The Boondocks Season 2 Epsiode 6: Attack of the Killer Kung-Fu Wolf B*tch

This episode is another attempt of Granddad trying to find love. Keeping up with the technological times, Granddad uses the ever so popular MySpace to search for a mate opposed to the many dating websites like Chemistry.com that actually matches people with more compatible people. The only flaw that McGruder seem to find is the honesty these people who use these websites have. I mean some of the women who agreed to meet Granddad looked nothing like their profile pictures.

Granddad’s love life was not looking too bright although he still tried the internet dating and met another woman named Luna voiced by actor Aisha Tyler. Optimistic about her, Granddad invites her over for dinner and to met Huey and Riley. The title of the episode gave me the idea that she was crazy and I think that McGruder should have given it a different one.

The story of Luna, Killer Kung-Fu Wolf B*tch, seemed a little embellished being that she was one of the last Kung-Fu masters in the world. I can understand however, her unfortunate love life that led her to physically, emotionally, and mentally abusive men.

Her friend Nicole voiced by actress Tichina Arnold was no help either because she was really a detriment to Luna by instigating the situation and not trying to actually help her heal and improve herself. McGruder did convey Nicole’s role as the friend who think she is helping perfectly. I have had friends who are totally honest like Nicole but I rather be comforted during heartbreak unlike Luna who was just upset more by Nicole who was making her feel angry.

This anger led Luna to begin hating men but willing to find the one who would love her. I think she thought she would find that in Granddad. However, her true colors began to show and once she began to tell them she was a Kung-Fu master is when Granddad. Huey and Riley figured she was crazy. I mean she agreed to battle Huey who throughout the first and second season has been a kung-fu enthusiast. The fact that she beat Huey said a lot but the fact that she tied them up after Granddad lied about going away was hilarious.

In the future, if McGruder decides to do another episode of Granddad finding love I think it should definitely be one where he finds someone closer to his age who would be seen as a grandmother figure to Huey and Riley. It just seems weird for men to live together with no feminine touch especially since Huey and Riley are young and could use a nurturing figure. I rate this episode a 4 out of 5.

The Boondocks Season 1 Episode 12: Riley Wuz Here

The advent of public broadcasting stations gave television viewers the opportunity to learn while we watched a program. The public broadcasting service (PBS) that used to be the National Educational Service is viewer supported with commercial sponsors of specific programs. A program hosted by painter Bob Ross on PBS called The Joy of Painting mainly came to mind when I watched this episode when I got home from school. The likeness of the art teacher and of painter Bob Ross was definitely recognized in this episode.

The show really used to reel me in because of Ross’s talent to create a beautiful scene when he painted. I loved when he made water of any kind in his paining because he always got the reflection of the sky or trees just right in them that made the illusion of water. I tried to mimic his techniques in my high school art class but later found out I was not using the correct type of brushes.

Highlighting Riley’s artistic ability, this episode gives insight about his personality compared to Huey’s revolutionary one. I think that Riley is a visionary who uses art to envision the future unlike Huey who believes in conspiracies and government cover-ups only envisions the future based on the consequences of people not educating themselves and revolting against the government. I was not much interested in Huey’s experiment on whether television can negatively affect the health of black people who watch only black television programs like BET.

I think that Riley chose to graffiti because they lived in the urban part of Chicago, which tend to be littered with that type of art form like much of NYC. However, he needs a palette for his paintings and chooses the houses in Woodcrest and when he is caught Granddad forced him to take art lessons from the art teacher.

The art teacher who is voiced by well-known voice actor Rob Paulsen, I think his imitation of Bob Ross was great and would never have guess he voiced Pinky on the animated series Pinky and The Brain. Granddad trusts that Riley will not need to graffiti in the neighborhood if he takes art classes but the art teacher is all for letting Riley express himself artistically in any way he wants even if that means spray painting on their neighbors’ homes.

My favorite part of this episode was when Riley spray-painted a mural of what I want to presume a picture of his parents on their wedding day.  I rate this episode a 4 out of 5 because of the scene where Riley and the art teacher flee the scene (Riley’s house), the song by the sampling “Today” by Tom Scott by Pete Rock & CL Smooth They Reminisce Over You (T.R.O.Y) which was the perfect soundtrack for the scene because it is about remembering someone you have lost. The mural Rile and his art teacher spray painted was of a couple he was reminiscing about that could be his parents which I still am not sure what happened to them and why they have not mentioned them yet.

