Boondocks Season 3 Episode 4 The Story Of Jimmy Rebel S03E04
May 25, 2010 by Jerry Reth · 3 Comments
Boondocks Season 3 Episode 4 The Story Of Jimmy Rebel S03E04 – In the most recent episode of The Boondocks called “The Story Of Jimmy Rebel” they really outdid themselves with “The Story of Jimmy Rebel.” The episode followed Uncle Ruckus, who is known as the most racist character on the show, and this episode certainly lived up to those expectations. However, despite his racism, he is generally regarded as a hilarious, cooky, but well meaning uncle of our main characters. His racism is much more satire (as the entire show is) than it is just for comical relief. In this episode, it is found out, that Jimmy Rebel had idolized a racist country singer named Jimmy Rebel for most of his life.
During one point of the episode, Jimmy Rebel hands him over a CD titled “Real N****** Never Die, among other Cd’s with similar names. His music that was played in the episode is about what you would imagine a racist country singer would sound like, and they did a very good job of crafting a believable racist country song for everyone to hear. Uncle Ruckus’ self hatred was the main focus of “The Story Of Jimmy Rebel” , an episode that many have compared to the Dave Chapelle Show episode where he plays a blind African American male who does not know that he is black, but takes part KKK rallies wearing a hood to disguise his identity.
Uncle Ruckus is seen trying on his “white voice,” and the hilarity continues throughout the episode. This was one of the more racist episodes that the Boondock’s has released thus far, but they always manage to do it in a way that makes it obvious that they are being satirical. This installement was one of the best in the history of the series.
I have to disagree with this being one of there best episodes. I felt that this episode was done just to stir up controversy. I didn’t really see the point. I think McGruder could have been more thoughtful in his approach to the topic of self hatred.
Jeric Murphy
As someone who has watched this show since season 1 and read Aaron’s comic strip, I LOVED THIS!!! I laughed out loud, watched it twice. Ruckus has always been my favorite character. As a Black woman, the way McGruder puts the issues in our faces to make you talk about it or at least think about it is his genius!! Aaron does satire with the best of them. I hope this isnt the last season of the show.. God knows there is no other smart show with Black characters on tv. And these are cartoons!
I disagree that the episode was about ruckus’ self hatred or self hatred in general, it was more about the hippocracies that are inherent in racism.
Jimmy notably says at the beginning of the ep that “its about the attitude”, that he dislikes black people because apparently to him they all seem lazy or whatever it is that he said, i forget. But basically he says what i think a lot of racists say to justify their beliefs; that its not bigotry based on skin color, they just happen to notice that people of certain races have certain attitudes.
On that note, Ruckus is, to Jimmy, a perfect black person. Not only is he apparently hard working, he is self degrading and hates his blackness and other black people just as much as Jimmy does. So of course, having found someone who is black but doesn’t have the “black attitude”, Jimmy befriends him despite the fact that all his fans and producers hate Ruckus.
Jimmy then caps off the episodes message with his words about racism, saying that “the attitude” argument is basically bullsh*t, because obviously ruckus was just like them but they still hated him simply because he was black, denoting the true nature of racism.