Gangsta Thugs Promoted on Nickelodeon
Should you trust your children to Nickelodeon? How about Shawn, Marlon and Keenan Wayans? You know, the African American actor brothers who made “In Living Color” and starred in various movies, to include “White Chicks.” Let me save you the time deciding… NO.
But you can go to Marlon Wayans MySpace site and see him brag about the show.
Saturday night, August 12, Nickelodeon and the Wayans consummated their brilliant collaboration with a cartoon for young children called “Thugaboo.” The official press release describes the show as:
Thugaboo is a broad, character-based property that takes a humorous look at the trials and tribulations of nine very different kids growing up in the inner city. Through a series of misadventures these kids learn valuable lessons: everything from the importance of friendship to never giving up on one’s dreams. Drawing from their own childhood, the Wayans promise to deliver a very special treat to kids of every demographic and ethnicity.
The Wayans failed to deliver big time. In the hour long pilot, black children were glorified as uneducated, Ebonicized thugs, rapping, selling shoes on the black market and being quite comfortable with violence (one kid got his face punched right off his head and onto a wall). Reverse racism, black on black racism, out of wedlock births (one little girl has a baby), thugery and wanton materialism doesn’t make for a funny kids show. Of the three white characters, one is “DJ”, a white boy and stereotypical “Eminem” kid who dresses nicely until he leaves his dweeby white rich dad’s house and changes into a “thugaboo” on the front porch. He just can’t stand being white. The other two whites are angry gansta wannabe’s. The message is clear: gansta is cool, whites and middle American values are not.
Little Thugaboo “Dee Dee” sings this on her character page:
“Gonna count to 10
Then I’m gonna chase you
And when I catch you
I’m gonna replace you”.
I’m sorry, is that a death threat? How precious.
One scene had a child character asking his single mother for expensive shoes, followed by “The only way you gonna get those shoes is to pray to God Almighty!” That was followed by a sequence that featured Thug-God the Father telling the boy, “If I could afford those, I’d give ‘em to MY Son!”, followed by a gansta Jesus trying to walk on water with the shoes. The punch line: only the shoes remained atop the water. Sick.
If the insults on traditional values, basic morality and Christianity aren’t enough to hold your attention, the humor definitely won’t. It is the most unfunny cartoon possibly ever created. Terrible. Bad. Awkward. Stupid. Embarrassing. Attempts to normalize kiddie “thugs” and “gangstas” are on the same plane as kiddie oversexualization, as Cartoon Network does on a daily basis with it’s older teen-based cartoons Adult Swim. This is just a small skirmish in the culture war and battle for our children, and there’s virtually no doubt that this show will be cancelled, but Nickelodeon should be ashamed for airing it.
(hat tip: my kids)
Cross-posted at Amy’s Blog: Bottom Line Up Front
August 15th, 2006 at 8:02 am
This is horrifying.
Nickelodeon has a long history of poor behavior toward the shows and the artists, and now this affront to it’s viewers.
As an aside… I’d like to go on record saying that their continual running of the “Roseanne” show should be enough to keep people from allowing their children to watch this channel.
I can’t think of a trashier, more liberal, disgusting role model than that nails on a chalk-board voiced “Roseanne“.
She’s NOTHING I want my kid to watch or admire.
Add this “Thug-a-boo” crap to the equation and I think it’s clear that folks should carefully consider letting their kids watch Nickelodeon unattended.
August 15th, 2006 at 5:45 pm
Mac, I totally agree. The attempt to ruin kids has been going on with kiddie TV for some time. We watch Nick in our house rarely, but I’m about ready to boycott.
August 16th, 2006 at 9:37 pm
As a young, black college student, I was terribly offended by the racism present in the show. Thug-A-Boo is only cycling ridiculous stereotypes of Asians, Blacks, Spaniards, and Caucasians. Not to mention the ridiculous gross-out humor. I have been raised watching Nickelodeon and the content of the shows was not much of an issue with my parents. Now, I question the station’s judgement to air this as a children’s show.
August 17th, 2006 at 5:27 am
Logan, I feel the same way. I thought it was offensive to all races. The stereotype of both blacks and whites were disgusting. I don’t think the show will last based on its lack of content, but even if it were funny and well written it should be yanked based solely on the racisim and stereotypes.
August 28th, 2006 at 5:40 am
I have not seen the Thugaboo cartoon but I did see a commercial promoted by Nickelodean. At first I thought I was watching a skit from Dave Chappelle. I can not believe that in this day and age that talented brothers like the Wayans would even stoop so low. Why not just call it ‘jiggaboo’since that’s the derogatory word it’s coming from. I am so embarassed and appauled as a black woman that they would even consider something like this funny. Is this what they want us calling our black children now or to have our children stereotyped as being thugs? This show needs to be taken off the air. There is nothing funny about it period.
August 30th, 2006 at 11:51 am
I seen it one day and i thought it was a joke honestly. I’m upset that the wayans brothers of all people are making this show. I thought they had more class than that, but i guess money talks. As a black male, it’s hard enough to be stereotyped by the bet and mtvs of the world. now we have a black family actually confirming that. Sad.
September 1st, 2006 at 3:41 pm
let me startoff by saying that you people have mad issues. there is no type of racism in this show. yall people need to grow up really. yall commenting on shit that don’t even matter if you don’t like the show don’t watch it. when ever a black person get a show out shall always want to comment bad shit about it but, soon as a white person get there show out such as fraiser yall don’t say shit about it. that is bullshit. yea i know people that are from the hood they watch the show. they think it is a good show.i think it is a goood show. it also showing diffrent races coming together not fighting each other or cursing such as using the word nigga.it is also showing how they want to become a rapper like paul wall or slim thug or even like camillonair people yall probley know who the hell they are. the wayan brother have come a long ways such as the show living color all the way to thugaboo so get of they jock don’t hate on them if you not gon let your kids watch it don’t because i know whole bunch of people that will and will be glad the wayan’s came out with this tv show.As of the words of rick james I’M RICH BITCH AND FUCK ALL YOU HATER. BITCHS.
September 9th, 2006 at 7:38 pm
^^^
Welcome to the blog, Marlon.
December 23rd, 2006 at 11:39 am
this was the most racially stereotyped show i have ever seen. it needs to be taken off the air forever. i am 13 years old and im viewing a kids show this way? Ridiculous! Garbage that should not be exposed to anyone! When you ask a white person to act like they are black….they will act gangster. i hate this trash so much…. why would nickelodeon show this?
September 1st, 2007 at 4:07 pm
Indeed, this is horrible, but I think it’s ignorant to lump Adult Swim with them. The latter isn’t intended for children at all, nor does it claim to be. That, and the fact that sexuality and fantasy violence are -good- for entertainment, while realistic thug violence and ignorance are not.