Television: March 2008 Archives

The Boondocks, one of the more controversial animated series of the past few years has produced two episodes attacking your favorite TV network: BET. Both episodes appear in full below. Please beware of harsh language.

"The Huey Freeman Hunger Strike"

"The Ruckus Reality Show"


Comments:

• I like Dr. Leevil, even if I am not supposed to.
• I am amused by Tavis Smiley's cameo. Highly amused.
  
• I think Aaron McGruder is getting close to Dave Chappelle dangerousness, in terms of content. Not like that's a bad thing.
  
• I love to hate Uncle Ruckus.
  
• Word on the street is that BET asked Turner Cable (Cartoon Network owner) not to air the episodes because it reflects poorly on the network. Turner Cable denies this, and I can't find anything substantial to refute their claim.  Sounds like a rumor to me.
  

Questions:

• What happened? I'm not quick to believe this 'BET shutdown' rumor. That would give too much credit to BET. BET can shut down the Cartoon Network but they can't shut down Canada? Somebody else had a change of heart somewhere.
  
• Why is Reggie Hudlin (President of Entertainment at BET) credited as Executive Producer of the show if he is depicted poorly in the episodes? Is he not an EP anymore? If he is still EP, did he sign off on this?
• The network produces not one but two episodes making fun of BET and nobody says anything about it until it's time to air? The second episode is dirty with lower thirds, which seems like it went pretty far down the chain before somebody pulled the plug. I don't know, I just don't see The Boondocks spending money to produce two episodes knowing they wouldn't make it to air. Controversial content isn't supposed to make it to final production, it  gets stopped earlier in the process. I know these are the same people who had MLK saying the N-word last season, but still.
• Speaking of that MLK episode, what is with this protection of BET? We can't save Martin Luther King from The Boondocks, but doggone it if BET is sacred. Perhaps we need to look at Turner Cable a little sideways, hmm?
  

Stuff isn't adding up here. *rubs chin*

We are one step closer to Social Media Kind here at my job. Today we officially launched the Tavis Smiley Video Blog!

This is a pretty cool project I have had my ear on here at work. As many social media projects go, this is a work in progress, and we have many things lined up for Tavis' video blog. In the future, he'll be taking questions from his Twitter followers, and submissions from the blog itself. You'll also get an idea of what Tavis is like behind the scenes here on the lot on his show tape days.

Check out the first installment below. If you have any constructive feedback to offer, drop a comment, or shoot me an e-mail.