LITTLE is not NONE. At least in the cartoons, he is higly impractical about solving problems, and has no idea on how to influence people. He also has a very simplistic view if the world. Age-appropriate, eveb laudable, but not a model in any way. That people in ther twenties still think like this kills me.
'''YOU SEE THIS DOG I'M PETTING? THAT WAS COURAGE WOLF.Cute, isn't he?Well yeah, that is a case of misaimed fandom. You know when Huey writes a paper dealing with Santa Clause being a conspiracy for the New World Order you're not supposed to take him that seriously. I don't even remember if that was in the comic or the cartoon.
I do remember The Adventures of Black Jesus, and his plot to rescue the former black panther being foiled by not being able to drive, so there's really no excuse for people watching the cartoon.
Modified Ura-nage, Torture RackI'm pretty sure that was the comic strip
and how was The Adventures of Black Jesus indicating a lack of common sense? *, and Huey even acknowledged that his plan to save Shabazz was a longshot, but it was the closest chance anyone had of saving his life *
Tell Me A Lie... And Say That You Won't Go...It isn't about lacking common sense. Its just that those scenes were obviously running for comedy more than any lasting message to the viewer. The Boondocks cartoon just doesn't seem like the kind of thing for a person to throw their politics on. The comic strip post 2001 maybe but Cartoon? Donald Rumsfeld as braided gangster voiced by Samuel Jackson? Yeah, you can decide from that Aaron probably doesn't like the guy, but he's not really telling us anything beyond that.
Modified Ura-nage, Torture RackWell, you could say he was criticizing the war by comparing Rumsfeld and Bush to ignorant, impulsive thugs.
One of the things I kinda notice about the show, though, is that it focuses more on social issues (and the mentality of black people themselves) than the comic, which is a lot more political.
edited 28th Feb '10 6:08:45 PM by KnownUnknown
Okay, anyone who thinks that McGruder is not trying to poke fun at everybody's extreme beliefs just because Huey is an extreme leftist is missing the point. Yes, McGruder himself is liberal, but Huey, his mouthpiece, is wrong pretty much as much as he's right. In the very first episode, he expects that his words will cause a riot among the white folks at the garden party, but that's proven wrong nice and quick. Huey almost never even wins a physical fight except against Riley.
It's patently ridiculous that people keep going to him for help; he even hangs a lampshade on it in A Date With the Health Inspector when he's asked to catch a serial killer: "N****r, I'm ten!"
edited 1st Mar '10 9:30:25 AM by Dracomicron
"The secret we should never let the gamemasters know is that they don't need any rules." - E. Gary GygaxYeah, you're not really supposed to agree with Huey all of the time. It's less obvious because Caesar hasn't showed up yet, so Huey has to fill the Only Sane Man spot for now.
edited 1st Mar '10 3:15:08 PM by KnownUnknown
I kinda wish that Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. would've stayed in Chicago instead of leaving for Canada at the end of Return of the King. Now THERE was an Only Sane Man I could get behind.
"The secret we should never let the gamemasters know is that they don't need any rules." - E. Gary GygaxI think that that itself was the point behind the misaimed fandom comment, although it probably could have been phrased better.
And I do agree that the MLK episode was awesome.
edited 1st Mar '10 2:23:34 PM by Taelor
The Philosopher-King ParadoxI actually just watched Return of the King again last night with my girlfriend, who had not seen it. She's African American, and from Chicago to boot. Originally I thought she might be sensitive to all the racial talk and the portrayal of MLK, but she loves the series as much as I do. Yay!
"The secret we should never let the gamemasters know is that they don't need any rules." - E. Gary GygaxSure, he'd be pissed that a black guy is president, that the Matthew Shepherd Hate Crimes act was passed, and that the percentage of hate crimes reported have gone down over the last fifteen years. Or not, maybe he would like those things.
Yeah, he'd be pissed about the illegal wars, the infringement of civil rights detailed in the Patriot Act, and the increased mysogeny of rap music, but to say that we haven't come a long way since he was shot is denying the fact that the race and culture wars that were so important in the '60s are largely over, except to Baby Boomer politicians.
