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“Boondocks” replaces “Chappelle’s Show” as Cult Classic

 

  Through his sketch comedy show, Dave Chappelle created a cult classic appreciated by college students around the country. We waited and waited for season three, hoping for a glimpse into the life of southern rapper Lil Jon and more of Charlie Murphy’s True Hollywood Stories.

    ”Chappelle’s Show” offered snarky comments that nearly anyone could emulate. Even if they couldn’t identify with him, people found humor in characters like Ashy Larry and Tyrone Biggums. They took Chappelle’s characters and brought them to life for Halloween.

      After a new episode of “Chappelle’s Show” aired on Thursday, you could hear the same phrases on college campuses around the country:

    ”I’m Rick James B—-!” or a loud “Yeeeeeeaaaaaaaah!” in true Lil Jon fashion.

     When it finally became clear that Dave Chappelle had turned his back on $50 million and television, and that he wouldn’t be reconsidering his decision any time soon, we were lost.

      Until Aaron McGruder rescued our missing senses of humor.

      With the Boondocks, viewers get “What if we end up with a ho for a grandma?!?!”

      This season, “The Boondocks” is providing the same sort of humor that’s been missing from television since Chappelle left. Based on McGruder’s hit comic strips, “The Boondocks” offers a witty, sometimes jaded look at life through the eyes of the main character, Huey.

      Both McGruder and Chappelle brought the word “n#!*a” back to television in a big way. On the Boondocks, which airs Sundays at 11 pm, it’s not even bleeped out. McGruder has managed to walk a fine line when it comes to poking fun at black folks without inciting much anger, the same way Chappelle did.

      In one episode, Huey’s grandfather got into a fight with a crotchety old blind man, unable to walk away as the man antagonized him.

      ”N#!*a moments are the leading cause of death among black people, behind 2) pork chops and 1) F.E.M.A.,” Huey informed us. His messages, like Chappelle’s, may not be overtly political, but you get the idea that neither McGruder nor Chappelle are avid Bush supporters.

      ”The Boondocks” provides a comic haven for black people that hasn’t been matched anywhere else on television. Here’s hoping the show will last more than two seasons.