Aaron McGruder surely does not have a problem pushing people’s buttons. “Black Jesus” is sure to do that.
Although no longer affiliated with “The Boondocks,” which is both tragic and confusing, the socially-conscious comedic writer Aaron McGruder is back with a new series, “Black Jesus,” which finds the Lord “living in present day Compton, California, on a daily mission to spread love and kindness throughout the neighborhood with the help of his small but loyal group of downtrodden followers.”
The live-action, scripted comedy series premiers on Aug. 7 on Adult Swim. Gerald “Slink” Johnson (Grand Theft Auto V) stars as Black Jesus. Charlie Murphy (Are We There Yet?), Corey Holcomb (The Cleveland Show), Kali Hawk (Couples Retreat), Valenzia Algarin, up-and-coming comedian Andrew “King Bach” Bachelor, Andra Fuller (“The L.A. Complex”), and John Witherspoon (“The Boondocks”) round out the cast.
McGruder will executive produce via his 5 Mutts Productions along with writer-director Mike Clattenberg (“Trailer Park Boys”), and LEG’s Norman Aladjem and John Bravakis.
The motif of a black Jesus has been pretty important to the study of black theology. According to cultural critic, minister and teacher of hip-hop culture, Michael Eric Dyson, gangstas see a crucified black Jesus as “the God who literally got beat down and hung up, the God who died a painful, shameful death, subject to capital punishment under political authority and attack, but who came back, and keeps coming back, in the form and flesh we least expect.”
Do you think Christians will be offended by the comedic nature of such an important figure in Christianity?
