This shit made me realise how deep season 1 was. Not dissing on 2 and 3 or anything. They're very entertaining. But 1 seems to have more depth and heart
Season 1 is the best season bar none. The Boondocks was always building up to being a show. Jay Z said something cool. The first thing you create represents your life's work, because everything you've done up until that point has been building up to that project. That's what I see Season 1 of The Boondocks as.
everything starts out good its what some people call "the hook" then it degrades but boondocks was good all around except when they fired the writer/maker
Thank you so much for calling out the audience. The Boondocks has kind of a Colbert effect where the people who are being parodied in the work end up being fans to the show without realizing they’re the butt of the joke.
Stephen Colbert, of Comedy Central's "The Colbert Report", played a satirically conservative lunatic to make all of his jokes. He would use humor to skewer viewpoints on social issues like homophobia by presenting himself as this over-the-top caricature in his commentaries. The trouble with satire is that if the audience doesn't catch the joke, all you've really done is make an extreme version of the thing you're trying to satirize. Colbert accidentally developed a following among actual lunatics who identified with his tirades, without noticing the irony.
I also noticed this kind of divide of viewership with white people. Majority of my classmates were white growing up, so when a new episode of boondocks came out, you could always tell who to trust based on the specifics of what they were laughing at from the episode. So shout out to the white kids/people who don't just like boondocks because its funny."
This is the story of Gangstalicious: the rapper who hid his true self for money and fame; not realizing that his image influences the next generation. Man, that is deep.
The show is a sort of satire on black culture. And In black culture there’s a LOT of homophobia. The show itself isn’t homophobic but what’s its trying to show and make fun of, IS. This is part of the reason why I really like the show. It’s funny and smart. It kinda reflects what I’ve lived around.
quintonnyaega this is the distinction a lot of people don’t get. Like those clowns that are like “you couldn’t make the boondocks now!” Or “you can’t joke about anything anymore!” Like yeah you can, but context matters.
Context doesn’t matter when someone wants to take you down. Hell soyboys gave Chappell a 0% on his last special for clowning minorities and other odd people with plenty of context.
Munchieman14 They aren’t saying anything about black culture is gay, they’re saying that there’s a lot of homophobia, which is the disliking of those who are gay, involved in black culture
Kind of off the topic of the video, but when you mentioned how Riley is influenced by the media, it made me remember an interpretation of his character I formed when I watched the show: Riley clearly isn't as intelligent as Huey, but he's shown to be incredibly talented artistically & athletically. However, his susceptibility to the media shapes his ideas of what is & isn't "proper" conduct & behavior for him, and he's held back from his full potential as a result.
@@Nassit-Gnuoy aww yes. Caesar was my favourite character. I prayed for his animated appearance. In season 1, huey went back home to see his best friend, and I was expecting it to be him..
Pretty unfortunate people are completely ignoring this analysis just so they both say it’s not right to call a character/characters in this show homophobic, and also anything that isn’t insulting gays is somehow SJW. Then there’s also the people who say this show has no social commentary and is exclusively a comedy with no meaning behind it. It really looks like Storyteller was right, that the people who are the butt of the jokes depicted in this show have no idea they’re being lamp-shaded.
Hero of Trains its what happens when you take a natural over time change and try to force feed it down everyones throats and if they dont comply, they are called every biggoted name in the book. Not to mention some people losing job from being called out/ jobs being gained based purely on political agendas. This is a monster of the SJWs creation and its stronger than they will ever be.
Companies firing employees over potentially bad publicity is nothing new and is not exclusive to situations where people are being assholes to minorities. How sheltered are you?
Homophobia and "wrong think" are huge in the black community which is partly why I had to take a step back from a lot of black empowerment movements. You cant tell me your for the advancement of a people on not include ALL people belonging to the group.
gideonBR bruh there’s significant evidence that there were homosexual behaviors in a number of African groups pre-European and Arab influence. To say that someone who’s gay and black is a detriment to the community causes more problems because you create more divides and push for a one sided interpretation of what the black community, which actually ends up being more harmful for the community because it excludes rather than includes which is detrimental to the unity of the community
Ned Ennion I’m not pretending like gays never existed before colonization. It’s just unnatural and contradicts the idea of traditional family building which is a key point in our movement, that’s all. And it’s actually not harmful considering that such a small part of our population is gay
@@tiegideon9816 Ok so where are the origins of the "traditional family" from then? Because given the overwhelming evidence that homosexuality is natural in both humans and other animals, the fact that there is evidence to show that homosexuality has been shown to be a normal practice in many pre-colonial African groups, I would argue that it's the traditional family unit that is the European concept and therefore we should rethink how we use it as a justification for excluding others.
Santiago PoopPee ScatVore You sound like someone who doesn’t have any answers and is upset that my logic and reasoning is so sound you have nothing left except for childish insults. Grow up.
Just Bake The problem is that you maintain that nature stops at reproduction, yes in the animal kingdom either asexual animals or heterosexual pairings produce new life. However that completely ignores the complex social networks of animals where things like non-reproductive sex acts, behaviors and pairings occur both heterosexually and homosexually. To use the example of Bonobos, yes reproduction is undergone by males and females, however Bonobo social structure is very much influenced by non-reproductive sex between group members where bonds and hierarchies are formed and maintained through both hetero and homosexual pairings. You did argue that no other animal engages in long term homosexual partnerships, which is not necessarily true but if we follow that line why does it matter? Shouldn’t the presence of homosexuality in the animal kingdom be enough to prove that it is a natural phenomenon? We could also say that humans over the course of our evolution and development as a species have the capacity to form ongoing homosexual bonds. Homosexuality is a natural phenomenon and to hide bigotry behind poorly understood or deliberately limited biology isn’t doing anyone any favors
And black people’s characters are pretty predictable too. I’m like Huey my older brother was like Riley. Unfortunately he got shot and killed by a cop. For a reason. I don’t know why. That’s why I’m so connected to The Boondocks the shows. Because it emotionally gets to me. How they turned out. What happened in that set equation.
when I first watched boondocks I knew there was definitely an underlying message going on but I was more focused on the comedy cause that's what I was watching it for but when I watched it again more recently I finally understand what some of the episodes mean thanks for making this video cause this idea needs to be more widespread
Yeah, The Boondocks tackles a lot of issues and provides some great commentary on social and political issues. I wish more people addressed some of the great stuff the show does. And yeah, I'm probably gonna make that Riley video at some point.
i remember i used to watch it in middle school and just thought it was funny, but could see at times how it was satirical (like nigga moments) but rewatching it now i see a lot more of the subtle messages in the show
The thing is that Boondocks was largely focused on sharp satire in season 1 like the comics and the later seasons started to focus more on character based comedy, meaning more episodes in season 2 and 3 had wacky scenarios like ''Granddad uses drugs', ''Huey and the rest play kickball'' ect with season 4 being the worst of it like ''Granddad goes through the same shit like Walter White''.
Looking back on it there were somethings it got wrong. Like the Don't Snitch episode didn't really mention police brutality as one reason why people don't snitch. Eoisodes having to deal with black woman.
The thing I hate seeing in most of the ganstaliscious clips on UA-cam are the the people who dont see past the surface level shit and cant realize it's a critique on homophobia in the black community. They just chalk it up to "Bro the boondocks really predicted the future cuz we got rappers and shit now wearing sundresses and rompers" Like...cool
Whenever I watch clips of the boondocks on yt, the majority of the comments are that "look at how this couldn't have been produced these days cause snowflake liberal cringe" or whatever. It's fascinating how the people who type these things don't understand that their views are the ones being laughed at.
Shin Shaman nah the show heavily implies that Riley is usually in the wrong. I guess you just didn’t get it? lol try to consider u might not be as smart as you think you are
Adrian Carter I think a lot of black people see it for the entertainment value only: I was in 3rd grade when I started watching with my brother and it was like that for us. Now that I’m starting to look at these analysis videos I’m seeing the deeper meanings
I recall when I was in high school (senior year, the year the first season started) and I saw a lot of black kids wearing a Huey shirt with Huey fully embracing black culture - which isnt what the character is about. At all. A lot of people dont like looking past their noses for thought in their entertainment.
i aprreciate that you also said don't be like huey either. a lot of fans don't realise that huey is also an extremist and while it does't happen often he can contribute to the problem occasionally.
Huey is a character and a child. He's designed to be extreme and naive, but people look to him as truth. And yeah, a lot of what he says IS true, but it's a thing where people need to understand that Aaron still designed him to be a character representing black nationalism, as opposed to "The Solution to All".
@@TheStorytellerAJ I agree. Nationalism seems like something that's more accept with blacks, latinos, etc. But as soon as a white person have pride or believes in nationalism, people call them a racist. Honestly, no one should focus on race pride representing their full personality. Sure, you could have racial pride, but make sure it ain't the only thing that determines your personality. Be different and be yourself. Race pride should be used for acceptance, but never used for supremacy. No matter what color you are.
I'm iffy on that one. Discussing Nationalism is kinda like discussing God. You have to decide on a definition before you can start debating on its validity. The way I see Black Nationalism is a way to fight back for equality in a world systematically ruled by white supremacy. Naturally, the problem with minority nationalism is defining the line in the sand, when we're going too far. The reason many people define themselves as black nationalists have nothing to do with a desire to watch black people become the new oppressors, using our history as moral currency. It's an active effort to undo the damage done by the world at large, and how eurocentrism has bled its way its businesses, companies and opportunities, by virtue of being systematically ingrained our minds via former government law and history. The way I've always inferred Huey's character is someone who defines themselves as a radical black nationalist, who feels often conflicted by the hypocrisy and actions of his people. For example: BET is one of the biggest black companies out there, and pretty much all it does is project the worst of what black people are, into the minds of its audience. Nationalism is a complicated prospect to talk about, certainly because there's always going to be the crazy people who take things too far and become the racist oppressors. But, by my own definition, I have no issue with black nationalism, assuming it's done as a means of solely attempting to undo the damage done by historical, institutional and systematic racism, as opposed to actively being racist towards white people. That's the line I draw.
TheStoryteller Well traditionally black nationalism is like white nationalism in that it advocate the separation of the races. I have no issue with separatists. In fact I have often argued that a couple states should be set aside for white and black nationalists so that they can leave the rest of society alone. This is where I draw the line. My problem is when white people actively seek to harm black people or other minorities. I have little issue with a white person who says he doesn’t want to be around black people or doesn’t like them but has no desire for violence. It’s not a crime to not like people and not want to be around them. This is the same reason I don’t have too much of a problem with black nationalist who also wants to be away from white people.
Oh man, I had completely blocked Season 4 out of my mind... Anyway, the first 3 seasons of the Boondocks are some of the most influential works of fiction I experienced growing as awkward nerd in High School grappling with the concept of "being black". I think a lot of fans (and critics too, now that I think of it) overlook the show's finer criticisms and see of bunch of funny black people acting belligerent, but this video did a fantastic job touching on how well thought out and nuanced the show actually is.
Sometimes, it's best to block everything about Season 4 out of your mind. Yeah, the deeper things that Boondocks tackles are often overlooked. There's a lot of things that this show does that get overlooked, and it's pretty sad when you think about it. I feel your struggle man, don't worry. I'll be sure to try my damn hardest to address every nook and cranny that this show tackles in its striking satire.
