Parents' Guide to The Boondocks

TV Cartoon Network Comedy 2005
The Boondocks Poster Image

Common Sense Media Review

By Elisabeth Chaney , based on child development research. How do we rate?

age 16+

This cutting-edge cartoon is for adults only.

Parents Need to Know

Why Age 16+?

Any Positive Content?

  • The Boondocks Trailer
  • The Boondocks
  • The Boondocks
  • The Boondocks

Parent and Kid Reviews

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age 14+

Based on 22 parent reviews

Parents say this animated series is a unique blend of humor and social commentary, tackling important issues like racism and injustice with both satire and wit, making it a highly regarded show for adults. However, many reviews alert potential viewers about its explicit content, including excessive violence, strong language, and inappropriate themes, emphasizing it's unsuitable for younger audiences.

  • adult themes
  • social commentary
  • humor and satire
  • strong language
  • not for kids
Summarized with AI
 

 

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age 14+

Based on 88 kid reviews

Kids say the show is highly entertaining yet controversial, drawing mixed opinions regarding age appropriateness due to its mature themes, strong language, and graphic content. While some argue it offers important social commentary and can be educational for older teens, others caution that it contains elements unsuitable for younger viewers, suggesting a minimum age of around 14 or 15 under parental guidance.

  • mature themes
  • strong language
  • educational value
  • age appropriateness
  • controversial content
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See all 88 kid reviews

What's the Story?

The premise of THE BOONDOCKS is that 10-year-old Huey, a self-proclaimed leftist revolutionary, and 8-year-old Riley, an aspiring gangsta, have gone to live with their grandfather, \"Granddad,\" in the suburbs of Chicago. The boys, but more often Granddad, get into sticky situations, but at the end of each episode there's a moral, whether it's that a soul food diet is dangerous, or that it isn't right to lie to people.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say ( 22 ):
Kids say ( 88 ):

The Boondocks began as a critically acclaimed, award-winning newspaper comic strip and became so popular that it was picked up as a TV show by the Cartoon Network. It's featured in their Adult Swim line-up, as its controversial material is meant for adults only.

It's certainly not meant for everyone, and is definitely not meant for kids, but its edgy humor may appeal to many adults and older teens.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about the relationships in The Boondocks. How do the brothers relate to each other even though they have very different points of view about the world?

  • Families can also talk about social commentary on TV. How does this series address complex issues like race, family, and justice? What other series can you think of that also tackle these topics?

TV Details

Did we miss something on diversity?

Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by

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