The Boondocks compiled
Greed
Greed is generally presented by individuals using others or manipulating the system in order to gain something they want. For example, in episode 8, Riley and Granddad work together in order to get free items and services from television programs. For example, Riley has television programs upgrade Granddad’s home and car. However, generally it seems that people (except for Wuncler) do not get away with greed. In episode 8, Granddad is punished for his actions by ending up with a $35,000 bill for his car, as well as broken walls in his house. In episode 5, we see Ed Wuncler III, a wealthy man, and his friend, Gin Rummy, decide to get into a gunfight to steal the beer rather than pay for it – even though they were supposed to be after a murderer.
Additional Observations: Episode 5 – The Boondocks
(15:05 – 15:39) Wuncler III and his friend, Gin Rummy, choose to go to the gas station for beer rather than address the priority of tracking down the murderer. While at the gas station, they decide to get into a gunfight to steal the beer rather than just pay for it, though Wuncler III is a wealthy white man. Episode 2 – The Boondocks
9:33-- Ruckus has a flashback to a time he served on a jury years ago. He yells to the judge to hang the black man on trial, saying he does not need to deliberate... He says this moments after praising the legal process
Self-Loathing
Uncle Ruckus is the most obvious example of self-loathing. In episode 4, Ruckus makes fun of Grandpa while he is training. He says, “Everybody knows niggers climb trees not kick em.” Then he laughs at himself. In this case, he seems to be pleased with himself but is still demeaning his race.
In episode 4 we also see that after Granddad is in fight, the family drives home in their damaged car. “Eye of the Tiger” comes on the radio. Grandpa looks angry and says, “I hate this damn song.”--the song is about a fighter winning. Grandpa maybe hates the song in that moment because he hates that he lost.
Additional Observations:
Episode 2 – The Boondocks
6:00-- Ruckus (idiot) talks to Granddad about R.Kelly. "You can't compare a chocolate monkey like that to Jerry Lee Lewy!"
8:53-- Ruckus, "Thank god for the white man's code of law. It's the only way to keep these crazy niggers under control. Well, that and pepper spray."
15:02-- Ruckus says he doesn’t like black people. he says white people are "the best thing the good lord ever did for the planet earth." He calls his blackness an ailment. He says he has the opposite of vitaleigo. He goes into a monologue about why white people are so pleasing. "Have you ever looked at them? White men are just a joy to be around. They smell like lemon juice and pledge furniture cleaner. And look at them, they gave us jobs, discipline, put structure into our lives, took us out the jungle. And what do we do to show our appreciation? We march up and down the street. We vote. Carry on. Ingrates."
Episode 4 – The Boondocks
Huey describes the “nigga moment” as self-destructive. Black men become enraptured in nigga moments when they are seemingly defending their own honor, but as Huey points out the act is usually quite violent to the person.
Hypocrisy
The Boondocks is particularly critical of the hypocrisy in the media. For example, in episode 8 it is discussed that the media present a false reality. Huey states, “Everything we see is a false reality, I mean, it’s like Big Brother, The Matrix, whatever you want to call it.” Even the television camera says, “Cameras are rolling, so everyone should smile!” There are many characters who present their own hypocrisies. For example, episode 5 highlights Tom Dubois, a prosecutor, and his fear of being sent to prison. He also fears the other black men on the show and being raped – highlighting the fact that Tom Dubois is generally perceived as a “white” black man. In episode 4. Huey shows grandpa blind swordsman movie to prepare him for the fight. Huey consistently tries to convince Grandpa not to fight saying, “The only way to win is not to fight.” But then helps Grandpa train and puts added pressure on him to prepare. Episode 2 – The Boondocks
Additional Observations:
9:33-- Ruckus has a flashback to a time he served on a jury years ago. He yells to the judge to hang the black man on trial, saying he does not need to deliberate... He says this moments after praising the legal process
Ignorance
In episode 5, an example of racial ignorance is portrayed in the (black) murderer who is wanted for killing someone simply because of a dispute over a video game. All of episode 4 focuses on the “nigger moment.” Huey describes is as the following: “Webster defines the nigga moment as a moment when ignorance overwhelms the mind of an otherwise logical Negro male, causing him to act an illogical, self-destructive matter (i.e.., like a nigger).”