That's what I really liked about The Boondocks tho, it was a great critique about our culture. Though sadly it went over a lot of people's heads. It was great for the way that it presented it, not in a preachy way, but just letting it all out. The show was very different from the comic strips (that I fell in love with at first), and honestly I like both. But yes, thanks so much for this video, I really enjoyed it. Keep up the good work!!
I straight cried when I was young watching the gay eps when they didn't open the door for him. I didn't understand completely, but I knew they were being mean.
When I was younger, I understood and agreed with what they did. But now, I see the overall message. It is quite the truth, and it truly represents the issues in today’s society. I was raised homophobic, and now I must relearn what I last thought. My underline disgust for the same sex relationship slowly goes down.
@Alex Meggoe ok. i have to disagree w the comment above me from mephi, even though it's not as much of a problem it's still homophobic to be squirming watching 2 men kiss. and do yourself a favor and be sure not to compare gay people to furries if you're around a gay person, that's kind of offensive
@Alex Meggoe im just saying man. also think about that sentence "I just **don't like** seeing **2 men** kiss". if u know the root of the word homo, logically it is homophobic. if that bothers u to know about yourself, maybe work on not caring as much bc we're all just people, otherwise maybe dont stress about it as a lot of people are the same way.
This whole video is about the problems in the black community against the lgbt Community but then when you go to the comments are a bunch of homophobe’s like did you not watch the video or....
People don't like thinking they're the bad person. It's ignorant but it's not anyone's fault. These ideas have been subconsciously implanted within them and it takes time or forever to change your ideology. As an example, my grandmother is from Mao's era. At an early age she was brainwashed into thinking communist party number 1 or some shit. So I think the best thing to do is be positive, try to convince the subconsciously homophobic people otherwise. If you cant, oh well, don't make them think you're an asshole and therefore find all gay positive people as assholes.
You just can't get through to some people. Some bigots will stay bigots, it's a sad fact of life. You just have to be better than them, open your mind and heart more.
@@funfofa that has to be the biggest dose of irony, I bet if someone was gay and racist you'd be screaming to the rooftops about how racism is comparable to homophobia
How much of you are black men and having been saying "no homo" or "ayo pause" after saying something that can even be remotely considered gay since you were 12 or younger even? Exactly. Homophobia is so ingrained in our culture that it's basically apart of it.
Bruh that’s the saddest part. Kids don’t have sexual attraction, that starts around 11-13. But kids have it ingrained to “not be gay” when they don’t even know what that is, so you got kids telling kids how to act based on...? It’s mad dumb
GV Billy I mean the writer uses Riley saying that dumb shit to show off how kids just repeat what they hear, so that sense, yeah. Otherwise naw it’s just homophobia.
Cut off a lot my family emotionally because they’re homophobic. Big believers in god, the irony of wanting acceptance, yet happy be one of the excluders for no other reason than a religion that was mostly ironically taught during enslavement and repression.
@@DaddyAZTL First person who told the truth up here so far. Understanding that the so called blacks here in baby Babylon are Judah sets you apart so much in this conversation. Literally the conversation topic is already based off of false teachings so without bringing up the fact that we are the real Jews from scripture, it's kinda hard to even hold this type of conversation without setting the field. Christ is black. Not Ethiopian, middle eastern or nun like that. The law still is in place. The blacks in America came from the Trans Atlantic slave trade, come from the West coast of Africa. Our big brother Esau was upset for trading his birthright for raw meat in the forest. Due to us not following the law Esau and other gentiles were used against us as a curse since all of us did not follow the law. We are the King tribe Judah. The same tribe our Lord and Savior hails from. Your spot on man.
@@dokorobia8713 actually no the Bible has justified racism and back then bi racial marriage was a sin.Slaves back then having their codes in their songs and people risking there life was to save others was the reason and maybe faith of God protecting them had some part but they pulled themselves out.
This makes me think of the Tyler the Creator situation that happened. People made a huge deal about Tyler maybe being gay and changed the whole way people saw him.Even if he was accepted the fact people made a huge deal about it is just wrong. Making a big about accepting someone isn’t accepting it is making a spectacle out of someone sexual preference.
I'm an African American. Living in America. The black culture that i exist in may vastly be different from the black culture that you exist in. To be honest I was bias going in because based on your accent it doesn't sound like you're American and I immediately presumed that you do not know enough about American black culture to be a critic of. But I also remembered that you yourself are also Black. I would appreciate it if you could make a video detailing the culture of British blacks and how it compares to the black culture of American Blacks. I tried showing the video to my friends but they immediately wrote you off because they believed you didn't know anything about the black culture in America. I finished the video till the end and was happy that I did. But I too had that stigma when first going in. It would be interesting and informative to see how Vastly similar or vastly different the black culture of our brethren across the pond may be to us Americans. You might not even see this or bother to read it, but the at least I can do is try. (Video was great btw)
Haha, thank you for the kind words. I've dealt with quite abit of that, and my immediate response to that criticism is always "It doesn't make a difference because we're exposed the exact same media." We're in a digital age right now, but even prior to that, black people in other countries are aware of what goes down. I never quite understood this mindset of "Yeah, this shit only happen here." Nah, man. You're not the only one watching the media. And in this digital age, it's so much easier to see what's going down and vibe with it. Reusing a response I made to somehow else here: "Black undergo a lot of universal problems. Blackness is defined by the colour of one's skin and place of origin. You're right in the sense that my experiences are entirely not representative of Black brothers from different parts of the globe. However, it's also true that that we all consume practically the same media, and by extension are influenced by such. Hip hop has always been inherently against the idea of homosexuality, as does traditional religion. Both of these are damn near always present in the upbringing of a black child, and in doing so, it does create a natural stigma against homosexuality. I ain't no saint. I still have it. But I acknowledge that it's there and the reasons for why it is. When you listen to the music, watch the media and engage with different old and young black people across the globe, you will find this recurring trend. I understand that I don't identify as African American, but that doesn't take away from the fact that the episode spoke on an issue that applied to black people in a general sense. This isn't exclusively an American American concept. These are general issues in relation to our black culture being explored in the show. A by product of traditional religious views, and hip hop media at large. These are widespread issues, and as a black person who deals with and engages with these things daily, it's important to remember that." We're not that different. We're all black. We're all discriminated against. We're all systematically oppressed. We all undergo institutional racism. We're all struggled, and continue to do so because of the eurocentrism of the world's history. My point is, we're not that different. I saw this episode and went "Wow, I know a lot of niggas like this." And, The Boondocks is a show known for wanting to tackle issues in relation to African American Culture, but the very fact that I can relate to many of the experiences showcased within the show, illustrate that these concepts and struggles are not exclusive to America. Not that it means much, but I actually did used to live in Atlanta, Georgia. My whole beef with this whole "You don't get our culture" sthick is that it undermines how similar we are as people, and serves to create more division in a community full of minorities, which needs unity in order to thrive and succeed in this world. Let's even quote the creator, Aaron McGruder: "I'm not one to get into the 'I'm blacker than you' debate. I don't think it gets us anywhere." My point is, we're not that different. Y'all got gun crime, we got stacks upon stacks of knife crime. We all use ebonics. We're all exposed to the same media, so we all vibe with very similar ideas. And to me, I think scoffing off someone who's Black British based on their accent for "not getting our culture" completely undermines the influence and reach of Hip Hop, the media at large, and by extension, the universal issues that black people face as a result of our history.
Psychedelic Zuki Why are you so fake concerned over "Black" Identity? The "Black" Brit DOESNT know SHIT about so-called "African American" Culture irregardless of how much Propaganda HES SEEN. Ryan D is CORRECT you arent going to disrespect "African Americans" (really the Indigenous) for some "Black" Label applied by White Supremacy. You fuck off.
I still disagree about the so called "black culture". I prefer to call it Ghetto culture. I'm black and have no participation in the so-called black culture people speak about And I know many others as well don't either. I don't believe that culture is tied to our skin color, rather your mindset. Its ghetto culture that needs to die, not "black" culture.
Ironically a lot of ppl who liked the show didn't understand the satire behind it. Especially in this episode, it was calling out all the homophobic ignorance within the world in general & the black community in particular. The show routinely mocked church, because Christianity is another thing which was forced upon us via colonization & we are willfully ignorant of it.
@@bighendrix5696 Indeed. The book is flawed, because it was created by man. That's why there's so many different denominations of Christianity & other religions in the world. A prime example of the duality of the bible is "an eye for an eye", but then you're supposed to also "turn the other cheek". And if god's all knowing & all powerful then why would he have to create a flood to kill all the "wicked ppl", when he already known what they'd do even before creating them. So there's no "free will/choice" when everything already predetermined. These are the types of questions/statements that get you in trouble in church, because no one can come up with a logical explanation.
@@blackwang4052 Which prophecies are these? You witnessed the things that happened, such as "the Great Flood"? Or are they just things which astrologeries predicted? The bible was created by man. Open your bible & look at who published and/or distributed it. I bet you it won't say "by God". If you dont' want to stop drinking the kool aid, then that's on you. There is a higher power, however, it's not this biblical "God" in which you speak.
@@Blackblax and the bible also says that before the end of the world everything would be bought by having the devil's mark on the right hand or on the forehead have ever heard of the RFID ship ? If not go do some research before talking nonsense
Aaron McGruder will NEVER fully get the props that he deserves for the greater messages in the Boondocks. It really is a peek into the problems in the African American community.
@@michaelangelo3647 and that's great. But nothing is wrong with giving a content creator constructive criticism. There were times he tripped up on a couple words and it seemed a bit distracting to me tbh... but i stilll enjoy the content. I subbed and everything. just saying.
@@Jordan64852 probably kill him and trust that his actions would carry over for the best into his sons next life...nah he’d probably heal him w his hands if decided he didn’t want to be gay no more
@@Jordan64852 jesus loves you no matter what, besides, homosexuality only first appeared in the bible in 1941. the word that was used before was a word that basically meant pedophilia.
The point you made about how Robert actually accepted Riley in that moment lowkey brought a tear to my eye cause I deadass never thought about that other than thinking it was a joke but instead it was actually a pretty deep moment
"evil starts with treating people as things" (like black, white, gay, conservative, etc...) so treat people as a person first, and everything else second. Because the most important thing, should always be our shared humanity.
Thank you for taking the time to make this video. One of my friends went to a Black Student Union meeting and was really hurt when the very students who had invited her started bashing people in the LGBT+ community. She called me upset about the whole thing. She's black and gay, how the hell is that a problem?? Intersectionality exists and black LGBT+ people (especially black trans women) have it worse than white LGBT+ people but both groups are being oppressed and having their lives threatened.
I've been going back and forth for a while now on whether or not I should give this show a go, and I think you've finally convinced me to do so. Most people I hear talk about seem to focus on the comedy aspects when they explain what was good about It, which is by no means a bad thing, but the way it was described to me didn't exactly make it stand out among the many other Shows, books, video games, etc that I could be spending my time on. With the way you've discussed it in the video however, it seems like I've been missing out on something special.
Another excellent video as always. With the exception of season 4, the Boondocks offer some spectacular social commentary that seems to have flown under the radar for many. Since you have broached this topic of homophobia in the black community, perhaps you can then proceed on to a issue that is very closely related and in fact, feeds in to the aforementioned point: what it means to be a black male/the concept of black masculinity.