The Boondocks Season 2 Episode 5: The Story of Thugnificent

Another rapper Thugnificent voiced by director of the cartoon series Carl Jones. He comes from a part of Georgia that was hard to grow up in called Terrible. The city has no police station and looks like it is wasting away. His story is being told on the MTV news program by MTV commentator Sway voiced by himself. Thugnificent is living of his royalties from his music especially because of the popularity of his song “Booty Butt Cheeks.” He moves into the Woodcrest neighborhood to show off his success.

Like Gangstalicious, Riley idolizes Thugnificent because the Hip Hop gangster lifestyle he lives and wants to become a part of his posse but not seem like he too eager to be around him and his friends. This could give Riley real version of his idol since Gangstalicious told Riley he never really wanted to be a gangster rapper and his apparent love affair with another gangster. Thugnificent is ecstatic about moving into Woodcrest and even stating that he is bringing the ghetto in the neighborhood.

I am beginning to wonder why Huey and Riley do not associate themselves with kids their age. Besides Jazmine, McGruder has not giving those friends their age. Huey who is mostly with Jazmine because they are similar in age does not seem to have anyone who shares his beliefs. Riley is either with Ed III and Rummy causing trouble or trying to find his idols who are rappers that are adults.

Thugnificent and his crew do not impress Granddad. He sees them as hooligans that are going to cause trouble in the Woodcrest neighborhood. He warns both Huey and Riley not to visit their new neighbor. The other neighbors however seemed interested in a celebrity that is moving into their neighborhood. Thugnificent in return of Granddad’s negativity towards him makes a song talking bad about Granddad called “F Granddad.”

Success does not last long and Thugnificent soon finds himself broke. Now back at square one he has to get a real job. Most rappers never have a real job other than street pharmacist also known as a drug dealer. He reverts to this form of employment but finds it hard to stay anonymous since he is rapper and people have seen him on TV before. I rated this episode a 4 out of 5 because if the portrait of celebrities in the media once they become famous and how people in upscale neighborhood acts when they get a celebrity neighbor.

The Boondocks Season 2 Episode 4: Stinkmeaner Strikes Back

Most people are skeptical about ghost being real and people’s spirits coming back to haunt the living. Personally, I think that it can happen especially if the person’s soul was very disturbed. It does not mean that all the ghost and spirits that linger here are evil, mean or want to cause harm. I think that they linger because they still have some attachment to this world and do not want to cross over to the other side. Huey seems to believe that people’s spirit cannot come back to haunt this world. When Stinkmeaner proves that he can take over Tom an easy target for a spirit like Stinkmeaner I, think Huey begins to doubt his assumptions.

Granddad is in much danger in this episode because in the episode Granddad’s Fight in season one, Granddad kills Stinkmeaner after their second round fight. I think he realized that the fight was unnecessary because Stinkmeaner was blind and was only willing to fight because he was a mean person. I also think he regrets killing Stinkmeaner as well because he did not have to lose his live for something Granddad could have resolved.

When Stinkmeaner takes over Tom his evilness tracks down Granddad and wants to kill him. As Granddad does his business in the latrine, Tom finds him, breaks down the bathroom door, and attacks him. Huey and Riley try to help fight off Tom possessed by Stinkmeaner.

Granddad does not know what to do to help Tom and get rid of Stinkmeaner. He enlists the help of Uncle Ruckus who does and exorcism on Tom. I rate this episode a 3 out of 5 I enjoyed the update on Stinkmeaner and Granddad’s conflict but nothing stood out to me as far as me wanting to watch it again.

The Boondocks Season 2 Episode 3: Thank You For Not Snitching

The Hip Hop culture has dealt with this “Stop Snitching” campaign by rapping about it, discussing it with news commentators and even wearing shirts quoting the ethical belief. Many Hip Hop artist were involved in a life of crime before they became famous and even after like rapper T.I. They do not want to be exposed by people who they know and people who dislike them. They see this as a disloyal act because they do not look too kindly upon snitches. There is a saying that “snitches get stitches” so if someone would snitch then they would be hurt.