Additional Observations:
Episode 2 – The Boondocks
6:25-- R.Kelly supporters party outside the courtroom, eating fried chicken, playing volley ball. Their picket signs are all misspelled.
14:00-- victim says she agreed to be peed on by R.Kelly. "I've been peed on by guys that don't even have record deals."
Episode 4 – The Boondocks
20:03 Riley remembers seeing crowds fight after a chair is thrown. To avoid giving people their money back, he throws a chair above the crowd, which is composed of both whites and blacks. The crowd reacts, fighting each other for no reason.
Race Portrayals
Blacks
Blacks are generally portrayed as low class, they call themselves with nicknames. Riley explains how many nicknames he is called. Even granddad’s car has a name: Dorothy. It seems there are two classifications of blacks, those who desire to be seen as ghetto, for example Riley tries to specifically to garner support by using “niggas” or trying to be more ghetto (episode 8). What is interesting is that these characters tend to have a strong Ebonics accent, as well as using vulgar language. When the situations are normal, there are jazz music. When the situations get into dramatism, sounds the Battle Hymn of the Republic (glory, glory, halleluiah…), and when things related to the car and the rapper appear, there is rap. Criminality Blacks are also arrested quite easily, as reflected in episode 5 when Tom Dubois was arrested. The first thing that was mentioned was that a black man is sent to jail for selling bootlegged episodes of Soul Train, a black television show from the 1970s, but then we also see how police profile people: “Tom knew a black man didn’t have to do much to go to prison.” –Huey “They say I fit the description...I think it’s because I’m black!” –Tom “You know what this is...this is racism. You were at the wrong place at the wrong time and you just happened to fit the description.” –policeman Danger In episode 4, it is noted that there are three “main” reasons why black men die, (1) FEMA, referencing Katrina and other disaster relief, (2) Porkchops – they even show us a scenario when we see two black men run into each other, get angry and shoot at each other, but then apologize only to have a white cop shoot them both, (3) Nigga moments, which is when “ignorance overwhelms the mind of an otherwise logical Negro male, causing him to act in an illogical, self- destructive matter.” Community Generally it is seen that the black community forgives each other easily. In episode 4 even though black people (men) get into all kinds of disagreements, they forgive each other quickly. After grandpa kills Stinkmeaner, Huey affirms that he was an old, terrible man who is better off dead, “still he was our brother.”
Whites Most of the media workers are white, and in authority figures (episode 8). Generally whites are perceived as either bossy, or far too relaxed.
Benevolence In episode 5, Wuncler III and his friend, Gin Rummy, are portrayed as heroes for ousting the “terrorists” who ran the gas station Whites are the most powerful people in the show, as policemen but also as investors. For example, the gas station that Wuncler III robs is actually partially owned by Wuncler III’s grandfather, Edward Wuncler. Benevolence can also be seen as a weakness – in episode 3 we see a white mother struggling to reign in her wild child in the grocery store. Granddad instructs her how to punish her child by beating him with a whip. After she does what he instructs, she suddenly as an Ebonics accent – like a black woman.
Guilty but not guilty As mentioned before, Gin Rummy and Wuncler III are both “gangster” types (Gin Rummy is actually voiced by black actor Samuel L. Jackson), and despite starting a gun fight that was unnecessary, they are portrayed as heroes instead of criminals.
The Good Life Whites are persistently presented as being happy due to the fact that they are white. In episode 4, a white man begins to get angry and then pauses and says, “wait a minute, I am white!” before chuckling.
Middle Eastern In episode 5 we see a Middle Eastern gas station clerk who is accused of being a terrorist by Wuncler III and Gin Rummy when they rob the gas station due to his race. It isn’t clear if this might be partially because Wuncler III was in combat situations in the Middle East. However, it seems that Wuncler III and Gin Rummy are not the only ones with the stereotype in their head, because news outlets also report in the episode that the Middle Eastern men were terrorists, despite there being no evidence of its truth. It is not just the men who were discussed in episode 5, Wuncler III also comments that the “bitches” in the Iraq were “carpet shit” – referencing the burqas that women wear – and that he could not see if they were truly attractive.