This comment section... Welp. That comment mentioning people not being aware they are the ones being critiqued by the show rings true. Lots of truly disgusting people here. Truly one of the most homophobic comment sections I've seen.
Twvg 21 well aren't you just a ray of sunshine. don't quite get op but that's never a nice thing to say. want someone dead, hire an assassin or shut up. simple.
Unconditional love should only be present in the relationship between a young child and their parents. All adult love should be conditional. If someone is pushing on you an idea of unconditional love they ether want to exploit you or being exploited themselves.
Kyle Dunnell If our family members are homosexual, we should try to heal the wounds they have and help them in any way possible first before just accepting their life choice. Most homosexuals have been molested or raped at one time or another and have been mentally fractured because of it. We can help them recover. If our efforts fail then we must accept and love them as family but not before helping them understand heterosexuality is God’s way.
I really liked this, it's very open-minded and shows the truth behind what the show is really about and analyzes the finer details about the characters. Keep it up man
Two biggest moments in this discussion of homosexuality in hip hop This episode And Eminem fake coming out as gay in "the interview", to defend his lyrics criticized as being homophobic.
Eminem brought up elton john on stage to sing stan in 2002. And made elton john his sponsor, if you didn't get that his "shady" persona is a hateful character then I donno what to tell you.
@@razizarook5366 No I mean it's possible to say "I'm not homophobic" without actually dealing with your internalized homophobia. I dont trust eminem while he's still saying homophobic things, even as a character. Creating a character does not give you license to say whatever you want without it reflecting on your real self.
Great video! I've always loved The Boondocks (despite being white, but I enjoy experiencing and understanding another culture's POV and comedy), and I'm glad you finally decided to do a video on the show! I've always believed there was a message to be said within the show, I just needed help explaining what these messages were. Thank you for that explanation! Also, please do a character analysis on Riley! He's one of my favorites, next to Uncle Ruckus, and making an analysis on his character would give him justice greatly. :)
Don't worry about it. The Boondocks provides commentary of various aspects of general culture, so I'm of the opinion that it can be enjoyed and appriciated by anyone. And yeah, Riley needs some love. I have something else planned for Uncle Ruckus next though.
I remember struggling with my sexuality as a young black man. I remember fighting hard against the urges I had for male peers. I didn't have many friends, I was a bit(Very*) socially awkward. So these urges that I had were made worse by that social awkwardness. I overcame it. I am well adjusted for the most part, and while I am not gay, I would be fine if I ended up falling in love with a man. If that's what future me wants, that's what future me gets. Who am I to deny that guy, he's too cool to argue with. But for now, I haven't had those urges. Well, especially not now, the only friend I have from school left, I can't even hang out with. I wanna go bowling so damn much. *Here is the ramble section* I got a fishing license this morning, so I'm gonna try taking that up as a hobby until the arcade opens up again. Bowling and pool are my favorite sports, and this has been a tough time for me. If anybody knows where I can get a pool table cheap, that'd be nice. I think they're around 3500 bones.
As a pansexual and trans person, you spoke to the issues of having a nonstandard sexual identity and the problems faced there very well, particularly the idea of conditional vs unconditional love. As a white person who tries to understand and respect the issues faced by the black community, this was a good incite into how the problems with homophobia and such in the black community have come about and been perpetuated, and the harm it does to black youth. My interest in this started with The Boondocks, but I have seen the police brutality in my city even if just in news, heard seen the racist biases of family and friends, and have taken in interest in the history and read the writings of Cornell West, watched talked by Michelle Alexander and Angela Davis, and read and watched some of the work of Malcolm X and Martin Luther King Jr. I still have a hell of a lot to learn, and I need to get out of my house more, but it can be challenging to put myself in IRL social spaces where I might learn more and figuring out how I can help without any financial means or anything atm. I'm glad there is a dialogue going on here about issues like this if nothing else. Good shit dude
Thank you, your words mean a lot. Cornell West and Angela Davis are certainly good places to be in terms of learning more on such a subject. In terms of the perpetuation of homophobia in the black community, I've always viewed it as a thing that derived by religious backgrounds of many black people and how the media surrounding Hip Hop grew into portraying this damaging idea of masculinity. Even if we're to ignore the uprising of gangsta rap, we can look at legends like Marvin Gaye, and how he felt the need to run away from the idea of being associated with homosexuality, going as far to change his name. This isn't a new concept. It's a thing that has existed for decades, and it manifests itself in the minds of many black youth till this day. People get mad when I liken the black struggle to the LGBT struggle, and while I believe they're right in that they are two completely different things, it cannot denied that their similarities in how historical discrimination has manifested itself into how we view things in modern day. Don't be deceived, though. It's not all of us. It's a select few who are still caught in the webs of their close-minded upbringing and clinging to a fabricated sense of masculinity. The key to breaking down those pre-conceived ideas is to bravely project more images of those kinds of individuals out onto the screens of people. Aaron McGruder said this but: "If you can control perception, then you can control reality." Gangstalicious hides back into his shell when confronted about his sexuality, because he felt like everyone would turn their back on him if they found out. And I mean, he wasn't wrong. But through embracing it, you can either encourage black youth to not subscribe to such dated and immature ways of viewing masculinity, while also having more minds like Huey, who still support and listen to these homosexual artists, but don't feel defined the sexual preference of the artist he listens to.
I promise you most of us are just normal people hell you wouldn’t even know I was gay because it’s not central to me but even if you meet gay men that are effeminate etc etc. they’re not hurting you and at the end of the day we’re all trying to be happy, imagine if the world was against you playing video games or being straight it’s such an inconsequential part of you that doesn’t effect others in any way but you’re abused and stigmatized for it it’s annoying for the most part and hurtful coming from your family my own parents don’t even treat me like they used too even though I haven’t changed. My mom actually slapped me multiple times when they went through my stuff, threatened to send me to a conversion camp. My own father talked shit behind my back and outed me too my whole family. Basically what I’m trying to say is for stuff like this where it’s not hurting anyone but people get killed, beaten and unfairly treated over it is dumb you can be annoyed at gay people but not because they’re gay it’s just because they’re annoying being gay doesn’t make you one singular thing like a lot of homophobes think it does idk I’m rambling just don’t be an ass to people if it doesn’t concern you, you don’t even have to support it just don’t go out of your way to be a dick
Riley being the "star" of the show and the immense positive response he has in general is both hilariously ironic and depressing. I LOVE this show for that fact and layering satire alone. Huey was always my favorite character, but as the show went on his lesser amount of screen time and the way he gets dismissed in later episodes almost perfectly mirror the way show began to immitate life and life imitated the show. We won't get another show like this for a long while, and I'm glad I watched it. Thanks for posting this. I really enjoyed the video.
The Gangstalicious episodes broke my heart. The audience is learning with Riley. "You gay" is a punchline for many episodes but this story is built around Riley's confusion. Riley is reflecting on his ideas and the goal is to make the audience reflect too.
This video was recommended at random and I was so happy to see that there was an entire series of Boondocks video essays connected to it. It felt as if the dust this show raised settled far too quickly after it ended, when so many aspects of it are still relevant and deserve discussion. Big genuine thank-you for taking on this project. brb, subscribing for the rest.
The Boondocks might have been controversial, but it was talking to black people about issues they're asleep on. Whether it's realizing that soul food takes a toll on health and MLK scolding black people for being ignorant after all he did for the black community, or how black people need to realize how to deal with homophobia and the n-word, the Boondocks was the definition of being ahead of its time.
Very valid points and perspective. My only issue is that Gangstalicious sold this false male macho gangsta identity and that's what drew people in, because, they thought he was genuine. Once he's outed a liar who was gay all along it becomes harder to digest the completely broken persona they intially accepted. Had he done it in parts then it wouldn't have been as shocking or dismaying I think. Outside of that it was a great parody.
even simply a guy being feminine can be ridiculed, its fucked as i want to express my feminine side but knowing my family they'll not support me. im hispanic also like black culture Hispanic culture is rooted with religion and old conservative values.
Same I’m Hispanic as well and my parents are Christians and there extremely homophobic/transphobic.Even worse my dad is like a r.kelly supporter like he supports pedophilla and he’s extremely homophobic and transphobic asf
I have a very dear person in my life that comes from the civil rights era and we talk near daily. He comes to me because of regret for shunning family that was ultimately lost during the AIDS crisis 30 years ago. I go to him to continue unpacking the system of beliefs that I supported in my youth through the culture I was raised in and the self loathing I felt. It isn't unlike the culture he was brought up in or the self loathing he felt. Correction: The need to heal brought us together as friends and in solidarity, the foundations that were created as a result maintain that friendship.
When the Boondocks first came out I was too young to understand anything beyond the comedy. I just re-watched a random episode and I clearly see how well written it was.
4 роки тому+2
i watched the show at launch when was 14 and could tell it was satire basically dissing on the double standards of black culture showing how fake gangsta culture is and the r kelly episode showing that even when one of us does a horrible crime we wont hold them accountable which is morally wrong
Kevin Abstract from BROCKHAMPTON does a great job talking about this stuff too! JUNKY has amazing lyrics and talks a lot about the stuff in these songs, it’s great! Amazing video also, very interesting! I’ve never watched The Boondocks but it’s on my todo list
Ngl homies over hoes was hilarious and I loved it. It does suck that some people still make an issue out of being gay. Like as if being attracted to someone can make you less of a man/exclude you from a certain subculture
Unconditional love is EXACTLY what the world needs. Ive said before you can disagree with someone and still love them. You can even completely dislike someone and still love them. Love is just the desire to positively support someone. How someone could be against positive self improvement for all beats me
@@BernardBrunu1 of course. Love doesnt mean you dont have an issue with somebody. Love is wanting someone to have positive growth. Just because you wronged me doesnt make me not want you to become a better person. I want everybody to be the best version of themeselves. Thats love.
My stance is simple, I don't agree with the gay lifestyle. So then I obviously would not support it. Disagreeing with something is not homophobic plus I don't really care what someone's preferences are...that's their businesd
Until this video , the stereotype of blacks being homophobes was never explained to me ,nor the origin of it. I would say things like eliminating homophobia or limiting is hard and is probably gonna take centuries ,since deeply ingrained ideas in a culture die hard and slow.
I'm late to watching this, but I just want to point out how brave you are for tackling this issue and putting your opinion out there! Well done, Storyteller!
Wow, that was such a tragic story for Gangstaliscious. It makes me wonder if that's how it would have ended for Rob Halford from Judas Priest if he'd pursued rap instead of heavy metal. I head all of this secondhand, but apparently Rob Halford helped popularize the studs and leather fashion among metalheads. Of course, when he came out as gay, this added a whole new context for his studs and leather-wearing fanbase to process. The beautiful part is how in the end, they just went, "Well who cares? Studs and leather look awesome."
@@thedarkone7887 it's not the guys fault he talks fast it's just his personality and that's not something people should say he should change. Like the burger king foot lettuce guy, all of his videos have comments telling him his voice sucks and that he should change it but it's just in his nature. The creators should never have to change parts of themselves for people that dont even know them closely. Theres no need for constructive criticism when the only thing to critique is a person's voice.
