Homophobic? Anti-Christian?--Boondocks Season 3 Episode "Pause" Reviewed

<object width=”425″ height=”344″><param name=”movie” value=”http://www.youtube.com/v/y1ilwAiyD68&amp;hl=en_US&amp;fs=1&amp;”><param name=”allowFullScreen” value=”true”><param name=”allowscriptaccess” value=”always”><embed src=”http://www.youtube.com/v/y1ilwAiyD68&amp;hl=en_US&amp;fs=1&amp;” type=”application/x-shockwave-flash” allowscriptaccess=”always” allowfullscreen=”true” width=”425″ height=”344″></embed></object><br /><br />As the old saying goes, “the enemy of my enemy is my friend.” After tonight’s <span style=”font-style: italic;”>Boondocks</span>, I know that this episode will be attacked as being either “homophobic” or “anti-Christian”…and both sides will most certainly unite in mutual condemnation of Aaron McGruder’s latest salvo across the bow of the Black Superpublic.<br /><br />My two cents: “Pause” was great.<br /><br />Shameless self-promotion: See our latest poll on the right sidebar (hopefully this one won’t break just as it is getting good).<br /><br />In tonight’s episode, McGruder took on two sacred cows among some in the black community. He exposed <a href=”http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&amp;source=web&amp;cd=4&amp;ved=0CCAQtwIwAw&amp;url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DCiwhh3fB6vE&amp;ei=hBofTJfcBKrvnQfvlNyKDg&amp;usg=AFQjCNHjFKluxpMzz1aAo4MSIlyjQDqxMg&amp;sig2=qi4CuvjGyQchzCWy0RwKZw”>Tyler Perry’s coonery</a>. And McGruder owned the collective foolishness of the Black Church with its corporate, prosperity ministry nonsense. As folks who follow this site know, one I do not “get” the Black church; two I don’t get the religiously minded; and three I do so believe that religion is all in all an opiate of the masses–equally so, both for the ghetto ign’t underclasses and the bourgeois negro strivers alike.<br /><br />In keeping with <a href=”http://wearerespectablenegroes.blogspot.com/2010/05/stinkmeaner-3-hateocracy-of-easter-eggs.html”>my earlier post</a> on the <span style=”font-style: italic;”>Boondocks, </span>here are some observations and Easter Eggs for us to commiserate on (modestly offered because the <a href=”http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&amp;source=web&amp;cd=1&amp;ved=0CBIQFjAA&amp;url=http%3A%2F%2Fen.wikipedia.org%2Fwiki%2FMacGuffin&amp;ei=SR0fTIzeA8WfnAepxKznAw&amp;usg=AFQjCNGSC7ETdNlzjExoXvihGfr8Q2M7pQ&amp;sig2=LSKwwt9_TlyS3OHu74Y2Iw”>MacGuffins</a> were pretty obvious in this episode).<br /><br />1. As some have observed, where do you find the freaks on Sunday? I will let that pregnant question stand alone. And of course (not ever in my experience), I have heard about more freaky deaky hot sex make the angels blush Song of Solomon stories from guys who hooked up with “pious” church girls than from any other discrete cohort. I myself have drunk from these want to be near virgins’ waters. Yes, I must tell you they are deep, ambrosia filled, and wondrous.<br /><br />2. Broken toys: McGruder’s wink at the porn star turned Tyler Perry devotee is on point.<br /><br />3. How many of you know folks who pray for anything at any time? Is this disrespectful of “God?” I must ask: Isn’t God pretty busy managing the universe? Or do interns handle these petty requests, i.e. the “please God, may my McDonald’s order be correct?” or “Praise God, that I win the Superbowl and make even more money that I do not need!”<br /><br />4. Tyler Perry’s induction of grandpa at the mansion into his twisted sex cult is a clear wink to <a href=”http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y645SmqQbNA”><span style=”font-style: italic;”>The Rocky Horror Picture Show</span></a>.