that some white Christian groups are protesting the show. Let’s not get it twisted. I couldn’t care less what the white Evangelical Right Wing thinks about the show. In my opinion, the only thing worst than a black Jesus that endorses drinkin’ and smokin’ is a white Jesus that endorses slavery. I am concerned about black people, especially black children.
The image of a “Black Messiah” has always been controversial in this country. Since the inception of the Black Theology movement over 150 years ago by people like Bishop Henry McNeal Turner, there have only been a handful of black images of Yeshua. ( Jesus was just his proverbial slave name) Unfortunately, since your new character is already the most widespread image ever, when my grandchildren google “Black Jesus” years from now the image that will pops up will not be Yeshua feeding the multitudes but your lead character ,Gerald “Slink” Johnson, puffin’ on a blunt.
You have the opportunity to go down in history as one of our greatest thinkers who, at a critical moment in time, had the courage to speak truth to power. I would hate to see you go the route of so many of our biggest and brightest (cough..Kanye West) and become dumbed down to nothing more than a lawn jockey on the front yard of Ted Turner’s plantation.
I am clear that if you weren’t producing the program, the powers that be would just find someone else to accept the blood money. So, the focus should not be on the “Judas” but those who paid him the 30 pieces of silver to sell the Messiah out.I was watching the controversial, “Hunger Strike” episode of The Boondocks earlier today , where “Huey Freeman” went to war against Black Entertainment Television for plotting to destroy the black community via it’s questionable programming. Are you holding the Adult Swim/Comedy Network to a different standard?There is an old cliche that asks, “what would Jesus do?” I ask you, sir, in the case of Black Jesus, “what would Huey do?”
Your Brother,
Min. Paul ScottFounder Messianic Afrikan Nation
Dear Mr. Mcgruder,
Without a doubt, you are one of the most brilliant satirists that the black community has ever produced. The first season of your Boondocks series was pure genius and the creation of the militant, socially conscious “Huey Freeman” character was instrumental in raising the consciousness level of many African Americans, especially those with short attention spans or weak bladders who could never sit through a two hour -plus black history documentary like “Hidden Colors” but would watch a 30 minute cartoon. Your impact was especially felt during this season’s Boondocks, as your departure has left the show extremely lacking in the social relevance department.
However, I am concerned about your latest venture on the Adult Swim Network, Black Jesus, that preaches a ghettoized gospel to your former Boondocks congregation. I don’t find a Messiah that turns water into malt liquor entertaining. Of course there will be many people who will find Black Jesus hilarious, especially Adult Swim’s predominately white audience. So the fact that many people will find humor in the comedy is not up for discussion. After all, many white folks thought that lynchings were pretty funny…But I digress.
I have read that some white Christian groups are protesting the show. Let’s not get it twisted. I couldn’t care less what the white Evangelical Right Wing thinks about the show. In my opinion, the only thing worst than a black Jesus that endorses drinkin’ and smokin’ is a white Jesus that endorses slavery. I am concerned about black people, especially black children.
The image of a “Black Messiah” has always been controversial in this country. Since the inception of the Black Theology movement over 150 years ago by people like Bishop Henry McNeal Turner, there have only been a handful of black images of Yeshua. ( Jesus was just his proverbial slave name) Unfortunately, since your new character is already the most widespread image ever, when my grandchildren google “Black Jesus” years from now the image that will pops up will not be Yeshua feeding the multitudes but your lead character ,Gerald “Slink” Johnson, puffin’ on a blunt.
You have the opportunity to go down in history as one of our greatest thinkers who, at a critical moment in time, had the courage to speak truth to power. I would hate to see you go the route of so many of our biggest and brightest (cough..Kanye West) and become dumbed down to nothing more than a lawn jockey on the front yard of Ted Turner’s plantation.
I am clear that if you weren’t producing the program, the powers that be would just find someone else to accept the blood money. So, the focus should not be on the “Judas” but those who paid him the 30 pieces of silver to sell the Messiah out.I was watching the controversial, “Hunger Strike” episode of The Boondocks earlier today , where “Huey Freeman” went to war against Black Entertainment Television for plotting to destroy the black community via it’s questionable programming. Are you holding the Adult Swim/Comedy Network to a different standard?There is an old cliche that asks, “what would Jesus do?” I ask you, sir, in the case of Black Jesus, “what would Huey do?”
Your Brother,
Min. Paul ScottFounder Messianic Afrikan Nation
Comments
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Real ? , when I first saw the advertisement on adult swim, I felt like the ? went full ? . I'll reserve my opinion of it until after the first episode, but it definitely looks like some ? white America would love to see in air
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I agree, when I first saw the trailer it came across as one of those black comedy shows Aaron Mcgruder/Huey was against that thrived on stereotypes, I was surprised to say to say the least when I saw the clip. But like you said we'll have to wait and see how the first episode plays out.