@@detectivedjwizard2129 Except he himself responded to another comment and he took the criticism quite well. So it baffles me why you're trying so hard to defend something that doesn't need a defense. Someone being told they talk a bit too fast by their viewers on a youtube video that's meant to be understood and enjoyed by those *same viewers* is fair game. To truly call it "his personality" in the sense you imply, it would have to be something like his opinion on something, his views or values, sense of humor etc. Those things i can understand falling under the comment of: "The creators should never have to change parts of themselves for people that dont even know them closely." But this is directly related to how he delivers his videos, and doesn't compromise important things like "veiws, sense of humor" etc. You make videos for the viewers, nothing is wrong with adjusting how you deliver the content *they* are gonna have to consume as long as its within reason. slightly slowing your delivery is very much within reason.
@@thedarkone7887 I didnt say he couldn't take the criticism I just think it's annoying seeing people always trying to tell creators what they need to do. His jarbled words weren't even that bad. Him talking fast paced shouldn't be a big deal. It's just how he rolls and viewers should accept it. So many people act like just because they find a fixable flaw in a youtuber that it needs to be fixed. I was raised on the phrase "you take what you get and dont throw a fit" so that's the only reason why I commented. I also saw he didnt mind it so I'm not really trying to defend anything, I'm just saying it in general because I see people do the same thing to other creators as if they dont know what the voice they use every day sounds like.
Unconditional love is nonsense.. it’s regular to set boundaries and refuse to accept things.. you also described unconditional love with conditions. “I love you because you’re my family” is a condition.
God season 1 was so brilliant. I love that imagery at 10:20 - gangstalicious's face is lit up by the moonlight, but Riley is in the dark. It's exactly as you say in regards to who is really the joke. Subscribing for sure
Excellent video bro. I love these critical analysis of satirical shows. They’re a lot smarter than we give them credit for. Word of advice, you stumble over some of your words and I end up not understanding what you mean. You could try speaking a little slower, or do a second take. Thanks again for the vid.
Just some constructive criticism from a non native English speaker. Sometimes it's really hard for me to understand some words of your commentary cause they are mumbled. I really like your essay tho so I would love it if you could try to pay a little more attention to your pronounciation. Or maybe let your audience put subtitles. I would appreciate that a lot. Love from Germany and keep up the good work 😊💪
This video may be two years old but it's still very insightful with a message I hope our culture one day learns- to just live, let live-- regardless of race/sexuality/gender/beliefs-- and listen to some good music. Well done.
Some people don't get that Homophobia = Racism in a way. You're treating someone poorly just because they are different. And it also doesn't mean that homophobic people are bad people, it just means that they were lead to believe that lgbtq+ is bad because of their environment. Again, same thing with racism.
Being misled only goes so far. Once you put it into action, it's a bad thing you've done, and when those bad things come to define you as a person, you become a bad person. For example, Phil is transphobic because he grew up in a transphobic household. He doesn't act on his beliefs because he doesn't hold onto them very firmly, and wants to treat others with respect. He is misled. His younger sister, Emily, is also transphobic, much more so than her brother. She bullies one of her trans classmates, but she is 15, and does not understand. She is misled and doing a bad thing. Their older brother, Robert, is again transphobic. He, at 24 years old, is also an open and proud fascist. Along with some friends in his political organization, he supes out an old van into an armory, and uses it to carry out a mass shooting at a pride parade that kills 121 people, many of them, children. While on trial, he frequently makes reference to the Nazis, makes it clear that he does not regret it, and encourages others to do the same to save America, as well as calls for genocide outright. Robert knows what he did. Even if he goes on to completely change his ways, he will always be remembered as a murderer. Phil can become best friends with a trans person. Emily can apologize to her classmate and educate herself. Robert cannot bring the people he killed back, and has declared a war of genocide on queer people. He is a bad person. It's why we don't say that people like Hitler and Mussolini were misled, because they knew that they were going to be hated. They knew they were going to kill people, and didn't care.
I think everybody, regardless of race or identity, needs to watch the first 3 seasons of this show. I've rarely seen sociopolitical commentary this mature and nuanced; yes it's a comedy on the surface, but the jokes are simply a method of presenting the deeper meanings that MacGruder conveys. I have high expectations for the reboot, considering how batshit crazy the past few years have been and the fact that MacGruder is back.
as a bisexual in a homophobic family I’m so glad someone talked abt this, I get that this show was from the 2000s so the things said in it wouldn’t slide today but still there was so much unnecessary homophobia
Im honestly glad people like you are addressing such issues. I myself am an outside observer as i will admit im a white man but ive been tired of no one talking about the problems in these communnitys. All communnitys have issues like this and i think it needs to be discussed and rooted out. I probably worded this horribly but im sure you understand lol.
I was shocked to hear my friend still deals with homophobia today and is nervous with using a changing room. He always seems so confident and our surroundings very accepting but its still in issue.
i find often with the performative nature of homophobia i've been left thinking maybe its not homophobia, its just bloodlust with a plausible explanation
exactly. i was a huge tyler the creator fan when i was 12. when i found out hes gay, i didnt want to listen to him anymore, even tho i loved his music. after i time i realized that being gay isnt bad, and started listening to him again. i didnt want to listen to him because i thought it would make me gay too
In theology unconditional love is the idea, but practice was different because cultural values. They can be two separate things. Also I think a large part of the issue is that all cultures usually demand loyalty to a specific set of values and appearance. Despite what they say otherwise, there isnt room for real diversity in them.
This shit made me realise how deep season 1 was. Not dissing on 2 and 3 or anything. They're very entertaining. But 1 seems to have more depth and heart
Season 1 is the best season bar none. The Boondocks was always building up to being a show. Jay Z said something cool. The first thing you create represents your life's work, because everything you've done up until that point has been building up to that project. That's what I see Season 1 of The Boondocks as.
I guess you're not too bright, since I realized this years before seeing this video.
@@frogglen6350 Jesus,, why do people start shit from absolutely nothing??
everything starts out good its what some people call "the hook" then it degrades but boondocks was good all around except when they fired the writer/maker
I tell people the same thing. That's when the show was at it's most sincerest
Thank you so much for calling out the audience. The Boondocks has kind of a Colbert effect where the people who are being parodied in the work end up being fans to the show without realizing they’re the butt of the joke.
The butts of the joke always end up appropriating the fucking thing. It's how we ended up with shit like "stan" culture.
Why is that called the Colbert effect?
Stephen Colbert, of Comedy Central's "The Colbert Report", played a satirically conservative lunatic to make all of his jokes. He would use humor to skewer viewpoints on social issues like homophobia by presenting himself as this over-the-top caricature in his commentaries.
The trouble with satire is that if the audience doesn't catch the joke, all you've really done is make an extreme version of the thing you're trying to satirize. Colbert accidentally developed a following among actual lunatics who identified with his tirades, without noticing the irony.
Reminds me of south park
I also noticed this kind of divide of viewership with white people. Majority of my classmates were white growing up, so when a new episode of boondocks came out, you could always tell who to trust based on the specifics of what they were laughing at from the episode. So shout out to the white kids/people who don't just like boondocks because
its funny."
This is the story of Gangstalicious: the rapper who hid his true self for money and fame; not realizing that his image influences the next generation.
Man, that is deep.
Indeed. I haven't even seen this episode yet and I already feel his grief and regret.
The show is a sort of satire on black culture. And In black culture there’s a LOT of homophobia. The show itself isn’t homophobic but what’s its trying to show and make fun of, IS.
This is part of the reason why I really like the show. It’s funny and smart. It kinda reflects what I’ve lived around.
quintonnyaega this is the distinction a lot of people don’t get. Like those clowns that are like “you couldn’t make the boondocks now!” Or “you can’t joke about anything anymore!” Like yeah you can, but context matters.
Context doesn’t matter when someone wants to take you down. Hell soyboys gave Chappell a 0% on his last special for clowning minorities and other odd people with plenty of context.
What about black culture is gay? Just asking a question
Munchieman14 They aren’t saying anything about black culture is gay, they’re saying that there’s a lot of homophobia, which is the disliking of those who are gay, involved in black culture
Exactly! Huey is the most open minded about it.
... I feel like binge watching the boondocks now
It’s on hulu
Deity Saturn same
Died too young
Same
Same
Kind of off the topic of the video, but when you mentioned how Riley is influenced by the media, it made me remember an interpretation of his character I formed when I watched the show:
Riley clearly isn't as intelligent as Huey, but he's shown to be incredibly talented artistically & athletically. However, his susceptibility to the media shapes his ideas of what is & isn't "proper" conduct & behavior for him, and he's held back from his full potential as a result.
Right? I will never forget how touched I was watching the episode with Riley and the Bob Ross like art teacher.
“Don’t even be Huey. Be better”
Well said.
LioConvoy's Reviews
Be better than huey? Not easy to do.
@@CK-wv5hg despite his intelligence and mad martial arts, huey has a very pessimistic and cynical outlook on life..
RikXtreme4
That much is true but it doesn't negate him as a character. That's pretty much just his personality.
RikXtreme4 His friend Caesar was a foil to his character in the comics McGruder originally had. Idk why he was never on the show though.
@@Nassit-Gnuoy aww yes. Caesar was my favourite character. I prayed for his animated appearance. In season 1, huey went back home to see his best friend, and I was expecting it to be him..
Pretty unfortunate people are completely ignoring this analysis just so they both say it’s not right to call a character/characters in this show homophobic, and also anything that isn’t insulting gays is somehow SJW.
Then there’s also the people who say this show has no social commentary and is exclusively a comedy with no meaning behind it. It really looks like Storyteller was right, that the people who are the butt of the jokes depicted in this show have no idea they’re being lamp-shaded.
Ignorance is wild.
Hero of Trains its what happens when you take a natural over time change and try to force feed it down everyones throats and if they dont comply, they are called every biggoted name in the book. Not to mention some people losing job from being called out/ jobs being gained based purely on political agendas. This is a monster of the SJWs creation and its stronger than they will ever be.
Companies firing employees over potentially bad publicity is nothing new and is not exclusive to situations where people are being assholes to minorities. How sheltered are you?
Linkophere lmfaoo people who get fired for being bigots are such victims
Ignorance combined with denial gives you one helluva bender.
Homophobia and "wrong think" are huge in the black community which is partly why I had to take a step back from a lot of black empowerment movements. You cant tell me your for the advancement of a people on not include ALL people belonging to the group.
gideonBR bruh there’s significant evidence that there were homosexual behaviors in a number of African groups pre-European and Arab influence. To say that someone who’s gay and black is a detriment to the community causes more problems because you create more divides and push for a one sided interpretation of what the black community, which actually ends up being more harmful for the community because it excludes rather than includes which is detrimental to the unity of the community
Ned Ennion I’m not pretending like gays never existed before colonization. It’s just unnatural and contradicts the idea of traditional family building which is a key point in our movement, that’s all. And it’s actually not harmful considering that such a small part of our population is gay
@@tiegideon9816 Ok so where are the origins of the "traditional family" from then? Because given the overwhelming evidence that homosexuality is natural in both humans and other animals, the fact that there is evidence to show that homosexuality has been shown to be a normal practice in many pre-colonial African groups, I would argue that it's the traditional family unit that is the European concept and therefore we should rethink how we use it as a justification for excluding others.
Santiago PoopPee ScatVore
You sound like someone who doesn’t have any answers and is upset that my logic and reasoning is so sound you have nothing left except for childish insults. Grow up.
