BOONDOCKS Cartoonist Cautious On Obama

Cartoonist 'Cautiously Pessimistic'

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Some Audience Members Outraged By Comments About Barack Obama
BY RACHEL E. SHEELEY • STAFF WRITER • January 20, 2009

"The Boondocks," comic strip and animated series creator Aaron McGruder entertained, intrigued and outraged his audience at Earlham College on Monday night. McGruder launched the comic strip, "The Boondocks," in 1999 and it is now an animated series on the Cartoon Network.

Appearing at the college for Martin Luther King Jr. Day, McGruder answered questions posed by the audience and by associate professor James Logan.
Mixing political opinion and satire is hard to do in comics and cartoons, he said. "It's not having a statement, it's entertaining people so they listen."
On the eve of President Barack Obama's inauguration, McGruder is "cautiously pessimistic" about the presidency.
"I don't think you're going to see any dramatic change from Barack Obama," said McGruder, who wore a "Boondocks" T-shirt over a black long-sleeve shirt and jeans. "I'm hoping he proves me completely wrong."
McGruder bases his opinions of the U.S. presidency on the 2000 election and how nothing has been done since then to change the election system. "It was a sham then ... It's got to still be a sham," McGruder said. "I don't want to rain on anyone's parade, but it's what I tend to do."

On the topic of race and ethnicity, McGruder said that to him, Obama is not black because he is not a descendant of a slave.
"The person who is one of us in the White House is Michelle Obama and her momma," McGruder said.

His comments outraged Dionne Robinson, 44, of Richmond.
"I want my $5 back," she said. "It's one thing to have an opinion, but he doesn't have any facts. He needs to go back to college."
Robinson said that people were enslaved in many parts of the world, not just in America.
Her son, Zane Robinson, 14, of Richmond watches "The Boondocks," but was disappointed by the show's creator.
"He's nothing like his show," Zane said. "I thought it was kind of boring. His answers were long and they didn't make any sense."
Like his mother, Zane -- who wore a sweatshirt that celebrates Obama's presidency -- didn't like McGruder's comments about Obama. "He didn't seem to know what he was talking about," Zane said.

On the other hand, "Boondocks" fan Tristian Gregory, an Earlham senior from Evansville, Ind., said McGruder "fulfilled my expectations.
"He mentioned some things that are off-the-wall to some ... I think he's very skeptical," Gregory said.
Gregory said he supports McGruder's idea of waiting to support Obama when he's seen what decisions the president makes.
"That's pretty amazing coming from a strong African-American and I definitely agree with him," Gregory said.


Reporter Rachel E. Sheeley: (765) 973-4458 or rsheeley@pal-item.com

 

Listen to that damn fool. He should have stuck with the comic strip and let it do the talking.

 

Damn. That sounds like something DMX would say about the slave thing. Kinda lost a lottle respect for Aaron. Hopefully this doesn't discourage him from putting out more Boondocks episodes.

 

One of the commenters in the article said he made no sense. He makes perfect sense. The problem is people will no listen to anything or anyone who is critical of Obama. It is typical fanboy mentality.

If they wanted to know why he thought the way he did about elections all they had to go back and look at who was pushing to have the stolen elections investigated and who refused to even ask for inquiry (that would be Obama).

 

I have to agree with Aaron with his outlook.

Yes, Obama is half black but he was raised by his white mother and white grandparents and his father was from Africa who didn't know the trial and tribulations of being black in America. Most of his friends are white and he was educated in traditional white schools even offered jobs in law firms. If conditions were right he would be a candidate for the Republican Party.

But what stopped me was that he married a black woman from the southside of Chicago who experienced American bigotry first hand like all of us black people. He could of easily embraced his "white side". Yes, this is an interracial site but I had to say it.

What Aaron should realized that if Obama embraced his African American heritage he would of lost most of the white vote. Obama in his travels realized for the country to come together there has to be middle ground. Well, you know what happen . . . we have a black family in the White House in our life time whereas it may have taken 30 years for this to be achieved.

And having Bush for 8 years helped.

 

I strongly disagree with Aaron's statements concerning Obama. The last time I checked your "blackness" or lack thereof was not totally defined by the "slave heritage" or lack of one because of who your folks were. To me that's a the kind of slave mentality that's embodied by one of his most interesting characters...

 

What's to be "critical" about Obama, Fly? He hasn't actually done anything yet except run a pitch-perfect campaign, gotten the youth involved in a positive way, shattered a glass ceiling, and destroyed his better-known better-funded rivals in the process.

All Macgruder has done is given America a shitty "urban" cartoon to watch. Woo hoo. Thanks Aaron.

 

Fly was a Clinton supporter, who ran what we in political science circles call "a shitty campaign" that placed too much value on a brand name and not enough on her ground game. As a student of the art of politics, Obama's ground game was the best I've ever seen in the history of American presidential elections.

