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"The Boondocks" Pisses Off Al Sharpton, Renewed For Second Season
The Cartoon Network recently came to the defense of the controversial "The Boondocks" episode titled "Return Of The King" which depicted the civil rights icon Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. using the word "*****."
The episode, which aired on the eve of the Martin Luther King holiday, showed the character Huey imagining Dr. King surviving his 1968 assassination and emerging from a coma in the year 2000. Dr. King is so disturbed by what his people have become and in a climatic scene in the episode, he yells out "Will you ignorant n***as please shut the hell up?!"
"This episode in no way was meant to offend or 'desecrate' the name of Dr. King," the network said in a statement released Tuesday (January 24).
"The Boondocks," which was created by African-American cartoonist Aaron McGruder, has been well known for pushing the envelope in both his Cartoon Network show and the comic strip it's based on.
The episode enraged Reverend Al Sharpton, who demanded an apology and told the New York Post he wanted the episode pulled from possible reruns.
"I resent [McGruder] making Dr. King in the image of using the 'n' word and being profane," Sharpton told The Post. "I don't think they would have let [McGruder] do that to an icon in another community."
"We think Aaron McGruder came up with a thought-provoking way of not only showing Dr. King's bravery, but also of reminding us of what he stood and fought for," the network said. "And why, even today, it is important for all of us to remember that and to continue to take action."
According to The New York Post, a Cartoon Network spokeswoman said there's been no decision on whether the episode will re-air.
One thing is for sure though, "The Boondocks" has been green-lit for a second season and the network has ordered 20 new episodes of the series.
New episodes are expected to be aired in late 2006. Ten episodes of the initial 15-episode order have already aired this season.
McGruder plans to turn "The Boondocks" into a feature film and video game properties.
Source: sohh.com
The episode, which aired on the eve of the Martin Luther King holiday, showed the character Huey imagining Dr. King surviving his 1968 assassination and emerging from a coma in the year 2000. Dr. King is so disturbed by what his people have become and in a climatic scene in the episode, he yells out "Will you ignorant n***as please shut the hell up?!"
"This episode in no way was meant to offend or 'desecrate' the name of Dr. King," the network said in a statement released Tuesday (January 24).
"The Boondocks," which was created by African-American cartoonist Aaron McGruder, has been well known for pushing the envelope in both his Cartoon Network show and the comic strip it's based on.
The episode enraged Reverend Al Sharpton, who demanded an apology and told the New York Post he wanted the episode pulled from possible reruns.
"I resent [McGruder] making Dr. King in the image of using the 'n' word and being profane," Sharpton told The Post. "I don't think they would have let [McGruder] do that to an icon in another community."
"We think Aaron McGruder came up with a thought-provoking way of not only showing Dr. King's bravery, but also of reminding us of what he stood and fought for," the network said. "And why, even today, it is important for all of us to remember that and to continue to take action."
According to The New York Post, a Cartoon Network spokeswoman said there's been no decision on whether the episode will re-air.
One thing is for sure though, "The Boondocks" has been green-lit for a second season and the network has ordered 20 new episodes of the series.
New episodes are expected to be aired in late 2006. Ten episodes of the initial 15-episode order have already aired this season.
McGruder plans to turn "The Boondocks" into a feature film and video game properties.
Source: sohh.com