Introduction "The Grown, Really Pissed Off Huey"

Since I've been back in Liberia I haven't been watching that much television, as you can probably imagine. Satellite television is nicknamed "fair weather tv" because it goes out when the weather is shitty, and Liberia is in its rainy season. Plus, television here sucks anyway, besides decent movies here and there and great reruns of Cheaters - it doesn't offer much else.. and no this post isn't about the incompetency of Liberian satellite television. I barely watch TV anyway besides news and sports news..unless I'm with my girl. I find myself developing a guilty pleasure for reality television such as Tough Love, For the Love of Ray J, and Tyson's Beckford's Make Me a Supermodel (I guess I should say No Homo after that..so, No Homo) because of her ass; it sickens me to my stomach.

Enough with the rambling. Point is, when my girl and I got bored the first week we were here before I started work, we watched countless episodes of The Boondocks. She recently bought both seasons on DVD, and it is one of the few times we both can mutually enjoy a television show together. We are both huge fans because we agree with the premise behind Aaron McGruder's inspiration for the animated series. See, McGruder hates his own people, but in a loving kind of way. As an African-American he wishes we all could see our potential; in the process he is highly critical of our present state. It is a social satire that I personally feel is ingenious; using comedy as a backdrop, McGruder manages to provide the most accurate assessment of the current ills, and plights of the African American community within the greater context of American society. My connection to what The Boondocks represents is what provided the inspiration for this post.

I am going to give you all a little bit of background info just to give you an idea of what this post is about. The series revolves around the lives of the Freeman family - ten year old Huey, eight year old Riley, and their grandfather Robert. Huey's character was named for the famous African-American revolutionary Huey P. Newton, co-founder of The Black Panther Party, and his personality is a reflection of his namesake. Huey is defined by his intelligence, contemporary Afrocentrism, and his support for any cause related to the struggle of African-Americans. He laments African-American pop culture popularized in the media for glamorizing excessive extravagance and ignorance. Huey narrates the show from a cynical, angry perspective, wishing his people would look in the mirror and see how mindless they portray themselves; He never smiles. Riley is the polar opposite; despite being bright and artistic, he loves "Gangsta Rap" and African-American pop culture and this influences everything in his life - from his choice of language, to his clothing, to his lifestyle decisions. Essentially McGruder uses Riley's character to display exactly what is wrong with the African-American community; Huey to demonstrate his own sentiment. The show is a battle between the conflicting personalities of the two brothers; Robert Freeman is there to reign in his grandsons.

Now with that background information in mind let's hypothetically assume Huey has grown up, is my age - the ripe old age of twenty-two. Nothing has changed in our community; Huey is still pissed off, but lets amp it up a couple notches. Ain't shit changed, Huey's angry, still cynical as ever - and I am going to take on his persona and give him a means to express himself through my blog. A guest blogger, if you will. Now, there you have it.. "The Grown, Really Pissed Off Huey", so let's get to it...



(If your into race-related humor check out the show, it's hilarious)
www.boondockstv.com