Hispanic A Hispanic news station is shown in episode 4 and anchors make fun of Granddad by calling him Señor Piñata.
Gender Roles Women While females are not very prevalent, it is noted that, with the exception of Jasmine, women are portrayed generally as objects. For example, Riley says that all women are bitches in episode nine. Riley is not the only character that calls women “bitches,” his role model, Wuncler III also objectifies women by saying when he was in Iraq he was “looking for bitches” but that the “carpet shit” didn’t allow him to see if they were attractive in episode 5. Perhaps the biggest debate of gender roles between Riley and Huey in episode 3 on what makes a hoe. Riley argues that all women are hoes, Huey disagrees and argues about a quarter are. “But if they all not hoes, then why I got to take them out to eat then? I mean I am paying, that is payment.” Huey argues that is what you do, and you are paying the restaurant. “But I am paying, which makes her a hoe. Why don’t I just give her the money I was going to spend on dinner and that hoe can go grocery shopping.” It is noted by the pimp that a hoe is not a woman. 1:20-- women's butts on the TV with song, "Booty Butt, Booty Butt, Booty Buttcheecks" (song)
LBGTQ
In episode 8, Mr. Dubois starts singing when they got the car back in a great condition. Workers says: “Is he gay?” Homophobia
Religious Comments
The pimp seems to recognize his own religion, in episode 3, “Lord, please pray for the soul of this bitch. And guide my pimp hand and make it strong so she might learn a hoe’s place.”
Characters
Huey Freeman Huey is a proud activist, even claiming in episode 8 that he is the founder of 23 different radical leftist organizations, mainly to defend Afro-American rights. Huey has a prophetic sense about him, or at least he thinks he does (episode 4). Huey is persistently the only mature and critical voice in episodes. He frequently makes speeches about the truth – or lack thereof – and that there will be consequences for actions of his family (episode 8,) Huey frequently tries to discover the truth, through logic and facts, but inner passion about righting wrongs of society (episode 5). One such speech was over the fact that Granddad was dating a hoe (episode 3), and he talks at length about what a hoe would do to help convince Granddad that his girlfriend was a prostitute, all of which are things Crystal (the girlfriend) did do at one point. Huey isn’t accepting of everything, he is highly critical of thugs and prostitutes. In episode 3, he is highly disgusted by Granddad’s girlfriend. He is completely disgusted by her, stating he did not want to do her laundry – and even burns an orange juice carton that she drinks out of. Huey’s character often is presented with jazz music in the background.
Additional Observations:
Episode 2 - 18:51-- Huey turns off the music and addressed the courtroom. "What the hell is wrong with you people? Every famous nigger that gets arrested is not Nelson Mandela."
Episode 4 - 6:27 Huey -- Huey says, “this fight is over.” holds the cane, keeping the men from fighting.
Riley Freeman Riley frequently pimps out people in order to gain what he wants. For example, he sells his Granddad as a blind man in order to get a better car and house (episode 8). Riley is presented with a very strong Ebonic accent. He frequently uses slang, but also uses vulgar language. He also refers to pop culture, and supports many celebrities, and tends to look up to Wuncler III (episode 5) and the pimp in episode 3 (saying “Amen” after the pimp says the “pimp’s praer”). Riley tends to be relatively simple-minded. He does not like anything to be complicated. For example, while Huey tries to make a grand argument about what is a hoe (episode 3), Riley’s only vocal complaint to Granddad is that she cheated while playing a video game. That is not to say he doesn’t think about things, for example, he has an elaborate argument why all women are hoes, because you pay for their dinner, movies, etc. Riley frequently eggs on other characters, and often Granddad. For example, in episode 3, he continues to say “hoe” just to make Granddad angry, despite being beaten by him already once for saying hoe. Another example is episode 3, where he talks about how he has game, and Granddad doesn’t. “Game recognize game, and you looking kinda unfamiliar right now. I can’t… where’s Granddad? Can I help you, sir?” Riley
Additional Observations:
Episode 2 - 3:42-- Riley grills Mr.Dubois about why R.Kelly has to go to jail for peeing on people "I may never pee again!"