Just Bake The problem is that you maintain that nature stops at reproduction, yes in the animal kingdom either asexual animals or heterosexual pairings produce new life. However that completely ignores the complex social networks of animals where things like non-reproductive sex acts, behaviors and pairings occur both heterosexually and homosexually. To use the example of Bonobos, yes reproduction is undergone by males and females, however Bonobo social structure is very much influenced by non-reproductive sex between group members where bonds and hierarchies are formed and maintained through both hetero and homosexual pairings. You did argue that no other animal engages in long term homosexual partnerships, which is not necessarily true but if we follow that line why does it matter? Shouldn’t the presence of homosexuality in the animal kingdom be enough to prove that it is a natural phenomenon? We could also say that humans over the course of our evolution and development as a species have the capacity to form ongoing homosexual bonds. Homosexuality is a natural phenomenon and to hide bigotry behind poorly understood or deliberately limited biology isn’t doing anyone any favors
And black people’s characters are pretty predictable too. I’m like Huey my older brother was like Riley. Unfortunately he got shot and killed by a cop. For a reason. I don’t know why. That’s why I’m so connected to The Boondocks the shows. Because it emotionally gets to me. How they turned out. What happened in that set equation.
Nicholas Loud Sorry for your loss! Hope for a bright future for you and those you love.
rip
rip 🤍🤍
sorry for your loss
Rip
"You can't be a rapper and be gay-"
Lil Naz X: Allow me to introduce myself.
Tim Drake and mans still got hate
Kevin Abstract?
@Mr.knowitall Rants Man, having this comment must be a laugh with how big Nas is nowdays.
Mr.knowitall Rants Panini and Rodeo were both on Top 100 globally. Don’t know where you live.
Mr.knowitall Rants You’ve never heard of the International Top 100?
Yeah homophobia is a big problem in our culture. When I was a kid some of the adults around me basically alienated my other relatives that were gay.
homophobia doesn't exist,you're all living in a fairy tale world.
The Programmer of video games
How does it not exist when it exists?
(I know that’s not a rational argument but I’m tired of trying with these people.)
The Programmer of video games yes it does??
The Programmer of video games you're right. No one's afriad of gay people, they're just hateful! :)
@F ormula - They cannot breed.
when I first watched boondocks
I knew there was definitely an underlying message going on
but I was more focused on the comedy cause that's what I was watching it for
but when I watched it again more recently I finally understand what some of the episodes mean
thanks for making this video
cause this idea needs to be more widespread
Same. I'd love it if he continued to make more, especially the Riley character study.
Yeah, The Boondocks tackles a lot of issues and provides some great commentary on social and political issues. I wish more people addressed some of the great stuff the show does. And yeah, I'm probably gonna make that Riley video at some point.
i remember i used to watch it in middle school and just thought it was funny, but could see at times how it was satirical (like nigga moments) but rewatching it now i see a lot more of the subtle messages in the show
The thing is that Boondocks was largely focused on sharp satire in season 1 like the comics and the later seasons started to focus more on character based comedy, meaning more episodes in season 2 and 3 had wacky scenarios like ''Granddad uses drugs', ''Huey and the rest play kickball'' ect with season 4 being the worst of it like ''Granddad goes through the same shit like Walter White''.
Looking back on it there were somethings it got wrong. Like the Don't Snitch episode didn't really mention police brutality as one reason why people don't snitch. Eoisodes having to deal with black woman.
The thing I hate seeing in most of the ganstaliscious clips on UA-cam are the the people who dont see past the surface level shit and cant realize it's a critique on homophobia in the black community. They just chalk it up to
"Bro the boondocks really predicted the future cuz we got rappers and shit now wearing sundresses and rompers"
Like...cool
Whenever I watch clips of the boondocks on yt, the majority of the comments are that "look at how this couldn't have been produced these days cause snowflake liberal cringe" or whatever. It's fascinating how the people who type these things don't understand that their views are the ones being laughed at.
@@sp691 YES
Shin Shaman nah the show heavily implies that Riley is usually in the wrong. I guess you just didn’t get it? lol try to consider u might not be as smart as you think you are
Shin Shaman you know what they say about stupid people: “often wrong but never in doubt”
Shin Shaman this man really likes his own comments smh
i thought it was widely understood what The Boondocks was about and what it was trying to do...
You'd be surprised
Adrian Carter I think a lot of black people see it for the entertainment value only: I was in 3rd grade when I started watching with my brother and it was like that for us. Now that I’m starting to look at these analysis videos I’m seeing the deeper meanings
Wait till you hear about the fallout shitposting community
I recall when I was in high school (senior year, the year the first season started) and I saw a lot of black kids wearing a Huey shirt with Huey fully embracing black culture - which isnt what the character is about. At all. A lot of people dont like looking past their noses for thought in their entertainment.
It is, this guy who made vid and his fans are mad slow.
i aprreciate that you also said don't be like huey either. a lot of fans don't realise that huey is also an extremist and while it does't happen often he can contribute to the problem occasionally.
Huey is a character and a child. He's designed to be extreme and naive, but people look to him as truth. And yeah, a lot of what he says IS true, but it's a thing where people need to understand that Aaron still designed him to be a character representing black nationalism, as opposed to "The Solution to All".
@@TheStorytellerAJ I agree. Nationalism seems like something that's more accept with blacks, latinos, etc. But as soon as a white person have pride or believes in nationalism, people call them a racist. Honestly, no one should focus on race pride representing their full personality. Sure, you could have racial pride, but make sure it ain't the only thing that determines your personality. Be different and be yourself. Race pride should be used for acceptance, but never used for supremacy. No matter what color you are.
I'm iffy on that one. Discussing Nationalism is kinda like discussing God. You have to decide on a definition before you can start debating on its validity. The way I see Black Nationalism is a way to fight back for equality in a world systematically ruled by white supremacy. Naturally, the problem with minority nationalism is defining the line in the sand, when we're going too far.
The reason many people define themselves as black nationalists have nothing to do with a desire to watch black people become the new oppressors, using our history as moral currency. It's an active effort to undo the damage done by the world at large, and how eurocentrism has bled its way its businesses, companies and opportunities, by virtue of being systematically ingrained our minds via former government law and history.
The way I've always inferred Huey's character is someone who defines themselves as a radical black nationalist, who feels often conflicted by the hypocrisy and actions of his people. For example: BET is one of the biggest black companies out there, and pretty much all it does is project the worst of what black people are, into the minds of its audience.
Nationalism is a complicated prospect to talk about, certainly because there's always going to be the crazy people who take things too far and become the racist oppressors. But, by my own definition, I have no issue with black nationalism, assuming it's done as a means of solely attempting to undo the damage done by historical, institutional and systematic racism, as opposed to actively being racist towards white people. That's the line I draw.
sam petty according to Huey “I’m retired”
TheStoryteller
Well traditionally black nationalism is like white nationalism in that it advocate the separation of the races. I have no issue with separatists. In fact I have often argued that a couple states should be set aside for white and black nationalists so that they can leave the rest of society alone.
This is where I draw the line. My problem is when white people actively seek to harm black people or other minorities. I have little issue with a white person who says he doesn’t want to be around black people or doesn’t like them but has no desire for violence. It’s not a crime to not like people and not want to be around them. This is the same reason I don’t have too much of a problem with black nationalist who also wants to be away from white people.
Oh man, I had completely blocked Season 4 out of my mind... Anyway, the first 3 seasons of the Boondocks are some of the most influential works of fiction I experienced growing as awkward nerd in High School grappling with the concept of "being black". I think a lot of fans (and critics too, now that I think of it) overlook the show's finer criticisms and see of bunch of funny black people acting belligerent, but this video did a fantastic job touching on how well thought out and nuanced the show actually is.
Sometimes, it's best to block everything about Season 4 out of your mind.
Yeah, the deeper things that Boondocks tackles are often overlooked. There's a lot of things that this show does that get overlooked, and it's pretty sad when you think about it.
I feel your struggle man, don't worry. I'll be sure to try my damn hardest to address every nook and cranny that this show tackles in its striking satire.
That's what I really liked about The Boondocks tho, it was a great critique about our culture. Though sadly it went over a lot of people's heads. It was great for the way that it presented it, not in a preachy way, but just letting it all out. The show was very different from the comic strips (that I fell in love with at first), and honestly I like both. But yes, thanks so much for this video, I really enjoyed it. Keep up the good work!!
I straight cried when I was young watching the gay eps
when they didn't open the door for him. I didn't understand completely, but I knew they were being mean.
When I was younger, I understood and agreed with what they did. But now, I see the overall message. It is quite the truth, and it truly represents the issues in today’s society. I was raised homophobic, and now I must relearn what I last thought. My underline disgust for the same sex relationship slowly goes down.
@@jaleria489 save the last sentence, this comment gives me hope
@Alex Meggoe nah, you're not homophobic. You just don't like to watch, and that's not a problem
@Alex Meggoe ok. i have to disagree w the comment above me from mephi, even though it's not as much of a problem it's still homophobic to be squirming watching 2 men kiss. and do yourself a favor and be sure not to compare gay people to furries if you're around a gay person, that's kind of offensive
@Alex Meggoe im just saying man.
also think about that sentence "I just **don't like** seeing **2 men** kiss". if u know the root of the word homo, logically it is homophobic.
if that bothers u to know about yourself, maybe work on not caring as much bc we're all just people, otherwise maybe dont stress about it as a lot of people are the same way.
This whole video is about the problems in the black community against the lgbt Community but then when you go to the comments are a bunch of homophobe’s like did you not watch the video or....
People don't like thinking they're the bad person. It's ignorant but it's not anyone's fault. These ideas have been subconsciously implanted within them and it takes time or forever to change your ideology. As an example, my grandmother is from Mao's era. At an early age she was brainwashed into thinking communist party number 1 or some shit. So I think the best thing to do is be positive, try to convince the subconsciously homophobic people otherwise. If you cant, oh well, don't make them think you're an asshole and therefore find all gay positive people as assholes.
Gay is gay also no
You just can't get through to some people. Some bigots will stay bigots, it's a sad fact of life. You just have to be better than them, open your mind and heart more.
As a gay black person from a homophobic family thank you for this.
I'm black and i'm homophobic
@@funfofa that has to be the biggest dose of irony, I bet if someone was gay and racist you'd be screaming to the rooftops about how racism is comparable to homophobia
@@saintnoire3947 Gays don't live in Tennessee.
@@funfofa they most certainly live everywhere else. And besides, you don't know that, dummy. The most homophobic ones tend to be the most closeted ;)
@@funfofa gays dont have a set place to live anyone can be gay but maybe ur too stupid to have known that
"pls provide proof that homosexuality exists"
*lobs a gay couple on the table*
"nonoNO shutup SHUP UT"
That's a lot of the comments
How much of you are black men and having been saying "no homo" or "ayo pause" after saying something that can even be remotely considered gay since you were 12 or younger even? Exactly. Homophobia is so ingrained in our culture that it's basically apart of it.
Bruh that’s the saddest part. Kids don’t have sexual attraction, that starts around 11-13. But kids have it ingrained to “not be gay” when they don’t even know what that is, so you got kids telling kids how to act based on...? It’s mad dumb
@@DereBear Facts
It's a joke
GV Billy I mean the writer uses Riley saying that dumb shit to show off how kids just repeat what they hear, so that sense, yeah. Otherwise naw it’s just homophobia.
