Behind The Scenes: Black Jesus [Part 1]

This one is a long time coming. Black Jesus. There's a lot to this, and because of that, it's probably gonna be the most interesting Behind The Scenes we get into.

Whew.

Okay, so I explained a lot of the history behind Black Jesus and how it started in the beginning of that video. And, that's cool and all. But, I never quite got into the specifics of what sold me on Black Jesus, and why I was initially so critical of it.

Well, let's start with the obvious. "Blasphemy." It's blasphemous. Without turning this into a theological discussion, I could understand and sympathise with the argument that Jesus' portrayal wasn't exactly... conventional? It kinda had the same issue I had with the last portion of "Return of The King." Aaron borders projecting with these iconic figures. 

Since when does Martin Luther King care for telling Usher that Michael Jackson isn't a genre of music? What does that have to do with anything?

Why is Jesus smokin' weed? Cause' Aaron likes weed.

Why is Jesus acting like this? Cause' Aaron wants him to.

It was conflicting. Something else I began to question was this simple thing. "Am I fan of 'The Boondocks' or am I a fan of Aaron McGruder?"

Most people would say the latter, but in reality, they only mean the former. An overwhelming majority of the people who loved Boondocks don't mess with Black Jesus. Why? My guess is a lot of them are only there for the anime-style niggatry. 

WHAT CHANGED MY MIND?

Truth be told... I just watched it. And, I mean... properly. Like, I'm pretty sure a lot of people early on, like me, watched the first episode and went "Whatever." or "This shit dumb." But, if you actually watch the show, you begin to appreciate it for what it is, and more specifically, the "heart" that Aaron and so many of the core cast members spoke about.

Jesus smokin' weed isn't that bad, when you realise that Jesus drank alcohol. And, alcohol is far worse than weed. Secondly, it provides a modern way of contextualising Jesus' perspective of "walking among the people" to spark change. And finally, I feel like it was able to be funny while not compromising the integrity of Jesus' message. It feels realistic. It's essentially "Return of The King" but with Jesus, and this time it's a show.

My favourite character on the show was Fish, as I stated in the video. He represented Peter as a disciple, and I felt really embodied how I feel like a relationship with the divine and the struggle with faith actually works. Especially, in the world we live in today.

Plus, his home-made marble shooting pistol is just funny. I vibed with him.

WHY BLACK JESUS?

Well, I'll bite. The problem with the portrayal of Jesus in the media has been the fact that his appearance has become instrinically tied to his divinity. The greeks around the 4th century sensationalised his appearance, and these trends carried on into the Renaissance era. Now, whenever people see Jesus, they see this white man with long hair and blue eyes and giant white robes, when in reality, it's the furthest thing from the truth.

Jesus was the most average lookin' guy around. That's what made him special. So, this sensationalised image just takes away from the purpose of his existence. That being, to be a human personification of the way God wanted us to live life. 

Assuming you believe in that anyway~

I think in creating Black Jesus, you get to almost reboot one of the greatest figures of all time. And while I don't think it was perfect, Aaron did a pretty good job at it. It reminded me that I wasn't just a fan of The Boondocks, but a fan of Aaron's work as a writer and creative.

MOVING FORWARD

This episode really wasn't about the making the video, so to speak, and more about my thought process heading into it, after watching the show. So, next week, I'll continue on with Part 2 and my thought process heading into the video.

I never quite understood Aaron's "obsession" with Jesus. He never came off to me as religious, so my immediate guess was that it was because he was educated by Jesuits early in his life. I think that's where his passion for it came from. It might be the conservative views often tied to the religion. It might be the hypocrisy of said conservative types. 

Regardless of where he stands on this, no doubt, I think he has respect for what Jesus, as a figure, was all about. And, that was spreading peace, love and kindness.

And, I don't think that message is exclusive to any religious philosophy. I don't even think when Jesus came he was trying to create a new religion. He was simply showing us a way to live. And, regardless of where you stand on that, you can no doubt say he left his impact.

God Bless. 

See y'all next week for Part 2.