Episode 4 - 5:30 -- “OH hell no! Granddad! Let’s whoop this nigga’s ass right now!”
Robert Freeman Robert is defined as being a man who has everything except for the perfect woman, episode 3. He exercises a fair bit (episode 1) and also buys sexual enhancement supplements (episode 3). Robert does not like the interactions that Riley promotes (episode 8) but often follows the advice or direction of others if it promotes something he wants. In episode 3, Huey states that he thought Granddad was gay, but now it is apparent Granddad just has bad luck. He ends up falling for a prostitute, being completely blind by her. Robert wants to be a hero, and tries to help his girlfriend in episode 3 with everything she could need. He is very protective of those he cares about, for example when a pimp is about to hit his girlfriend, he holds him back with his belt (using it as a whip), despite finding out that she had lied to him.
Uncle Ruckus Uncle Ruckus is frequently used by others to serve a purpose. For example, in episode 8, he drives Granddad around in order to promote Riley’s lie that Granddad is blind.
Jazmine DuBois Jazmine is perhaps the most innocent character, frequently talking about things such as fairy tales (episode 8) and is frequently upset by the “truth” that Huey and Riley present to her. She is often willing to follow along in the plots and plans of others to help. In episode 5 she does reveal more of her naivety when she believes her father, Tom DuBois, was kidnapped by terrorists because of the high terror alert, despite the fact that he was arrested.
Edward Wuncler III Seeks violence as the primary solution; needlessly breaks into an apartment and shoots people in the streets; decides to rob a store over beer despite being wealthy. It is later noted by his grandfather that the only reason why Wuncler III got away with this crimes was because Edward Wuncler owned most of the places Wuncler III robbed (episode 5).
Additional Observations: Episode 5 - (7:45 – 8:03; 9:19 – 9:35) – a percussive beat plays when Ed Wuncler III first makes an appearance and again when he and Gin Rummy leave the house for their mission
(14:47 – 15:07) – Middle Eastern music playing when they walk into the convenience store run by the Middle Eastern man
Tom DuBois Orderly, by-the-book, and straight-laced; extremely afraid of going to jail and being anally raped to the point that he is reduced to tears when arrested (episode 5.)
Additional Observations:
Episode 2 - 10:06-- Dubois is confident he will win the case against Kelly, but he is severely underprepared.
Episode 5 (2:18 – 2:28; 3:18 – 3:28) – upbeat jazzy music depicting a young Tom Dubois; again the same tune when we see an older Tom Dubois
Colonel H. Stinkmeaner Sinkmeaner is a cantankerous, disagreeable, unhappy and blind. However, he still can fight and drives. “Getting run over by me is as close to an honorable death as most of these people are gonna get.” (episode 4).
Crystal (episode 3) Crystal is “not fulfilled” by her job. She lies about her job (she is a prostitute) by saying she works in sales, and that she is somewhere between an “anatomical sales associate and a high maintenance girlfriend.” She is seen as relatively lazy, and doesn’t want to work or go to school. She tends to be relatively reasonable, stating that she could be seen as a lazy hoe, and doesn’t see why Granddad (her boyfriend) doesn’t see it. However, she refuses to leave until her pimp comes to take her away.
Universal Emotions
Episode 3, Season 1 Joy – 3:55 – Granddad gets a date
Sadness 10:43 – Riley to Crystal beating him at a videogame
Anger 5:15 – Riley and Granddad argue about game; 11:33 when Riley and Huey are fed up with Crystal living with them. 18:44 Granddad ready to kick the pimps ass.
Fear – 1:43 kid about to get whipped.
Surprise 7:19 – Huey’s response to Riley; 18:03 when Granddad finally realizes Crystal is a prostitute.
Disgust 11:02 – Huey burning something Crystal drank out of; 14:31 when Huey states he doesn’t want to do prostitute laundry, “Do you know how disgusting that is?!”
Episode 8, Season 1 Sadness 3.00. Riley cries 6.09. Jasmine cries
Anger 8.28. Riley is angry
Fear 15.21. Crash, Granddad and Riley get scare.
