TVSquad

More Michael Richards fall-out. Esteemed comedian and writer Paul Mooney has called for an end to the use of the "N word." This is big deal because Mooney is an entertainment legend known for his own liberal use of the word. He wrote for Sanford & Son, Saturday Night Live, Good Times and In Living Color. He was Richard Pryor's writing partner and has worked closely with Spike Lee and Dave Chappelle. He appears in the "Negrodamus" and "Ask a Black Man" sketches on The Chappelle Show. Seriously, the guy is huge. If you ever have a chance to catch his stand-up act in the clubs, you should. The man has seen it all.

(S01E07)

Mr. Noblet (after showing his class a tape of Martin Luther King, Jr's "I Have A Dream" speech): King's dream was of an America without racism of any kind. The tragedy of course is that all this footage is in black and white. Imagine how powerful it would have been in color.

In this episode, a student spray paints the N-word in the hallway, and all of Flatpoint High is turned upside down as they try to figure out who did it. The easiest humorous route to take would have been to mock those blatantly racist enough to do such a thing, but this episode, like the "Ginger Kids" episode of South Park, cuts much deeper, exposing the varying degrees of prejudice that exist in all of us. Or, as one student says, "The only thing we hate more than a racist is spics."

There's an old Bloom County strip where Opus the penguin splits into two distinct personalities so his subconscious can debate itself on Nightline. That's kind of how I felt when I heard Will Smith was going to be directing an episode of his UPN sitcom All of Us for the first time. The episode will focus on a child who blurts out the "N-word" and will focus on the impact of the word, it's place in history, its significance, and etc. Now, I think debate over this subject needs to continue, because I don't think there's any easy answers. If a sitcom wants to tackle the subject, that's great. However, there's another part of me that feels, strictly from a programing standpoint, that this is an idea that has already been visited and revisited countless times by many other shows. I wonder, will this episode actually have anything new to say, or are we just going to get the same cliche statements we've already heard before? If you're curious, the episode airs this evening at 8:30 p.m. EST.

Damon Wayans has been struggling for over a year now to get the word "Nigga" trademarked for a line of clothing. Not surprisingly, his applications have been routinely rejected due to a law which states trademarked names must not be "immoral or scandalous." This, of course, opens up a whole philosophical can of worms. Is it okay for the name to be used on clothing if the man behind the clothing is black? Do opinions matter if they're from outside the target demographic? If Wayans ever does manage to launch his clothing line, I think the scandal alone could make it a very lucrative venture, something that surely isn't lost on him.

A recent episode of The Boondocks cartoon rubbed Reverend Al Sharpton the wrong way. The episode, called The Return of the King, featured an animated Martin Luther King, Jr. using the "n"-word. The story has King being named a traitor and terrorist sympathizer for his non-violent response to the September 11th attacks. It aired on January 15, the night before the MLK holiday. I didn't see the episode, so I can't tell you exactly how the "n"-word was used.

Sharpton is demanding that Cartoon Network apologize and pull any episodes "that desecrate black historic figures." Cartoon Network released a statement (not an apology), defending Boondocks creator Aaron McGruder. The Network said, "We think Aaron McGruder came up with a thought-provoking way of not only showing Dr. King's bravery but also reminding us of what he stood and fought for."