--

With regard to Obama's "blackness", Stanley Crouch made similar statements about his lack of slave heritage as being a disqualifier. So let me get this straight: if you are a black person that is not a descendant of slaves, then you cannot relate to black Americans?

It's one of the dumbest fucking statements I've ever heard and Mcgruder and Crouch deserve to be harshly criticized for uttering it.

 

I'm still a huge fan of the show.

But wow.:smt009

 

I don't agree with Aaron on his comments but I have more respect for him than that bubble-eyed, bull frog-looking, Stanley Crouch:x who hates anything...and I do mean "anything" or anybody associated with urban music or hip hop!

Me too.

 

First off, I am the subject of your first sentence so it is incorrect. I never ran a campaign. And secondly, yes I am a Clinton supporter.

What Obama has to be criticized about is his refusal to get involved with the dirty voting tricks that resulted in Bushs win. When the other black sentors acked him to join in their call for a congressional hearing Obama refused.

And here is where I get attacked for daring to criticize Obama......

 

all the black men attack...now!!!!..lol

 

I also do not like the way Obama saying one thing and does another in regard to Muslims. He put out plenty of platitudes, and apologies, yet steadfastly refused to even let Ellison go into a Masjid to campaign for him. His actions have not matched his words in regard to Muslims.

 

yes because all black men are Obama supporters right? Come on. I am not worried about getting attacked from "black men" but from Obama fanboys. Some of the most unreasonable fanboys I have known have been white women with black sons.

 

I read your post cause you have interesting thoughts,agreed or disagreed, so please xplain:
"black men" ????

"Some of the most unreasonable fanboys I have known have been white women with black sons"

 

The one true ignorant thing he said was about Obama not being black enough because he didn't descend from a slave. Typical uneducated, narrow-minded African American world view, especially of our own victimiztion.

Other than than he has every right to make the comments about being pessimistic and such. I'm not saying I agree with him, but this is a free country and I hate it when black people throw their blind loyalty at black public figures.

Of course personally I can't stand McGruder. I went from a huge fan to a guy who basically became sick of him about five years ago. He's mean-spirited and self righteous. And I think he's damn lazy too considering all the stoppage he had with the Boondocks as he fielded offers from Hollywood. He's never positive about anything and frankly he's probably just 1/100 of the man Obama is anyhow (especially in terms of accomplishment). Man, did I get sick of his comic strip only consisting of, like, five characters too. However I'm shaking my head at the black folks in the audience who turned against him. Why? Because he took cheap shots at your idol? McGruder has been taken cheap shots (albeit mostly funny ones) for his entire career. I am at least consistent with my respect but dislike for the guy. Other folks though are singing a new tune just because of the Obama references.

 

1)Which dirty tactics? The one in 2000 or 2004?
2)Why should Obama get involved with that stuff if he doesn't believe in the accusations? Should he do so because other black politicians made a fuss about it? Thank God Obama doesn't feel the need to keep 100% in line with the African American community. He would have never had become Senator nor President if he had. Hopefully he's a new black politician because the ones like Bobby Rush are tired and playing the same old games WITHOUT advancing black people's cause one bit.
3)What other black senators are you referring to? Obama was the ONLY black senator in this decade before that clown who replaced him jumped at the chance to accept the "gift" from that con governor of Ilinois.

 

Interesting points, Jamal.

 

I think the "baracks not black" thing was out of line

but

I agree,if baracks father had stayed in his life,and he was raised as an kenyan american(immersed in the culture and etc),and he had married an African immigrant woman,do you still think that the majority of black americans would have voted for him?

Hes right about michelle,her mom,and malia and sasha(by way of their mother) being the only ones in the house whom are descendants of slaves.

 

Considering he turned out as a bright, thoughtful, intelligent and responsible man with large ambitions, a great appreciation for education and an expansive view of the world at large I say it all turned out alright. Here's a controversial remark that some here may not care for: despite some disagreements with Obama if his upbringing was a key in getting him to appreciate the fruits of intelligence and education then I wish that half the young black men in this nation were raised under the exact same circumstances.

Neither do most black kids under 18. Hell, there are black adults who don't have a true appreciation and full understanding of all their forebearrs went through. But getting back to Obama's father I think its safe to say that he had a pretty good understanding about racism and its destructiveness.

Even if it was true, so what? He obviously grew up mostly in areas that were predominantly white as well as went to predominantly white schools. I'm glad he wasn't more typical by isolating himself only with other blacks. That said it seems that the vast majority of the times when the media interviews someone who as noted as being a good friend of Obama and/or his family, its mostly a black person.

There are countless white folks who go to such schools and get such jobs and are still staunch Democrts. I don't think getting a good education or a good job means one leans to being a Republican.

Plus you have to consider all the liberal-leaning activities he did while in college not to mention his work in the Chicago South Side before he met Michelle.

Shucks, I prefer Darin Bell's "Candorville" anyway.