Boondocks

In Tuesday’s class we all had the pleasure to watch “Invasion of the Katrinians,” an episode in the Cartoon entitled, “The Boondocks.” In this episode Granddad’s relatively unfamiliar cousins, Jericho and his immediate family, comes to his house unannounced and needs a place to stay due to the mass destruction Katrina caused. Granddad reluctant at first allows them to stay in his home for a couple weeks until there able to get back on their feet. While Granddad lets them stay in his house, he quickly becomes irritated and furious with the lack of help around the house their providing. Also, how the Katrinians are eating up all his food and expending all of his resources.
In previous class discussions we talked about Chris Rose’s book, 1 Dead in Attic, a series of newspaper articles that were published after the hurricane hit. In this book, there were numerous articles about how the media portrayed the people from New Orleans in a negative way, as well as, the people who claim they would help. After watching “The Boondocks,” there were similar ideas and perceptions placed on the Katrinians, and the people who say the wish they could have done something. For example is when Jericho arrives at Granddad’s house. Granddad just gets finished saying how he wish he could have done something to help. However, when Katrinians arrive to his door he shuts the door in their face. Furthermore, to shut the door on anybody is completely rude, but to your own flesh and blood that has no place to go is wicked.
Another example, Jericho used the media as leverage in order to help persuade Granddad to letting him stay. He called the media because he knew the chances of Granddad letting him stay were slim. However, if he said no in front of the media it would make granddad look like an asshole. In 1 Dead in Attic, there were numerous articles about how the media were focused on looting, Mardi Gras, and the overall morals of the people of New Orleans.
While there were numerous examples of how this episode of “Boondocks,” is making fun of the people were who directly and indirectly affected of the aftermath of Katrina. These two specific examples show that maybe people are not as righteous as the claim, as well as, it is plausible that the Katrinians could have “milked,” what happened to them. Huey quoted the experience the best when he stated “it is the battle between the selfish and the lazy.”