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Atleast give it one episode
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Ya'll never seen it? You know this ain't some new ? . They've already done shorts. It's supposed to be straight comedy. Everything doesn't have to be deep. But I can agree that this can be detrimental given the large white audience that watches Adult Swim.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HASqtHdRWvA -
yea he has some good points in that letter....? don't look funny to me either way but i'm gonna give it try
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Like everyone else said gotta see it first. And giving the Aaron the benefit of the doubt. No where near the same amount of excitement I had for Boondocks for this.
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Just cause he's black he has to stay conscious his whole career?
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For all the love that's heaped on dude about creating Boondocks, I've always felt Ruckus was more McGruder than Huey. The show looks to be hilarious, but it's hilarious for all the reasons Ruckus would rant about when telling him Jesus was Black.
*Shrug* Chappelle Show 2.0 moment is coming. This show looks like it'll be one giant Clayton Bigsby episode where white folks will run with the most over the top offensive part, ignore the subtle nuance, and that'll define the show until its "Rick James" skit. -
A Christian group is already calling for a boycott. From this interview with the actor that portray 'Black jesus' it sounds like mcGruder came up with the basic concept and those dudes just twist it all the way around.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X6qF2XDM17Y
http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2014/07/25/christian-groups-call-for-boycott-of-boondocks-creators-new-comedy-black-jesus/
<iframe src="http://videos.rawstory.com/video/Cartoon-Network-produces-blasph/player?layout=&read_more=1" width="416" height="321" frameborder="0" scrolling="no"></iframe> -
He's buggin'. Let Black Jesus cook.
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Corey Halcomb offends mad people
not surprised by the fight to get the show off the air now -
Sorry ? but this ? looks funny as ? . ? Whitey's opinion. They gonna judge you anyway. You could be 99 percent good and ? up that 1 percent just for them crackers to start ? about black people and their dominant genes, ? em.
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Muhfucker, Yeshua is a real person that was crucified. That's like saying Mohandas Ghandi or Elijah Mohammed weren't real people. Just cause yo ass don't believe in the statement he made don't mean he was a fictitious person in history.
Do you know that after him, a lot of Africans were crucified? -
If its funny ill watch it. And if if its consistently funny each episode, ill continue to watch it
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i'm watching black jesus. the boondocks is over let it go.
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i'll give it an honest watch...
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Get this smartdumb ? 's guilt trip the ? out my face, b. Comedy is comedy. Lighten the hell up.
"I am concerned about black people, especially black children."
Wha? Is this supposed to be some kind of profound, socially conscious statement?? Do you want a cookie for saying this? pffft
"nothing more than a lawn jockey on the front yard of Ted Turner’s plantation."
Ted Turner sold all his networks to Time Warner 20 ? years ago, you ? ? . He's long retired. Cot damn, at least do a Wikipedia search before you try to kick this Wise Knowledge ? ? .
"Are you holding the Adult Swim/Comedy Network to a different standard?"
Yes, and he should, because they are completely ? different entities obviously, DO YOU WATCH THE CHANNEL OR DO YOU SKIM THRU IT? Adult Swim is a hub for experimental, unorthodox, and outright transgressive television that would NEVER get a run anywhere else on TV. If Boondocks had gone to Fox like the original plan was, we all know it would be a miracle if it made it to 6 full episodes produced, let alone aired.
"the creation of the militant, socially conscious “Huey Freeman” character was instrumental in raising the consciousness level of many African Americans"
Really cuz?
If you need a cartoon character to wake you up to white supremacy and how ? up America was & is, then your slow ignorant ass ain't gonna learn ? anyway.
LOL AllHipHop be publishing such weak-ass articles. What happened to the days of well-written, insightful pieces on AHH? Its sad how much the main site has declined. Grouchy will publish damn near any ol' ? full of typos with no editing, I swear. ? couldn't even format the HTML text right, SMH:
Are paragraph breaks that damn hard????? lmao? Whitey's opinion. They gonna judge you anyway. You could be 99 percent good and ? up that 1 percent just for them crackers to start ? about black people and their dominant genes, ? em.
This. Major co-sign. Even when I disagreed with Bill Cosby's "poundcake" rants, I respected the hell out the fact that he always responded to "but what about what racist white ppl will think? you're airing our ? laundry" criticisms with "are you kidding, WHO GIVE A DAMN WHAT *THEY* THINK?!"
How you gonna let White America decide what you can and cannot enjoy by virtue of their reaction? I never understood this argument. By that twisted-ass logic, we never shoulda laughed at Richard Pryor......or listened to most Hip-Hop outside of Dead Prez lol.
Like Lonious Monk pointed out this ain't even new, I was laughing at The Super Rumble Mix Show years ago, if anything I was hoping that McGruder would bring ALL of that to TV, complete with Tubesteak, the "Dear John Witherspoon" skits, and the ? News Briefs.