"The secret we should never let the gamemasters know is that they don't need any rules." - E. Gary Gygaxhe'd definitely be pissed that so many people fought to prevent those first two things from happening
Tell Me A Lie... And Say That You Won't Go...But I am guessing he would also understand that most of the politicians and activists on the other side of the debate were in it for purely political reasons. The majority of people against electing Obama were simply Republicans. The majority of people against the Matt Shepherd Act were politicians from states where they feared backlash (accurately or not), as far as I can tell.
"The secret we should never let the gamemasters know is that they don't need any rules." - E. Gary Gygaxfogive my language, but that's how these people think
also, out of all the people who wish violent death to gays, how many of them do you think are also die-hard Christians?
don't you think the Reverend would be ashamed of that?
edited 4th Mar '10 9:18:53 AM by MacPhisto
Tell Me A Lie... And Say That You Won't Go......I think he'd be proud of somethings (the wildly changing views of youth toward minorities) and less proud of others. (The polarized political situation)
...but I do think that he'd be appalled at how us who are poor are being treated and the lack of care for the disabled, civilian and veteran alike.
I think he'd be angered by the fact that people of many races and colors still lay the blame entirely on others instead of taking some initiative. Yeah, sure, I was born into a struggling family, but that doesn't mean I can't work hard and get into college or do something worthwhile. I didn't join a gang, I didn't become a prostitute and all the other things people associate with being poor or becoming homeless.
How many mentally ill like myself suffer on the streets with little or no help? No medication? It's a horrible situation that few except a few kind souls help with. I've got a home now and I've taken in a few folks so they don't have to sleep on cots infested with bedbugs at my own personal expense.
Dr. MLK would be ashamed at the situation.
Well, I think King knew, as well as any of us, that injustice will always exist, and that the powerful will always prey upon the weak. "The Promised Land" isn't an actual time or place, it is an ideal to strive for. When he said that he may not reach those shores with us, he was setting the example by which we should all follow: we don't work for the betterment of our brothers because we ourselves benefit, we do it for those who come after us.
I have no doubt that, if King were still alive, he would be fighting the good fight still. Maybe from Canada
. As Huey said, it's nice to dream.
BTW: "The stone that the builder refused" is a phrase from the The Bible. The full phrase from the Book of Psalms is "The stone the builders rejected has become the corner stone." Essentially, something that was initially rejected becomes essential to the system later. In the New Testement, they used it to explain how Christ could be put to death by his own people, but later become the foundation for their religion. Sometimes I think that McGruder feels that way, that the voice of the true leaders of the African American community have been rejected by the average citizen, but they still form the basis by which their culture is bettered.
"The secret we should never let the gamemasters know is that they don't need any rules." - E. Gary GygaxDo you think that sort of leader can emerge again? If yes, could Obama be that leader? Or does he just not "count" as an African-American?
'''YOU SEE THIS DOG I'M PETTING? THAT WAS COURAGE WOLF.Cute, isn't he?Raw Power: the impression I get is that Magruder would agree with you at least to a certain extent on Huey and probably most of the way on riley who is not meant as a role model at all. As for Huey I think Magruder would [[tagree with his ideals but not entirely with how he goes about expressing them]].
As for Mlk how do you knowhe'd be in favor of gay rights? Not saying he wouldn't be, he was a man ahead of his time in a number of areas but he was still a black religious man of the Sixties and many blacks today have serious problems with homosexuals. Not to say that whites don't or that all blacks do but homophobia is even more prevalent among blacks and Hispanics. Could be talking through my ass of course but I don't recall anything he ever said on the subject of gay rights. He was a great man but not perfect.
edited 4th Mar '10 11:34:09 AM by tricksterson
Trump delenda est

Huey is still a dogmatic dick with little common sense, and doesn't know how to treat his fellow human beings. I used to share his ideals as a kid, but as I grew up I found out the world was more complicated and interesting than that.
Riley needs some serious talking-to. I mean, can't anyone change this dumbass? The worst part is that Arabs and Blacks have more or less similar problems and stereotypes in France. Not so in Spain: they are stylistically more similar to the Mexican in USA stereotype: lazy and depressed.
'''YOU SEE THIS DOG I'M PETTING? THAT WAS COURAGE WOLF.Cute, isn't he?