The concept of representation is a prevalent media topic. Many media-savvy critics theorize that when children from marginalized ethnic, religious, or gender backgrounds don't have an avatar representing them in media, self-defeating perceptions of their intrinsic human value run rampant in their psyche. Hence the push we've seen in recent years to populate the world of fiction with a diverse array of marginalized groups.
As a Black kid from an Afrocentric home that went to school with hordes of affluent suburban kids, The Boondocks was the first time I felt—to lean on contemporary parlance—seen by the media. I voraciously consumed the comic strip collections, feeling a palpable connection to Huey Freeman and his struggle for Black liberation. Once Adult Swim optioned The Boondocks comic strip to series, my ties to the franchise deepened significantly. No matter the scenario, I knew the Boondocks would offer a salient commentary aligned with my worldview and personal background. The show became a comfort blanket throughout my high school and early college years, and then it was gone.
I was elated when rumblings of a reboot on HBO Max began to trend online. How would Huey Freeman and Uncle Ruckus respond to Trump and January 6th? How would Riely respond to 6ix9ine? I felt like the world would make sense once again as long as I had the Freeman family to help me lampoon the insanity. And then it was gone.
The YouTube channel Toon Fridge explains why The Boondocks reboot crumbled in the video linked above.