The premise of this episode is that Riley does not want to snitch on Ed III and Rummy who are responsible for Woodcrest’s rash of home robberies including Granddad’s beloved car Dorothy. I do not understand why men name their cars and especially after women. I think men treat their cars better than the women in their lives but I digress. The issue is will Riley snitch on his pals Ed III and Rummy. Snitching goes against all that Riley stands for. I mean he idolized the Hip Hop gangster culture so he would be labeled as snitch by his idols like rapper Gangstalicious who he became friends with in the episode The Story of Gangstalicious.

In this episode, the residents do not trust the police to find the robbers so they form a neighborhood watch. Huey believes that the neighborhood watch is where snitches gather. Their neighborhood watch becomes suspicious of the Freeman’s when they don’t cooperate with the police. I think that Granddad’s opposition to talk to the police is related to the distrust many black people have towards the police. This is probably also drives Riley not snitches or cooperates with the police. Contrary to his belief of not negotiating with the police, Granddad figures out that Riley knows something and wants him to talk for the safe return of his beloved Dorothy.

My favorite part was when the residents of Woodcrest formed a neighborhood watch committee. I liked how they armed themselves and even had camouflage outfits to match their mission. I would rate this episode a 4 out of 5 and of course Ed III and Rummy are found out to be the robbers but because Ed III grandfather owns Woodcrest and the Police nothing happens to him or Rummy as usual.

Teh Boondocks Season 2 Episode 2: Tom, Sarah,a nd Usher

Usher is a R&B sensation and for my generation has the most memorable songs. His Confessions album did so well that he put out a deluxe album with videos of four new singles he added to the album. He toured and performed after the success of this album from 2004 to 2007. Right around the time this season of The Boondocks, McGruder shows the popularity of Usher’s Confessions album and this was the premise for this episode.

The single Burn was the second song released on the radio and adapted a video like the first single Yeah. The popularity of Usher and his music has influenced Sarah voiced by Jill Talley, Tom’s wife. She can be best described as a fanatic, or a crazed fan. A sighting of Usher while Sarah and Tom try to enjoy a romantic dinner at an upscale restaurant. Tom seems oblivious to his wife’s unhappiness until she spots Usher and lights up which he assumes is due to him and begins to serenade her.

Tom believes he is musically talented which to some extent he is because of the Itis episode of season one when Granddad opens a souls food restaurant, Tom plays the piano and does something similar to singing and his singing to Sarah in the restaurant from this episode. Sarah rather hears Usher sing the song Tom made and sang to her in the restaurant. She is smitten by star Usher and does not hide it from her husband who is sitting at the same table. She does not even acknowledge Tom as her husband. This causes Tom to become jealous when he noticed Sarah giving her attention to Usher voiced by actor Affion Crockett.

I think Tom feels threatened by Usher because Sarah threw him out of their house and he seeks advice from Granddad. I cannot help but wonder why he would ask Granddad for advice when Granddad is not in any form of relationship. Somehow A Pimp Named Slickback offers Tom advice on how to “control” his wife Sarah. I think was not useful in him getting Sarah back because she was not standing.

I liked this episode because I seen the relationship between the Tom and his wife Sarah who are the neighbors of the main characters, The Freeman’s. I rated this episode a 4 out of 5 because Tom’s talent it displayed by having him perform Usher’s song Burn. He has background dancers while performing in the rain

The Boondocks Season 2 Episode 1:…Or Die Trying

This is the first episode of the second season that premiered October 8 2007. The start of this episode made me think that I was really watching a trailer for a cartoon parody of the movie Soul Plane. Ironically, before while watching this episode was that I had a bunch of movie snacks I brought at Family Dollar before I came home for more than half the price they sell them at the movie theaters.

The price to go out to the movies nowadays is expensive compared to staying at home and renting a movie or some form of home entertainment. The price of food is so expensive that people sneak in outside food to enjoy the movie without spending money like Granddad who makes Huey, Riley, and Jazmine smuggle in homemade food. The high price of ticket prices make people sneak into movies like Granddad does so he does even though he claims he purchased his tickets online.