Your One Black Friend Who Gave you the N Word Pass what’s your point? You know it was ingrained in American culture to hate blacks right?
Cut off a lot my family emotionally because they’re homophobic. Big believers in god, the irony of wanting acceptance, yet happy be one of the excluders for no other reason than a religion that was mostly ironically taught during enslavement and repression.
@Sinuramous insulting because i tell them what i know? Thats what girls do
@@DaddyAZTL First person who told the truth up here so far. Understanding that the so called blacks here in baby Babylon are Judah sets you apart so much in this conversation. Literally the conversation topic is already based off of false teachings so without bringing up the fact that we are the real Jews from scripture, it's kinda hard to even hold this type of conversation without setting the field. Christ is black. Not Ethiopian, middle eastern or nun like that. The law still is in place. The blacks in America came from the Trans Atlantic slave trade, come from the West coast of Africa. Our big brother Esau was upset for trading his birthright for raw meat in the forest. Due to us not following the law Esau and other gentiles were used against us as a curse since all of us did not follow the law. We are the King tribe Judah. The same tribe our Lord and Savior hails from. Your spot on man.
Except it wasn't "mostly taught during enslavement" and was the reason we were freed.
Jesus loves you read John 3 :16 and Romans 10 :9
@@dokorobia8713 actually no the Bible has justified racism and back then bi racial marriage was a sin.Slaves back then having their codes in their songs and people risking there life was to save others was the reason and maybe faith of God protecting them had some part but they pulled themselves out.
This makes me think of the Tyler the Creator situation that happened. People made a huge deal about Tyler maybe being gay and changed the whole way people saw him.Even if he was accepted the fact people made a huge deal about it is just wrong. Making a big about accepting someone isn’t accepting it is making a spectacle out of someone sexual preference.
Tyler is gay?
@@toongamer2810 Yes, probably bisexual. He has come out so many times.Just Google it. He has said it both directly and indirectly.
@@toongamer2810 he's bi
I'm an African American. Living in America. The black culture that i exist in may vastly be different from the black culture that you exist in. To be honest I was bias going in because based on your accent it doesn't sound like you're American and I immediately presumed that you do not know enough about American black culture to be a critic of. But I also remembered that you yourself are also Black. I would appreciate it if you could make a video detailing the culture of British blacks and how it compares to the black culture of American Blacks. I tried showing the video to my friends but they immediately wrote you off because they believed you didn't know anything about the black culture in America. I finished the video till the end and was happy that I did. But I too had that stigma when first going in. It would be interesting and informative to see how Vastly similar or vastly different the black culture of our brethren across the pond may be to us Americans. You might not even see this or bother to read it, but the at least I can do is try. (Video was great btw)
Haha, thank you for the kind words.
I've dealt with quite abit of that, and my immediate response to that criticism is always "It doesn't make a difference because we're exposed the exact same media." We're in a digital age right now, but even prior to that, black people in other countries are aware of what goes down. I never quite understood this mindset of "Yeah, this shit only happen here." Nah, man. You're not the only one watching the media. And in this digital age, it's so much easier to see what's going down and vibe with it.
Reusing a response I made to somehow else here:
"Black undergo a lot of universal problems. Blackness is defined by the colour of one's skin and place of origin. You're right in the sense that my experiences are entirely not representative of Black brothers from different parts of the globe.
However, it's also true that that we all consume practically the same media, and by extension are influenced by such. Hip hop has always been inherently against the idea of homosexuality, as does traditional religion. Both of these are damn near always present in the upbringing of a black child, and in doing so, it does create a natural stigma against homosexuality. I ain't no saint. I still have it. But I acknowledge that it's there and the reasons for why it is.
When you listen to the music, watch the media and engage with different old and young black people across the globe, you will find this recurring trend. I understand that I don't identify as African American, but that doesn't take away from the fact that the episode spoke on an issue that applied to black people in a general sense.
This isn't exclusively an American American concept. These are general issues in relation to our black culture being explored in the show. A by product of traditional religious views, and hip hop media at large. These are widespread issues, and as a black person who deals with and engages with these things daily, it's important to remember that."
We're not that different. We're all black. We're all discriminated against. We're all systematically oppressed. We all undergo institutional racism. We're all struggled, and continue to do so because of the eurocentrism of the world's history. My point is, we're not that different. I saw this episode and went "Wow, I know a lot of niggas like this." And, The Boondocks is a show known for wanting to tackle issues in relation to African American Culture, but the very fact that I can relate to many of the experiences showcased within the show, illustrate that these concepts and struggles are not exclusive to America.
Not that it means much, but I actually did used to live in Atlanta, Georgia. My whole beef with this whole "You don't get our culture" sthick is that it undermines how similar we are as people, and serves to create more division in a community full of minorities, which needs unity in order to thrive and succeed in this world.
Let's even quote the creator, Aaron McGruder: "I'm not one to get into the 'I'm blacker than you' debate. I don't think it gets us anywhere." My point is, we're not that different. Y'all got gun crime, we got stacks upon stacks of knife crime. We all use ebonics. We're all exposed to the same media, so we all vibe with very similar ideas. And to me, I think scoffing off someone who's Black British based on their accent for "not getting our culture" completely undermines the influence and reach of Hip Hop, the media at large, and by extension, the universal issues that black people face as a result of our history.
Ryan D Did you actually read his comment? Do yourself a favor and stop speaking from that close-minded point of view
Ryan D ko
Psychedelic Zuki
Why are you so fake concerned over "Black" Identity?
The "Black" Brit DOESNT know SHIT about so-called "African American" Culture irregardless of how much Propaganda HES SEEN.
Ryan D is CORRECT you arent going to disrespect "African Americans" (really the Indigenous) for some "Black" Label applied by White Supremacy.
You fuck off.
I still disagree about the so called "black culture". I prefer to call it Ghetto culture. I'm black and have no participation in the so-called black culture people speak about
And I know many others as well don't either.
I don't believe that culture is tied to our skin color, rather your mindset.
Its ghetto culture that needs to die, not "black" culture.
Ironically a lot of ppl who liked the show didn't understand the satire behind it. Especially in this episode, it was calling out all the homophobic ignorance within the world in general & the black community in particular. The show routinely mocked church, because Christianity is another thing which was forced upon us via colonization & we are willfully ignorant of it.
@@bighendrix5696 Indeed. The book is flawed, because it was created by man. That's why there's so many different denominations of Christianity & other religions in the world. A prime example of the duality of the bible is "an eye for an eye", but then you're supposed to also "turn the other cheek". And if god's all knowing & all powerful then why would he have to create a flood to kill all the "wicked ppl", when he already known what they'd do even before creating them. So there's no "free will/choice" when everything already predetermined. These are the types of questions/statements that get you in trouble in church, because no one can come up with a logical explanation.
@@Blackblax how is the bible created by man when the prophecies really becomes true
@@blackwang4052 Which prophecies are these? You witnessed the things that happened, such as "the Great Flood"? Or are they just things which astrologeries predicted? The bible was created by man. Open your bible & look at who published and/or distributed it. I bet you it won't say "by God". If you dont' want to stop drinking the kool aid, then that's on you. There is a higher power, however, it's not this biblical "God" in which you speak.
@@Blackblax the bible says one day everything that could be bought would have the devil Mark's on 666 it's barcode
@@Blackblax and the bible also says that before the end of the world everything would be bought by having the devil's mark on the right hand or on the forehead have ever heard of the RFID ship ? If not go do some research before talking nonsense
Aaron McGruder will NEVER fully get the props that he deserves for the greater messages in the Boondocks. It really is a peek into the problems in the African American community.
@Shin Shaman Not every relevant conversation has to boil down to left vs right, up vs down or whatever other label.
you're talking at a cool 130km/hr I need you to lower that a bit lets go say 105. thank you.
This shit made me laugh. Real talk though, noted. My other videos aren't so fast lmao.
I can hear him just fine.
@@michaelangelo3647 and that's great. But nothing is wrong with giving a content creator constructive criticism. There were times he tripped up on a couple words and it seemed a bit distracting to me tbh...
but i stilll enjoy the content. I subbed and everything. just saying.
You can slow the video down, i do it sometimes
0.75 it
"What are ya gonna do? Stop loving your grandson because hes gay?"
"Well yeah I guess".
Totally what would Jesus would do lol
@@Jordan64852 probably kill him and trust that his actions would carry over for the best into his sons next life...nah he’d probably heal him w his hands if decided he didn’t want to be gay no more
@@Jordan64852 u can make fun of religion but not gays?
@@Jordan64852 jesus loves you no matter what, besides, homosexuality only first appeared in the bible in 1941. the word that was used before was a word that basically meant pedophilia.
@euphoricrybaby finally someone that gets it. People love to use religion and other things as an excuse to hate gay people and others.
You remind me of someone...
Hard to put my finger on it...
He's british, black and makes youtube videos just like you.
Great vid btw.
Huh. That's a thing.
Anywho, thanks man. It means a lot.
NineOuh Ksi?
You Cant Be Black and British.
By the Very Definition of Being European.
@@s.m.g.2166 ...what?
Mr Nut Buster Shut up, Nazi
The point you made about how Robert actually accepted Riley in that moment lowkey brought a tear to my eye cause I deadass never thought about that other than thinking it was a joke but instead it was actually a pretty deep moment
"YOU WERE SCARED TOO!"
" I'M *EIGHT!!!!* "
How have I never watched this show before?
"You were scared too!"
"I'm 8!"
XD
"evil starts with treating people as things" (like black, white, gay, conservative, etc...) so treat people as a person first, and everything else second. Because the most important thing, should always be our shared humanity.
Thank you for taking the time to make this video. One of my friends went to a Black Student Union meeting and was really hurt when the very students who had invited her started bashing people in the LGBT+ community. She called me upset about the whole thing. She's black and gay, how the hell is that a problem?? Intersectionality exists and black LGBT+ people (especially black trans women) have it worse than white LGBT+ people but both groups are being oppressed and having their lives threatened.
I've been going back and forth for a while now on whether or not I should give this show a go, and I think you've finally convinced me to do so. Most people I hear talk about seem to focus on the comedy aspects when they explain what was good about It, which is by no means a bad thing, but the way it was described to me didn't exactly make it stand out among the many other Shows, books, video games, etc that I could be spending my time on. With the way you've discussed it in the video however, it seems like I've been missing out on something special.
MrSirparadox it’s like the most self aware comedic show ever.. or at least that’s how it felt watching the show a long time ago
@@Hobo13 i get the feeling you probably aren't black as well that and that could very well add to why you haven't. But i mean, i could be wrong.
Terain Tazuna sis you tagged the wrong person right? 😒
Nice LISA profile pic
You can skip season 4 like most shows that stop and come back after years have past the initial spark of the comedy is not the same.
Sometimes I feel like there should be a Boondocks for ever part of American Society
the white boondocks would be such a clusterfuck that i don't even want to think about it 💀
@@gliiitchedisn't the white boondocks the Simpsons
Man, some of these comments are hard to read, too much hate.
Anyways, love the video.
Yes, the man who made this video doesn’t deserve hate.
Ignacia Jae lena Is a weirdo
Only religious people :)
Another excellent video as always.