Surprise 8.47. Granddad is surprised people from TV is at the house. 15.37. Granddad and Riley see the new car.
Episode 5, Season 1 Joy: Wuncler III and Gin Rummy (20:07)
Sadness: Tom DuBois (~10:44)
Anger n/a
Fear: Tom (~2:00); gas station clerk (~16:40)
Surprise: Huey (20:10)
Disgust
Episode 4, Season 1 Joy
Anger
Cultural context
Episode 3, Season 1 Sex in the city – as glamorous – but Crystal says it when she goes to Red Lobster Doggy bag ($90) – tea bag ($60) – Crystal’s hooker terms when a man asks her her price. The pimp calls Granddad Indiana Jacobs when he is held back. “I didn’t know we were still whipping niggas.” Song “Gold Digger” by Kanye West plays Riley calls Crystal, “Fake-ass Mariah Carey” when she beats him brutally at a video game. Likely a reference to her curves and pale skin.
Episode 8, Season 1 Dr. Bill Cosby. William Henry "Bill" Cosby Jr. (born July 12, 1937) is an American comedian, actor, author, television producer, educator, musician and activist. A veteran stand-up performer, he got his start at the hungry i in San Francisco and various other clubs, then landed a starring role in the 1960s action show, I Spy. He later starred in his own sitcom, The Bill Cosby Show. He was one of the major performers on the children's television series The Electric Company during its first two seasons, and created the educational cartoon comedy series Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids, about a group of young friends growing up in the city. Cosby also acted in a number of films. During the 1980s, Cosby produced and starred in one of the decade's defining sitcoms, The Cosby Show, which aired eight seasons from 1984 to 1992. It was the number one show in America for five straight years (1985–89). The sitcom highlighted the experiences and growth of an affluent African-American family. He also produced the spin-off sitcom A Different World, which became second to The Cosby Show in ratings. He starred in the sitcom Cosby from 1996 to 2000 and hosted Kids Say the Darndest Things for two seasons. In 2002, scholar Molefi Kete Asante included him in his book The 100 Greatest African Americans. In 1976, Cosby earned a Doctor of Education degree from the University of Massachusetts Amherst. His dissertation discussed the use of Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids as a teaching tool in elementary schools.
Xzibit. Alvin Nathaniel Joiner (born September 18, 1974), better known by his stage name Xzibit (pronounced “exhibit”), is an American rapper, actor, and television host. He is known as the host of the MTV show Pimp My Ride, which brought him mainstream success. Before hosting the show, he achieved fame in the West Coast hip-hop scene as a rapper, debuting with his acclaimed At the Speed of Life and gathering chart success with his follow-up albums Restless, Man vs. Machine and Weapons of Mass Destruction, working with high-profile artists such as Eminem, Cypress Hill, Snoop Dogg, Ice Cube, Dr. Dre, Knoc- turn'al, Timbaland, Limp Bizkit, Alice Cooper, Game and 50 Cent, as well as being one of the first out internationally, working with overseas acts such as Russian rapper Timati, Raptile from Germany, Bliss N Eso from Australia and Adil Omar from Pakistan.
9/11. The September 11 attacks (also referred to as September 11, September 11th, or 9/11) were a series of four coordinated terrorist attacks launched by the Islamic terrorist group al-Qaeda upon the United States in New York City and the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area on Tuesday, September 11, 2001. Four passenger airliners were hijacked by 19 al-Qaeda terrorists so they could be flown into buildings in suicide attacks. Two of those planes, American Airlines Flight 11 and United Airlines Flight 175, were crashed into the North and South towers, respectively, of the World Trade Center complex in New York City. Within two hours, both towers collapsed with debris and the resulting fires causing partial or complete collapse of all other buildings in the WTC complex, as well as significant damage to ten other large surrounding structures. A third plane, American Airlines Flight 77, was crashed into the Pentagon (the headquarters of the United States Department of Defense), leading to a partial collapse in its western side. The fourth plane, United Airlines Flight 93, was targeted at Washington, D.C., but crashed into a field near Shanksville, Pennsylvania, after its passengers tried to overcome the hijackers. In total, almost 3,000 people died in the attacks, including the 227 civilians and 19 hijackers aboard the four planes. It also was the deadliest incident for firefighters in the history of the United States.