The movie industry does not seem to be profiting from movie theaters and probably why most movie theaters are closing. Movie theaters in my neighborhood offer discounts on Tuesdays and  provide a sense of customer loyalty for people like me who live in the nearby. I may go to the movie on the weekend even though it’s no discount on that day but will do so because I have been going on Tuesdays and saved some money to splurge for the regular pay.

Once again, Jazmine’s naivety is shown when she does not listen to Huey’s warning that day would the worst day of her life. Goody to shoes Jazmine believes it is wrong to watch a movie that she has not paid for. She cannot tell her dad because he already warned her about going to see it. I really do not understand why Huey wants to stop the movie but he does insist that the movie staff unionize in order to distract the usher while they sneak in the movie.

Huey has another fight scene this time with Uncle Ruckus in the theater and outside once Granddad comes back to get him and Jazmine when ruckus catches them. I rate this episode a 4 out of 5. I think that this episode depicts the negative effect of high prices of  concessions and tickets on movie theaters across America.

The Boondocks Season 1Episode 15: The Passion of Ruckus

The plot of this episode was about how Uncle Ruckus convinces some black people that self-loathing is the only way for them to be accepted in “white” heaven, and convinces others that hating black people will also allow them into “white heaven. His revelation comes when he is told by his doctor that he has a cancerous tumor on his back. He begins to spread his believing despite Granddad’s disbelief. Tom seems to be in disbelief in the beginning but becomes convinced that he hates black people.

The part of the episode that resonated with me was Huey’s fight to free his friend Shabazz K. Milton-Berle voiced by actor Rashon Khan who was wrongfully convicted of murdering a Deputy Sheriff back in the 70’s when he was interning for the Black Panthers. There was film footage; fingerprints on the gun, a stenographer’s transcribe notes of the confessions of the real murderer, and other pieces of evidence that pointed to Eli Gorbinski voiced by actor Corey Burton.

The injustice of this case is obvious but both Jazmine and Granddad think that the only thing Huey can do for Shabazz is pray for him. Huey thinks that there are forces that no one can really explain but that we make our own miracles. I agree with this to an extent that when something good happens to me I assume that the positive energies I put out in the universe comes back to me in a form of a miracle of in y time of need. I sometimes give credit to God just because I am in a society with different religions that all give praise to God.

I think both Shabazz and Ruckus’s miracle came from Huey and Granddad respectively. Granddad of course prays for his friend Ruckus because he fears that he has gone off on the deep end and is only preaching his beliefs because he is about to die. Huey feels hopeless when he cannot physically help Shabazz from being electrocuted.

I rate this episode a 4 out of 5 because Huey resorts to praying and says this crying, “I never prayed before. I do not even know who I’m praying to. Maybe I’m too young to know what the world is suppose to be… but it is not suppose to be this. It can’t be this. So please…” The lightening that struck Ruckus was a miracle because his tumor was gone once he was hit. The pure luck of Huey’s assumption that the Governor was gay could be seen as a miracle to because it stopped the electrocution of Shabazz.

The Boondocks Season 1 Episode 13: Wingmen

Watching this episode in the library café in the Whitehall building made me begin to think about friendships. As I sipped my iced tea and ate my McDonalds, I also thought about my friendships with people. When most people think of a true friend, they think of their friend who is trustworthy and honest. They share a mutual understanding of that person and have the tendency to want the best for you. They speak the truth when no one else seems to want to tell you. The most essential part is the reciprocal relationship between people in a friendship. This relationship if positive reflects a positive friendship. In this new day and age people, get involved with other people who are not true friends. The term we have coined for this is “frienemies”, the combination of friends and enemies. It is the negative and competitive version of a friendship, much like a rivalry that may seem unhealthy socially for the person who is negatively affected by the friendship.

The friendship between Granddad and his fighter pilot army buddy Moe voiced by comedian Mike Epps can definitely be described as a “frienemy.” from Granddad’s point of view.  Moe was an arrogant pain in the butt who tried to get a laugh ridiculing Granddad. He felt some sought of rivalry between him and Moe and this was evident during their fighter pilot scene where Granddad tells the boys on the plane back tot Chicago for Moe’s funeral.  Moe bets Granddad $2 that he would have to save him from being shot down by German fighter pilots, which he does, and Granddad.