<br /><br />5. Likewise, the Tyler Perry zombie cult member’s mention of Kool Aid is a signal to <a href=”http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&amp;source=web&amp;cd=4&amp;ved=0CCwQtwIwAw&amp;url=http%3A%2F%2Fvideo.google.com%2Fvideoplay%3Fdocid%3D-2162288600433153789&amp;ei=jRsfTJ_vF9eQnwe-l5DnAw&amp;usg=AFQjCNEnQ2XUOEVkd9OYT1ggKusTJeCFOw&amp;sig2=1RxhTo0pnL4uor4c5jc2Rw”>J</a><a href=”http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&amp;source=web&amp;cd=4&amp;ved=0CCwQtwIwAw&amp;url=http%3A%2F%2Fvideo.google.com%2Fvideoplay%3Fdocid%3D-2162288600433153789&amp;ei=jRsfTJ_vF9eQnwe-l5DnAw&amp;usg=AFQjCNEnQ2XUOEVkd9OYT1ggKusTJeCFOw&amp;sig2=1RxhTo0pnL4uor4c5jc2Rw”>im Jones and the Guyana tragedy</a><a href=”http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&amp;source=web&amp;cd=4&amp;ved=0CCwQtwIwAw&amp;url=http%3A%2F%2Fvideo.google.com%2Fvideoplay%3Fdocid%3D-2162288600433153789&amp;ei=jRsfTJ_vF9eQnwe-l5DnAw&amp;usg=AFQjCNEnQ2XUOEVkd9OYT1ggKusTJeCFOw&amp;sig2=1RxhTo0pnL4uor4c5jc2Rw”>.</a><br /><br />6. Is Aaron McGruder a fan of <a href=”http://www.amazon.com/The-God-Delusion-ebook/dp/B000SEHG5U/ref=pd_sim_kinc_2?ie=UTF8&amp;m=AG56TWVU5XWC2″>Richard Dawkin</a> and <a href=”http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&amp;source=web&amp;cd=1&amp;ved=0CBQQFjAA&amp;url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2FGod-Not-Great-Everything-ebook%2Fdp%2FB000QUCO4Y&amp;ei=kxQfTPDFOYWLnQf8-8zoDQ&amp;usg=AFQjCNEOZ-ikmAGAJfUyvF_KAUCwNvE53Q&amp;sig2=-4VbuCTtIfByjs7FhVfjlw”>Chris Hitchens</a>? I think he is. Never forget that religion ruins all things.<br /><br />7. This episode took multiple digs at hip hop and “urban” culture’s homophobia/homosocial/often homosexual underpinnings. All of them damn sharp, deep, and painful.<br /><br />8. Likewise, the homophobic rhetoric of many in the Black Church was put on blast. Funny, because we know that many men, men who are often in leadership positions in the church, are in fact gay or bisexual. Talk about hypocrisy.<br /><br />9. To point: The cup overfloweth with references to “D.L.” culture. Beware the eyes!<br /><br /><object width=”425″ height=”344″><param name=”movie” value=”http://www.youtube.com/v/h2PNBsLgL8A&amp;hl=en_US&amp;fs=1&amp;”><param name=”allowFullScreen” value=”true”><param name=”allowscriptaccess” value=”always”><embed src=”http://www.youtube.com/v/h2PNBsLgL8A&amp;hl=en_US&amp;fs=1&amp;” type=”application/x-shockwave-flash” allowscriptaccess=”always” allowfullscreen=”true” width=”425″ height=”344″></embed></object><br /><br />10. In my opinion, xyz’s smartest digs were at the near perfect script of professional black woman in peril because of the lack of available, good, black men. McGruder in his dig at Perry got in references to <a style=”font-style: italic;” href=”http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1HVcFyF-mco”>Diary of a Tired Black Man</a> and Beyonce’s new age classic <a href=”http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JBq8clz1nvQ&amp;feature=related”><span style=”font-style: italic;”>Obsessed</span></a> (trust, one day it will be on TNT) …<br /><br />11. McGruder’s point that in the Black Church we have folks who are false prophets making false profits. Riddle me that. Now introducing the “rent money dance.” A broke clock–here being Pastor Manning–is right twice a day.<br /><br /><object width=”425″ height=”344″><param name=”movie” value=”http://www.youtube.com/v/xaGbBtLfVVk&amp;hl=en_US&amp;fs=1&amp;”><param name=”allowFullScreen” value=”true”><param name=”allowscriptaccess” value=”always”><embed src=”http://www.youtube.com/v/xaGbBtLfVVk&amp;hl=en_US&amp;fs=1&amp;” type=”application/x-shockwave-flash” allowscriptaccess=”always” allowfullscreen=”true” width=”425″ height=”344″></embed></object><br /><br />12. Tom’s support of Tyler Perry’s mission is, at least to my eyes, a damned powerful lampooning of how folks who should know better support coonery and foolishness in Black popular culture because of the soft bigotry of low expectations. In short, the black privilege classes know better. But, in an effort to appear “authentic” these same folk embrace foolishness.<br /><br />13. Tyler Perry’s character receiving inspiration from a “White” Jesus. Deep.<br /><br />Do tell, what other themes, symbols, or metaphors were present in this latest McGruder masterpiece? Ultimately, are the masses that embrace Tyler Perry really this stupid?<div class=”blogger-post-footer”><img width=’1′ height=’1′ src=’https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/57113078446695664-1670667977955706047?l=wearerespectablenegroes.blogspot.com’ alt=” /></div>

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