Pimp My Ride is a TV show produced by MTV. Each episode consists of taking one car in poor condition and restoring it, as well as customizing it. The original American version was hosted by rapper Xzibit (one episode featured guest host Chamillionaire). Recently, MTV2 has begun airing episodes from Pimp My Ride UK hosted by DJ Tim Westwood, which features cars being customised in the UK, and Pimp My Ride International, featuring cars in central Europe, hosted by hip hop artists Fat Joe and Lil' Jon, as well as the related CMT series Trick My Truck.
Extreme Makeover: Home Edition (EM:HE) is an American reality television series providing home improvements for less fortunate families and community schools. The show is hosted by former model, carpenter and veteran television personality Ty Pennington. Each episode features a family that has faced some sort of recent or ongoing hardship such as a natural disaster or a family member with a life-threatening illness, in need of new hope. The show's producers coordinate with a local construction contractor, which then coordinates with various companies in the building trades for a makeover of the family's home. This includes interior, exterior and landscaping, performed in seven days while the family is on vacation (paid for by the show's producers) and documented in the episode. If the house is beyond repair, they replace it entirely. The show's producers and crew film set and perform the makeover but do not pay for it. The materials and labor are donated. Many skilled and unskilled volunteers assist in the rapid construction of the house.
Stevie Wonder. Stevland Hardaway Morris (born May 13, 1950 as Stevland Hardaway Judkins), known by his stage name Stevie Wonder, is an American musician, singer and songwriter. A child prodigy, he developed into one of the most creative and loved musical figures of the late 20th century. Blind since shortly after birth, Wonder signed with Motown's Tamla label at the age of eleven and continues to perform and record for Motown as of the early 2010s. Among Wonder's best known works are singles such as "Superstition", "Sir Duke", "You Are the Sunshine of My Life" and "I Just Called to Say I Love You". Well known albums also include Talking Book, Innervisions and Songs in the Key of Life. He has recorded more than thirty U.S. top ten hits and received twenty- two Grammy Awards, the most ever awarded to a male solo artist. Wonder is also noted for his work as an activist for political causes, including his 1980 campaign to make Martin Luther King, Jr.'s birthday a holiday in the United States. In 2009, Wonder was named a United Nations Messenger of Peace. In 2008, Billboard magazine released a list of the Hot 100 All-Time Top Artists to celebrate the US singles chart's fiftieth anniversary, with Wonder at number five.
American Idol is an American reality-singing competition series created by Simon Fuller and produced by 19 Entertainment, and distributed by Fremantle Media North America. It began airing on Fox on June 11, 2002, as an addition to the Idols format based on the British series Pop Idol and has since become one of the most successful shows in the history of American television. For an unprecedented eight consecutive years, from the 2003–04 television season through the 2010–11 season, either its performance or result show had been ranked number one in U.S. television ratings. The concept of the series is to find new solo recording artists where the winner is determined by the viewers in America. Winners chosen by viewers through telephone, Internet, and SMS text voting were Kelly Clarkson, Ruben Studdard, Fantasia Barrino, Carrie Underwood, Taylor Hicks, Jordin Sparks, David Cook, Kris Allen, Lee DeWyze, Scotty McCreery, Phillip Phillips and Candice Glover. American Idol employs a panel of judges who critique the contestants' performances. The original judges were record producer and music manager Randy Jackson, pop singer and choreographer Paula Abdul and music executive and manager Simon Cowell. The judging panel for the upcoming season consists of country singer Keith Urban, singer and actress Jennifer Lopez, and jazz singer Harry Connick, Jr. The show was originally hosted by radio personality Ryan Seacrest and comedian Brian Dunkleman, with Seacrest continuing on for the rest of the seasons.
"The Battle Hymn of the Republic" is a hymn by American writer Julia Ward Howe using the music from the song "John Brown's Body". Howe's more famous lyrics were written in November 1861 and first published in The Atlantic Monthly in February 1862. The song links the judgment of the wicked at the end of time (New Testament, Rev. 19) with the American Civil War. Since that time, it has become an extremely popular and well-known American patriotic song.
