You might say that that the writings and drawings of Aaron McGruder are a bit controversial. In fact if you did you probably wouldn’t be alone and would have plenty of people agreeing with you that his primary show, Boondocks, is in fact something of a major controversy that was allowed to run for a solid decade before it finally went off the air. If you’ve ever watched the show then you know very well that he’s good at satire, but he’s also good at provoking emotions in more than a few people. His character and his writings seem to incite a good deal of criticism that has in the past led to people heckling and even booing him when he comes out to public appearances. But one thing you can state is that he’s always been himself and hasn’t allowed anyone to tell him what’s what. Throughout his career Aaron has made his opinions known even when they’re not all that popular. Perhaps this is why he’s been one of the most celebrated and appreciated in his field.
Despite his upbringing and obvious intelligence however he has made statements and faced off against certain individuals that could have ended his career quite easily in one way or another. Stating in front of a crowd that he believed that George W. Bush had something to do with what happened on 9/11 wasn’t one of the wisest moves and did grant him a great deal of enmity from many people, but the one thing you can say is that he’s never backed down from his opinions. No matter if they make people mad or are thought to be the stuff of conspiracy McGruder’s words and opinions are his own and no one else has been feeding them to him. It might make him unpopular in some circles but there are enough people out there that will listen so as to make his words seem a bit more sensible and even wise. In many ways it’s a matter of perspective and what one chooses to believe.
After reading his bio and even watching a few minutes of The Boondocks it’s pretty easy to see how he would choose to become a public speaker focusing on political and social issues. He is one among many that sees what’s going on in the nation today and is rightly worried about the continuing advancement that people of color desire in society and the iniquities of the current system. There do seem to be times when he’s more likely than not to call out those that he thinks are a part of the problem but he’s also level-headed enough to know how to pick his battles and engage when it’s time while stepping back when it’s not. The political landscape of America is kind of a mess at this time and it can be kind of confusing to know just when to really step up with your views and when to lay back for a moment and let the storm abate lest one be caught up in and swept away.
McGruder however has said much through his public speaking and through his stories when it comes to The Boondocks. He even had an idea to bring the show to the big screen while focusing on Uncle Ruckus, but the idea never gained enough ground to go anywhere. He managed to raise well over $100,000 towards the project but unfortunately it didn’t garner enough interest to get the full head of steam it would have needed to become something worthy of note. For the most part it seems like The Boondocks was meant to be a TV hit and little else, though the stabs it took at many different people and situations concerning African American individuals and others were sometimes thought to be kind of off-putting to some folks. The satirical nature of the show was hardly ever taken into account by those that chose to be offended and quite honestly some of the writing and the situations could have been construed as kind of negative and even offensive towards just about anyone.
But then you need to think of the audience that it was made for and what the real point of the show was and it becomes less offensive and far more insightful. Some would go so far as to say that The Boondocks and even McGruder’s opinion are caustic in nature and don’t add a lot to much of anything. In truth though he does open up a lot of interesting points about various situations and ideas that many people might be too scared to think of, let alone put out where everyone can see. That’s why McGruder is so impressive to be honest, he’s willing to put what he thinks and believes in out where it can be seen by the world and will gladly defend it with everything he’s got.
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