Stereotypes In The Boondocks

Reaffirmed Stereotypes in The Boondocks According to Alex Wainer, the history of American entertainment has displayed derogatory images of African Americans on TV and even Disney animated motion pictures. These negative stereotypes depicted in films included the tom, the coon, the tragic mulatto, the mammy, and the brutal black buck. In the last decade or so two new stereotypes emerged in the African American society, the black radical which developed during the Black Panther era, and the gangsta which could be argued to be the modern black buck. The hit animated television series, The Boondocks reaffirms these stereotypes and the classic tom and tragic mulatto stereotypes but purifies them with the intent to spark a change in the African
American culture. The problem is viewers only see the humor in the show not the overall message and most critics, mostly black political leaders call the show demeaning and states that the show sets the community back with its racist content even calling it The Coondocks. The only reason why the show doesn't receive wide scale resentment for its content is because the creator is black and most of the cast are well known black actors. The show has number of characters that represent a certain stereotype and its notorious for loosely using the n-word to the point that by the end of the first episode it not shocking at all.
The two that are mostly addressed are the Black radical and the gangsta. The creator Aaron McGruder, assigns these to stereotypes to two brothers ten and eight years old, Huey freeman is the revolutionist, his name is actually derived from Huey Newton the renown founder of the black panther party. Huey's acts throughout the series ranges from being the voice of reason and the narrator of the show to striking fear in the upper middleclass white neighborhood he lives in by telling them 9/11 was staged and Ronald Reagan was the devil. He hates shows that depict negative African American stereotypes that are geared to African American audiences, which is ironic because the show is exactly what it's protagonist despises. He hates what state the black community is in. One episode shows Huey starting a new black political party and recruiting Dr. Martin Luther King after he found out that he was still alive after coming out of a coma. The episode end with Dr. King ranting about how he is disappointed with the black community, when they turn the party meeting into a club. When Huey isn't trying to change the world through starting anarchy he is trying to influence is little brother who is a complete foil of Huey's character and
motives. Riley Freeman represent the Gangsta stereotype, he is simply an emulation of rap culture on TV. He is the anti-hero and a criminal, he has taken part in bank robberies and has help kidnap Oprah and Mya Angelou. He is obnoxious and fears no one not even god, he stated at one point that he would fight god to show how gangsta he is. He idolizes rappers, pimps, and gangsters. His was even depicted has Tony Montana at one part of the show. Riley is a misogynist, this is proven by his common use of the word hoe. He likes his position of authority over woman. He firmly against chivalry because it tarnishes his gangsta image. He also is quick to call a man gay if they show any sign of femininity, even a simple hug. Beside his negative traits he is also a fast thinker and cunning. He is an artist, although its expressed in grafitti and an entrepreneur, he also learns a valuable lesson after his mischievous plots fail or back fire. He represent the false image of modern day black male teen to the white society. The show's overall motive is to uplift and purify the black community by showing you what is wrong with its current state. Therefore, reaffirming the negative stereotypes in the show's characters but also show the good qualities the help the two brothers pull through at the end also purifies the overall stereotype The creators initial motive overshadowed by its crude method of purification through reaffirmation.