Additional Observations:
Episode 5, Season 1 The episode aired in 2005, four years following the 9/11 terrorist attacks. George W. Bush had just been reelected president, and the “War on Terror” and the Department of Homeland Security’s terror levels were regular topics in the media. This is displayed directly in the episode when a government official on television announces that the nation’s terror level is set to “intense orange red” because a terrorist attack “absolutely, positively is going to happen...today...maybe.” Furthermore, Jazmine irrationally jumps to the conclusion that terrorists have abducted her father and are going to behead him in Algeria. These instances point to the overreaction and sensationalized attention given to terrorism and societal perceptions of Arabs, particularly at the point in time.
Also, Ed Wuncler III and Gin Rummy both served in the military in Iraq together. When Riley asks if they ever found the weapons of mass destruction there, Gin Rummy takes offense, saying Huey knows they didn’t, but that the “absence of evidence is not the evidence of absence,” among other nonsensical reasons. This is another example of a culturally relevant and timely reference in the episode.
Episode 2 – The Boondocks
Whitney Houston and Bobby Brown are on the news depicted in the courtroom. Whitney has her arm in a sling, but denies Bobby hit her. Then Bobby hits her, "That's my show bitch" (gender roles)
R. Kelly mentioned on the news for urinating on a girl. Granddad asks, "What did OJ Simpson say to Kobee after his case was over?" NAACP award cert of recog. is used as an argument during the trial
Sound and Music Cues
Mood/Ambiance
Episode 2 – The Boondocks
:50 -- jazz music plays as it zooms into the Freeman house.
2:29-- music plays while newscast of R. Kelly is on. Music is medium energy hiphop.
8:10-- When R.Kelly steps out of his stretch hummer, the crowd stops fighting, they gasp. Hip-hop plays from his ride.
14:47-- dramatic music plays when the defending attorney outs Dubois' marriage to a white woman.
Episode 4 – The Boondocks
Calm jazz starts the show, background music with slow percussion. modern urban vibe. ends immediately when two men run into each other.
8:15 -- hip-hop plays in the background during Huey’s dream sequence where he fights a blind swordsman. Very chill beat, ominous.
11:25-- squealing hip-hop plays as old man drives up to granddad. the music is intense, seems to communicate that something is about to happen
13:05-- Asian string music plays in background as Huey shows granddad video on samurais. Music gets faster as it gets more violent, and then slows down again.
Episode 5 – The Boondocks
(16:55 – 18:35) – hip-hop music plays throughout the entire gunfight in the convenience store
Episode 3 – The Boondocks
1:32 – ominous music before a child gets beaten by his mother (she learns from Granddad how to use a belt).
Episode 5 – The Boondocks
(5:15 – 5:20) – eerie, suspenseful music as a scene change from Jazmine panicking to Tom Dubois being questioned by police
(8:28 – 8:31) – a piano chord is used to show a transition in time as we advance past the boys explaining the situation to Gin Rummy
Episode 2 – The Boondocks
10:06-- jazz music plays as Dubois proudly walks into the courtroom.
Episode 4 – The Boondocks
6:27-- piano music comes in as fight ends. Huey says, “This fight is over.”
Background music
Episode 2 – The Boondocks
18:29-- defending attorney plays r kelly music. R, Kelly takes the microphone.
Episode 4 – The Boondocks
6:37--(song) eye of the tiger plays in the background as Granddad fumes over having lost the fight.
Episode 3 – The Boondocks
15:14 – “She’s no Good” by Asheru, specifically made for The Boondocks Hoe episode
9:17 – Gold Digger scene change
Sound Cue
Episode 4 – The Boondocks
1:40-- sound cue BING, cues police officers who are preparing two arrest two young black men who had just apologized to one another after a shooting fight.
~2:09-xylophone sound cue when white man almost gets into a fight with a black man but then remembers his race. “wait a minute, I’m white!” (bing!). It’s a harmless, innocent kind of sound.
This xylophone sound is used throughout the episode. It is used like an instructional video. Any time Huey describes the nigga moment, the sound cue emerges and then the screen freezes.