With the exception of season 4, the Boondocks offer some spectacular social commentary that seems to have flown under the radar for many. Since you have broached this topic of homophobia in the black community, perhaps you can then proceed on to a issue that is very closely related and in fact, feeds in to the aforementioned point: what it means to be a black male/the concept of black masculinity.
This comment section... Welp. That comment mentioning people not being aware they are the ones being critiqued by the show rings true. Lots of truly disgusting people here. Truly one of the most homophobic comment sections I've seen.
Stuff like this makes me lose faith in humanity. I wonder why these people care so much?
@@Car-qu2bc They probably had an experience :)
@@theworstpersonyoullmeet4654 LOL you could be right. Maybe they are repressed?
r/whoosh
for the whole comments section... tbh it’s really not that hard to understand lol
Twvg 21 well aren't you just a ray of sunshine. don't quite get op but that's never a nice thing to say. want someone dead, hire an assassin or shut up. simple.
Twvg 21 don’t be a edgy bitch
@@youtubeaccount6772 ooooooh edgy
@@Grapplersenpai what he say?
Unconditional love should only be present in the relationship between a young child and their parents. All adult love should be conditional. If someone is pushing on you an idea of unconditional love they ether want to exploit you or being exploited themselves.
Exactly.
Kyle Dunnell
If our family members are homosexual, we should try to heal the wounds they have and help them in any way possible first before just accepting their life choice. Most homosexuals have been molested or raped at one time or another and have been mentally fractured because of it. We can help them recover. If our efforts fail then we must accept and love them as family but not before helping them understand heterosexuality is God’s way.
@@chillhomie04 You are sad and should never try and "help" anyone thinking from that perspective.
@@chillhomie04 not all homosexuals were assaulted at childhood tho
@@chillhomie04 Your energy is not positive, you will help no one.
I really liked this, it's very open-minded and shows the truth behind what the show is really about and analyzes the finer details about the characters. Keep it up man
Two biggest moments in this discussion of homosexuality in hip hop
This episode
And Eminem fake coming out as gay in "the interview", to defend his lyrics criticized as being homophobic.
Eminem brought up elton john on stage to sing stan in 2002. And made elton john his sponsor, if you didn't get that his "shady" persona is a hateful character then I donno what to tell you.
@@razizarook5366 It's possible to say something and believe another thing
@@chaotickreg7024 That's what I am trying to say
@@razizarook5366 No I mean it's possible to say "I'm not homophobic" without actually dealing with your internalized homophobia. I dont trust eminem while he's still saying homophobic things, even as a character. Creating a character does not give you license to say whatever you want without it reflecting on your real self.
@@chaotickreg7024 Ummm, yes it does? Look at South Park, Filthy Frank, Eric Andre and many more characters that act like that to be controversial.
Great video! I've always loved The Boondocks (despite being white, but I enjoy experiencing and understanding another culture's POV and comedy), and I'm glad you finally decided to do a video on the show! I've always believed there was a message to be said within the show, I just needed help explaining what these messages were. Thank you for that explanation!
Also, please do a character analysis on Riley! He's one of my favorites, next to Uncle Ruckus, and making an analysis on his character would give him justice greatly. :)
Don't worry about it. The Boondocks provides commentary of various aspects of general culture, so I'm of the opinion that it can be enjoyed and appriciated by anyone.
And yeah, Riley needs some love. I have something else planned for Uncle Ruckus next though.
Rumia “Even though I’m white”? White people can’t laugh at black comedy and get black culture?
Aaron Landry what about people like Eminem Paul Wall and Gary Owen? They understand black culture.
@Just Leave A Message bruh I'm black and my favorite characters are Ruckus and Slickback. It's cause they're funny, esp Ruckus because irony
Hobostarr180 dude who cares. My point still stands
I remember struggling with my sexuality as a young black man. I remember fighting hard against the urges I had for male peers. I didn't have many friends, I was a bit(Very*) socially awkward. So these urges that I had were made worse by that social awkwardness. I overcame it. I am well adjusted for the most part, and while I am not gay, I would be fine if I ended up falling in love with a man. If that's what future me wants, that's what future me gets. Who am I to deny that guy, he's too cool to argue with. But for now, I haven't had those urges. Well, especially not now, the only friend I have from school left, I can't even hang out with. I wanna go bowling so damn much. *Here is the ramble section* I got a fishing license this morning, so I'm gonna try taking that up as a hobby until the arcade opens up again. Bowling and pool are my favorite sports, and this has been a tough time for me. If anybody knows where I can get a pool table cheap, that'd be nice. I think they're around 3500 bones.
Gay is gay
Nigga you gay
@@sonicmaster206 great you had to ruin the moment
Nasty
Dude you seem super chill, I like that.
As a pansexual and trans person, you spoke to the issues of having a nonstandard sexual identity and the problems faced there very well, particularly the idea of conditional vs unconditional love.
As a white person who tries to understand and respect the issues faced by the black community, this was a good incite into how the problems with homophobia and such in the black community have come about and been perpetuated, and the harm it does to black youth.
My interest in this started with The Boondocks, but I have seen the police brutality in my city even if just in news, heard seen the racist biases of family and friends, and have taken in interest in the history and read the writings of Cornell West, watched talked by Michelle Alexander and Angela Davis, and read and watched some of the work of Malcolm X and Martin Luther King Jr. I still have a hell of a lot to learn, and I need to get out of my house more, but it can be challenging to put myself in IRL social spaces where I might learn more and figuring out how I can help without any financial means or anything atm. I'm glad there is a dialogue going on here about issues like this if nothing else.
Good shit dude
Thank you, your words mean a lot. Cornell West and Angela Davis are certainly good places to be in terms of learning more on such a subject. In terms of the perpetuation of homophobia in the black community, I've always viewed it as a thing that derived by religious backgrounds of many black people and how the media surrounding Hip Hop grew into portraying this damaging idea of masculinity.
Even if we're to ignore the uprising of gangsta rap, we can look at legends like Marvin Gaye, and how he felt the need to run away from the idea of being associated with homosexuality, going as far to change his name. This isn't a new concept. It's a thing that has existed for decades, and it manifests itself in the minds of many black youth till this day. People get mad when I liken the black struggle to the LGBT struggle, and while I believe they're right in that they are two completely different things, it cannot denied that their similarities in how historical discrimination has manifested itself into how we view things in modern day.
Don't be deceived, though. It's not all of us. It's a select few who are still caught in the webs of their close-minded upbringing and clinging to a fabricated sense of masculinity. The key to breaking down those pre-conceived ideas is to bravely project more images of those kinds of individuals out onto the screens of people. Aaron McGruder said this but: "If you can control perception, then you can control reality." Gangstalicious hides back into his shell when confronted about his sexuality, because he felt like everyone would turn their back on him if they found out. And I mean, he wasn't wrong. But through embracing it, you can either encourage black youth to not subscribe to such dated and immature ways of viewing masculinity, while also having more minds like Huey, who still support and listen to these homosexual artists, but don't feel defined the sexual preference of the artist he listens to.
Your identity is like a checklist
Marvin Bennett haha your so funny
@Marvin Bennett what's wrong with pans
Mtf or ftm my guy/woman?
I would be okay with being Huey.
Huey feels like the lesser of the evils here
Oh defo. He just wanted his own room. I can feel that.
oliver closehoff oop Okay Riley
@ Why did you make me read this
@ oh I thought you said huey takes care of his wife lmao I read it wrong
Not gonna lie I had personal bias towards gay men but honestly this show made me wanna work on that tbh
Dont
That’s really cool
I promise you, we aren’t all tyler perry or puff daddy. We actually don’t like when people do that shit.
I promise you most of us are just normal people hell you wouldn’t even know I was gay because it’s not central to me but even if you meet gay men that are effeminate etc etc. they’re not hurting you and at the end of the day we’re all trying to be happy, imagine if the world was against you playing video games or being straight it’s such an inconsequential part of you that doesn’t effect others in any way but you’re abused and stigmatized for it it’s annoying for the most part and hurtful coming from your family my own parents don’t even treat me like they used too even though I haven’t changed. My mom actually slapped me multiple times when they went through my stuff, threatened to send me to a conversion camp. My own father talked shit behind my back and outed me too my whole family. Basically what I’m trying to say is for stuff like this where it’s not hurting anyone but people get killed, beaten and unfairly treated over it is dumb you can be annoyed at gay people but not because they’re gay it’s just because they’re annoying being gay doesn’t make you one singular thing like a lot of homophobes think it does idk I’m rambling just don’t be an ass to people if it doesn’t concern you, you don’t even have to support it just don’t go out of your way to be a dick
Think of it like this: the more of us there are, the fewer people that are getting with women. That means more women for yall. Everybody wins!
Riley = Zoomer
Grandad = Boomer
Huey = Doomer
I like to believe Huey grows up to be a Bloomer
Blessed comment
too lame
Robert wouldn’t be a Boomer. His kid would be most likely. Robert is a WWII vet
God, I miss this show! It told so many truths to black people that we ignore as a collective. The R Kelly episode comes to mind. TRUTH...
Riley being the "star" of the show and the immense positive response he has in general is both hilariously ironic and depressing. I LOVE this show for that fact and layering satire alone. Huey was always my favorite character, but as the show went on his lesser amount of screen time and the way he gets dismissed in later episodes almost perfectly mirror the way show began to immitate life and life imitated the show. We won't get another show like this for a long while, and I'm glad I watched it. Thanks for posting this. I really enjoyed the video.
The Gangstalicious episodes broke my heart. The audience is learning with Riley. "You gay" is a punchline for many episodes but this story is built around Riley's confusion. Riley is reflecting on his ideas and the goal is to make the audience reflect too.
Deep.
I love The Boondocks. As always, wonderful video!
This video was recommended at random and I was so happy to see that there was an entire series of Boondocks video essays connected to it. It felt as if the dust this show raised settled far too quickly after it ended, when so many aspects of it are still relevant and deserve discussion. Big genuine thank-you for taking on this project. brb, subscribing for the rest.
The Boondocks might have been controversial, but it was talking to black people about issues they're asleep on. Whether it's realizing that soul food takes a toll on health and MLK scolding black people for being ignorant after all he did for the black community, or how black people need to realize how to deal with homophobia and the n-word, the Boondocks was the definition of being ahead of its time.
Very valid points and perspective. My only issue is that Gangstalicious sold this false male macho gangsta identity and that's what drew people in, because, they thought he was genuine. Once he's outed a liar who was gay all along it becomes harder to digest the completely broken persona they intially accepted. Had he done it in parts then it wouldn't have been as shocking or dismaying I think. Outside of that it was a great parody.
@@RainyRunningRiver cause thats GAY!!!!
@@RainyRunningRiver cos home of phobia man :(
Black White ...lol, you can just don’t lie about it.
Hmm, cant he be masculine *and* gay?
@@vinsonharwell7541 never seen it
As soon as I saw the title, I subscribed. It’s good to see a channel that makes videos about the Boondocks. It’s my favorite show‼️❤️
even simply a guy being feminine can be ridiculed, its fucked as i want to express my feminine side but knowing my family they'll not support me. im hispanic also like black culture Hispanic culture is rooted with religion and old conservative values.
