It's the Little Things That Make 'The Boondocks' So Great

"Okay, I, I see you choosin' the haaaard way..."

Even though there have been some big topics tackled on this season of The Boondocks (Obama's election, emotionally-detached children, uh... prison rape), it's still the little things that make me laugh hardest of all.

It's the little pause that the Booty Warrior (above) leaves when he's about to rape Chris Hanson: "Don't make me ruin that butt... Chris, I'm a... I'm a warrior!" It's Tom's wife interrupting his speech about "those little boy's anuses" with Riley's new trademark phrase, "Pause." It's the dance the little blonde girl does in "The Red Ball" to show she indeed does not have a "permanent, severe limp."

I also continue to marvel at the way in which many comedians are able to make rape jokes - and make them funny - so long as the subject is male rape. One of the earliest jokes I can remember is George Carlin's:

"You don't think rape is funny? I can PROVE to you that rape is funny. Picture Porky Pig... raping Elmer Fudd."

Prison rape in particular, has been the butt of many a joke - no pun intended - over the years, with shows like Oz and even the occasional casual reference in Prison Break providing a wide variety of opportunities to lampoon the "rapey" element of prison culture.

The Patrice O'Neal Show - Coming Soon! also did a two-episode run entitled, "G*ddamn F*cking Woman Elevator Rapist" which, uh, examined the phenomenon of females who rape males... in elevators.

The "little thing" in the "Booty Warrior" episode was the background chatter during the "Scared Straight" portion. From Riley muttering "Pause," "Pause again" during one con's speech, to the inmate's additions ("I raped a few n****s myself!" "He ain't like it!" "Not that much!"). The episode also served as a much better vehicle for Tom's paralyzing fear of anal rape, even though his nightmares are often much more hilarious than the actual scenarios in which he ends up.

I'm not sure what it is about male rape that allows comedians and writers to joke effectively about it. Perhaps it's just a nervous reflex when it comes to subject that, really, no man wants to think about.

Regardless, Aaron McGruder and the Boondocks crew have succeeded again, and this final season is making a good run for the title of best yet.

Sons of Anarchy S02E01: 'Albification'

'Look da fuck out, Peg Bundy... it's about to be some shit...'

(WARNING: SECOND SEASON TOPICS DISCUSSED AHEAD)

My sister got me the first season of Sons of Anarchy for my birthday. I hadn't watched it when it was in its original run, having finally gotten some free Tuesday nights with The Shield being over. But I'm always down to check out a promising new TV series, and Sons was pretty sweet. Not only that, but the producer/creator, Kurt Sutter, was an exec producer on The Shield, AND he brought the One-Niners gang with him to the show, technically putting the two shows in the same fictional universe.

This, of course, has me slobbering for Shield cameos. Clearly, Vic Mackey's not going to show up on an ICE bust.
That would be too obvious. But I would love for Sutter to reintroduce Tavon, from the Shield's third season, as a new cop in Charming. It would make for some pretty sweet drama.

Then again, there's plenty of drama as is... especially for poor Peg Bundy, who was the victim of a horrifying, brutal gang-rape on the season two premiere. All I could think of the first time I watched it was that Sutter and Katey Sagal are married, and how exactly would you bring this scene up? "Heeeey honey, so look, this season, you take care of the baby some more, stir the pot with Hellboy aaaaaaand oh yeah, you get gang-raped by Henry Rollins."

"Wha...?"

Actually, I think the introduction of Rollins and Alan Arkin's kid as the League of American Nationalists (or, in Clay Morrow's words, "Nice car, shiny suit, all your teeth... you must be the top of the Aryan food chain.") as a threat to the club's monopoly on Charming is a brilliant plot move. When the last season ended (don't want to ruin it for anyone who hasn't seen it), you were left hating at least two members of the club. The situation the pair fomented is definitely going to run throughout season two, but the League storyline does an interesting thing: it introduces a group that's worse than anyone else. Darby is a hardhead criminal, and Rollins' AJ Weston character basically calls him out as a Nazi poser ("I'd button your shirt... you haven't earned it."), and despite Clay and Tig's big sin, these League guys represent a threat to the whole club... to Jax's vision of it AND Clay's. It's something the club can unite behind.

I'm curious as to how Gemma is going to handle the gang-rape, in terms of telling Clay. If she just comes out and tells him, I gotta believe it's all-out war, and then the League storyline is over after a few episodes. I gotta believe she's going to cover it up until either she's found out, or found  way to make it suit her purpose. 

Notes:

• I still don't like Deputy Hale. He's just too Mayberry. Needs a new haircut, or maybe unbutton that top button... loosen up or SOMEthing.

• Henry Rollins is the perfect Aryan shithead. He just sits there all tattooed and scary-looking, and talks in a very reasonable-sounding voice.

• Arkin's kid, however, is not all that convincing. First off, he doesn't look the part, and he just seems too nice. Maybe they'll shatter that façade in upcoming episodes.

• Half-Sack: "You guys didn't really mean you want me to-"/Clay: "GETOUT!!!" BWAAAA HA HA HA... Half-Sack gets all the best lines ("Yeah, that's real great, guys... just shoot off the one good nut I got left. Thanks.")