The name of the episode is called Wingmen, and they are the friends who are called to help their friends find a potential girlfriend and ward off the ones not eligible. In Moe’s position, he was the perfect wingmen because the woman that he deflected from Granddad was at Moe’s funeral and Granddad would have never been with her. In retrospect, Moe would be considered a good friend. Until his funeral, Granddad had been avoiding Moe but that only hurts their friendship because he resents Moe for something that was insignificant to their true friendship. Moe was the one trying to keep the friendship alive and Granddad was not being the bigger person so to speak.

This episode also showed the friendship of Huey, Jazmine voiced by child actor Gabby Soleil and his hometown best friend Cairo who is voiced by child actor Che Bouye. Moving to a new place can be most hard on friendships because the distance can allow the friendship to wither and fade away. When Huey tells Jazmine he is leaving to visit his hometown and his best friend I notice the disappointment in Jazmine because I think she assumed that she was his best friend since he moved to Woodcrest and mostly associated with her when he is not off being a revolutionary. His arrival back in Chicago is not welcomed by his so-called best friend Cairo who seemed to replace him with a revolutionary imitator named Dewey voiced by actor Austin Williams. I think that they shared the same ideas and both were revolutionaries but Cairo probably felt abandoned and thought that Huey was selling out to live in a big house with a white picket fence in “Whitecrest”, the American dream but maybe not their dream. I think this says a lot about dynamics of people who don’t always see things the way they are like Granddad who couldn’t see that Moe was just trying to be a friend and Huey who doesn’t understand how his moving to a prominent part of Chicago can leave his urban hometowns friends jealous and angry that he left. This episode defiantly deserves a 4 out of 5 because it depicts the trouble most of us face in our friendships.

The Boondocks Season 1 Episode 11: Let’s Nab Oprah

Oprah Winfrey is the most influential woman in the world. She carries other titles such as television host, actress, and philanthropist. She is noted with being the first black American billionaire and popularizing the tabloid talk show genre. Her talk show now however, has become more about self-improvement and literature with highlights on some pop culture people.

“The Oprah Effect” which is Oprah’s opinions and endorsements influence her audience and the public opinion especially on consumer purchasing choices that boost revenues for consumer products was this idea depicted  in this episode. It is evident through the high book sales of books in her book club, the popularity of the consumer products shown on her show, and even the increase in votes during the 2008 presidential election that she made public that President Obama was the candidate she was supporting and endorsing. She is a media phenomenon and part of this generation’s history of people who come from nothing to achieve anything they believe is impossible.

Its does not seem odd that someone would want to kidnap Oprah. She is an entity that everyone acclaim and praises and not to mention she is loaded with money. Ed III and Rummy want control of the world so in order to do so they conceive a plan to kidnap Oprah. I mean it seems right considering “The Oprah Effect.” On the contrary, Ed III could have just as easily convinced his grandfather to get him and Rummy on her show and try to be endorsed by Oprah. I don’t know exactly what they would offer to the show but maybe with Oprah’s influence they would be closer to their goal like Dr. Phil and Dr. Oz who both have a show because of Oprah, then depicted in this episode.

Riley’s influence by Ed III and Rummy is being noticed by Huey. He knows that Riley is helping them plot to kidnap Oprah and is definitely going to try to stop them. The scene where Riley meets Oprah’s body guard Bushido Brown voiced by actor Cedric Yarborough (not sure). I think is an example of miscommunication because if Huey would have simply told him that Ed III, Rummy, and Riley were trying to kidnap Oprah then maybe they could have worked together to stop them. Instead, the fight scene ensues where both of them use some sort of karate/kung fu form of fighting leaving Huey defeated.

Riley seemed to go along with Ed III and Rummy’s plan to kidnap Oprah even though their plan to rob a bank owned by Ed’s grandfather didn’t work because of poor planning. This episode was funny and entertaining and I wondered if someone would really kidnap Oprah and get away with it, probably not. I rate this episode a 4 out of 5.