Same I’m Hispanic as well and my parents are Christians and there extremely homophobic/transphobic.Even worse my dad is like a r.kelly supporter like he supports pedophilla and he’s extremely homophobic and transphobic asf
I have a very dear person in my life that comes from the civil rights era and we talk near daily. He comes to me because of regret for shunning family that was ultimately lost during the AIDS crisis 30 years ago. I go to him to continue unpacking the system of beliefs that I supported in my youth through the culture I was raised in and the self loathing I felt. It isn't unlike the culture he was brought up in or the self loathing he felt.
Correction: The need to heal brought us together as friends and in solidarity, the foundations that were created as a result maintain that friendship.
When the Boondocks first came out I was too young to understand anything beyond the comedy. I just re-watched a random episode and I clearly see how well written it was.
i watched the show at launch when was 14 and could tell it was satire basically dissing on the double standards of black culture showing how fake gangsta culture is and the r kelly episode showing that even when one of us does a horrible crime we wont hold them accountable which is morally wrong
@ Yeah 14 is a good age where you begin to "get" what the shows writers are really trying to say. I was like 8 when I first watched it.
Kevin Abstract from BROCKHAMPTON does a great job talking about this stuff too! JUNKY has amazing lyrics and talks a lot about the stuff in these songs, it’s great!
Amazing video also, very interesting! I’ve never watched The Boondocks but it’s on my todo list
11:24 man, by S4 the animation started to get real sloppy. LOOK HOW BIG RILEY’S HEAD IS
great video btw
egaliseur holy shit 😂💀
I actually teared up with this episode, almost all of us deal with its issue of withholding one's identity in some way; usually on and off.
Ngl homies over hoes was hilarious and I loved it.
It does suck that some people still make an issue out of being gay. Like as if being attracted to someone can make you less of a man/exclude you from a certain subculture
it does make you less of a man
@@acer7217 😂😂😂😂😂
@@محمدرضاپهلوی-ذ7ع ???
@@Nadie47 !!!
@@محمدرضاپهلوی-ذ7ع Oh I get it.
This video is WAY TOO underrated🤦🏾♀️.
Unconditional love is EXACTLY what the world needs. Ive said before you can disagree with someone and still love them. You can even completely dislike someone and still love them. Love is just the desire to positively support someone. How someone could be against positive self improvement for all beats me
If someone killed ur family member will u have unconditional love for that person?
@@BernardBrunu1 of course. Love doesnt mean you dont have an issue with somebody. Love is wanting someone to have positive growth. Just because you wronged me doesnt make me not want you to become a better person. I want everybody to be the best version of themeselves. Thats love.
I see your point, and I agree the world needs more love, but how mush love do we need?
@@dominicdrummond2233 This gets into ideas of autonomy though. Who decides what a person's "best" is?
Like, that's just your opinion, man.
My stance is simple, I don't agree with the gay lifestyle. So then I obviously would not support it. Disagreeing with something is not homophobic plus I don't really care what someone's preferences are...that's their businesd
Until this video , the stereotype of blacks being homophobes was never explained to me ,nor the origin of it.
I would say things like eliminating homophobia or limiting is hard and is probably gonna take centuries ,since deeply ingrained ideas in a culture die hard and slow.
I'm late to watching this, but I just want to point out how brave you are for tackling this issue and putting your opinion out there!
Well done, Storyteller!
Oh fuck, it's you!
And yeah, thanks! It's no problem.
brave? really?
@@OrigenalDarkMew Yeah. Have you not seen the bad comments yet? Dude is definitely going against the tide. And it is pretty cool.
OriginalDarkMew Takes balls to talk about acceptance of homosexuality in a sea of hate
Disagreeing with something that goes against nature is hatred now?
Get the fuck out of here
As a gay christian Nigerian man in a homophobic country and a homophobic family.
Thanks you for this. I'm finishing this crying
Cringe.
god doesnt like you lil bro. neither does your family.
@@aightsarge9311 believing in god? What's up you afraid of the boogey man too?
How much fake shit do you live in fear of?
Damn, almost cried hearin your definition of unconditional love wish i knew what that felt like.
Wow, that was such a tragic story for Gangstaliscious. It makes me wonder if that's how it would have ended for Rob Halford from Judas Priest if he'd pursued rap instead of heavy metal.
I head all of this secondhand, but apparently Rob Halford helped popularize the studs and leather fashion among metalheads. Of course, when he came out as gay, this added a whole new context for his studs and leather-wearing fanbase to process. The beautiful part is how in the end, they just went, "Well who cares? Studs and leather look awesome."
yo man this is good content but you talk a little too fast
theres a speed playback button man put it on .75 or .5
@@mimszanadunstedt441 nothing is wrong with giving a content creator constructive criticism though.
@@thedarkone7887 it's not the guys fault he talks fast it's just his personality and that's not something people should say he should change.
Like the burger king foot lettuce guy, all of his videos have comments telling him his voice sucks and that he should change it but it's just in his nature.
The creators should never have to change parts of themselves for people that dont even know them closely.
Theres no need for constructive criticism when the only thing to critique is a person's voice.
@@detectivedjwizard2129 Except he himself responded to another comment and he took the criticism quite well. So it baffles me why you're trying so hard to defend something that doesn't need a defense.
Someone being told they talk a bit too fast by their viewers on a youtube video that's meant to be understood and enjoyed by those *same viewers* is fair game. To truly call it "his personality" in the sense you imply, it would have to be something like his opinion on something, his views or values, sense of humor etc. Those things i can understand falling under the comment of:
"The creators should never have to change parts of themselves for people that dont even know them closely."
But this is directly related to how he delivers his videos, and doesn't compromise important things like "veiws, sense of humor" etc. You make videos for the viewers, nothing is wrong with adjusting how you deliver the content *they* are gonna have to consume as long as its within reason. slightly slowing your delivery is very much within reason.
@@thedarkone7887 I didnt say he couldn't take the criticism I just think it's annoying seeing people always trying to tell creators what they need to do.
His jarbled words weren't even that bad.
Him talking fast paced shouldn't be a big deal. It's just how he rolls and viewers should accept it.
So many people act like just because they find a fixable flaw in a youtuber that it needs to be fixed. I was raised on the phrase "you take what you get and dont throw a fit" so that's the only reason why I commented.
I also saw he didnt mind it so I'm not really trying to defend anything, I'm just saying it in general because I see people do the same thing to other creators as if they dont know what the voice they use every day sounds like.
The boondocks could care less who they offend
couldn't *WHEEEEZE*
They *couldnt* care less.
But yeah, i suppose thats true. I wish it was on Hulu or something
Unconditional love is nonsense.. it’s regular to set boundaries and refuse to accept things.. you also described unconditional love with conditions. “I love you because you’re my family” is a condition.
I appreciate how fast you talk. I usually watch videos like these at 1.5x speed because everyone talks at an excruciatingly slow pace. Cheers, mate
God season 1 was so brilliant. I love that imagery at 10:20 - gangstalicious's face is lit up by the moonlight, but Riley is in the dark. It's exactly as you say in regards to who is really the joke. Subscribing for sure
Man, you a smart dude for being able to analyse the series like this. It's sad how much of this goes over everyone's heads when watching it.
Excellent video bro. I love these critical analysis of satirical shows. They’re a lot smarter than we give them credit for. Word of advice, you stumble over some of your words and I end up not understanding what you mean. You could try speaking a little slower, or do a second take. Thanks again for the vid.
Growing up in latino culture I feel as this a very similar problem with homophobia. Accept each other unconditionally because who will?
Just some constructive criticism from a non native English speaker. Sometimes it's really hard for me to understand some words of your commentary cause they are mumbled. I really like your essay tho so I would love it if you could try to pay a little more attention to your pronounciation. Or maybe let your audience put subtitles. I would appreciate that a lot. Love from Germany and keep up the good work 😊💪
This video may be two years old but it's still very insightful with a message I hope our culture one day learns- to just live, let live-- regardless of race/sexuality/gender/beliefs-- and listen to some good music. Well done.
Will y'all stop mentioning season 4?! Aaron mcgruder didn't have anything to do with season 4 at all
Some people don't get that Homophobia = Racism in a way.
You're treating someone poorly just because they are different.
And it also doesn't mean that homophobic people are bad people, it just means that they were lead to believe that lgbtq+ is bad because of their environment. Again, same thing with racism.
Being misled only goes so far. Once you put it into action, it's a bad thing you've done, and when those bad things come to define you as a person, you become a bad person. For example, Phil is transphobic because he grew up in a transphobic household. He doesn't act on his beliefs because he doesn't hold onto them very firmly, and wants to treat others with respect. He is misled. His younger sister, Emily, is also transphobic, much more so than her brother. She bullies one of her trans classmates, but she is 15, and does not understand. She is misled and doing a bad thing. Their older brother, Robert, is again transphobic. He, at 24 years old, is also an open and proud fascist. Along with some friends in his political organization, he supes out an old van into an armory, and uses it to carry out a mass shooting at a pride parade that kills 121 people, many of them, children. While on trial, he frequently makes reference to the Nazis, makes it clear that he does not regret it, and encourages others to do the same to save America, as well as calls for genocide outright. Robert knows what he did. Even if he goes on to completely change his ways, he will always be remembered as a murderer. Phil can become best friends with a trans person. Emily can apologize to her classmate and educate herself. Robert cannot bring the people he killed back, and has declared a war of genocide on queer people. He is a bad person.
It's why we don't say that people like Hitler and Mussolini were misled, because they knew that they were going to be hated. They knew they were going to kill people, and didn't care.
Gangstalicious needs to be like Kevin Abstract.
In 2007? Oh man, that would have been a bad move.
I think everybody, regardless of race or identity, needs to watch the first 3 seasons of this show. I've rarely seen sociopolitical commentary this mature and nuanced; yes it's a comedy on the surface, but the jokes are simply a method of presenting the deeper meanings that MacGruder conveys. I have high expectations for the reboot, considering how batshit crazy the past few years have been and the fact that MacGruder is back.
Please do that Riley character analysis!
as a bisexual in a homophobic family I’m so glad someone talked abt this, I get that this show was from the 2000s so the things said in it wouldn’t slide today but still there was so much unnecessary homophobia
"alrigh, alright I'm a fraud. I'm tired of being shot, help!" xD
4:30
watching this made me love the boondocks a little more
3:34 Riley's face had such a subtle sense of realization in the moment to me
Im honestly glad people like you are addressing such issues. I myself am an outside observer as i will admit im a white man but ive been tired of no one talking about the problems in these communnitys. All communnitys have issues like this and i think it needs to be discussed and rooted out. I probably worded this horribly but im sure you understand lol.
I was shocked to hear my friend still deals with homophobia today and is nervous with using a changing room. He always seems so confident and our surroundings very accepting but its still in issue.
i find often with the performative nature of homophobia i've been left thinking maybe its not homophobia, its just bloodlust with a plausible explanation
exactly. i was a huge tyler the creator fan when i was 12. when i found out hes gay, i didnt want to listen to him anymore, even tho i loved his music. after i time i realized that being gay isnt bad, and started listening to him again. i didnt want to listen to him because i thought it would make me gay too
Artists like Tyler, Frank and many others are flipping the switch on homophobia, and I'm so fucking proud of how it's working.
In theology unconditional love is the idea, but practice was different because cultural values. They can be two separate things. Also I think a large part of the issue is that all cultures usually demand loyalty to a specific set of values and appearance. Despite what they say otherwise, there isnt room for real diversity in them.
Sometimes i just circle back to this video to remember how i found your channel, love your content