Gerald “Slink” Johnson
Charlie Murphy
Corey Holcomb
Kali Hawk
Andrew Bachelor
Andra Fuller

Created by:
Aaron McGruder
Mike Clattenburg

2014-
Comedy
Adult Swim (Cartoon Network)
TV-MA

Adult Swim (the title of Cartoon Network’s late-night programming) has added a live-action show to its lineup. That show is “Black Jesus.” …

“Black Jesus” allows creator Aaron McGruder to do what he has always done: throw stereotypes in people’s faces, via satire, to both offend and illuminate. This time, he uses Jesus as a vehicle for those stereotypes while commenting on religious hypocrisy, race matters, poverty, and so on. By the way, in this show, there are still atheists in the world, despite Jesus’s physical existence. The one atheist in the main cast sees him as more of a traveling salesman than as a deity.

Unfortunately, the first episode isn’t funny. I didn’t laugh once, but I did appreciate what it was trying to accomplish. So, while I won’t continue to watch “Black Jesus,” I do think that it will work for some people. The humor’s just a bit too stupid for me.

In this show, Jesus has returned as a homeless black man (he lives in a broken down van) who lives in Compton. He’s seemingly just another black guy in the ‘hood who just happens to wear a wig and robes. He’s presented as a product of his environment: He curses, smokes, and drinks. “N*gga” is said with abandon. Jesus consorts with and assists (begrudgingly) law breakers. But he still attempts to steer everyone in the right direction.

I didn’t expect that kind of characterization. It works because it makes you think about how black people from the inner city are consistently portrayed and judged. Why can’t Jesus be a product of Compton? Why is that so jarring? Despite the clarity of that vision, I couldn’t help wishing that McGruder presented Jesus closer to how he presented Martin Luther King, Jr. during an episode of “The Boondocks.” In that episode, Dr. King returns to the present day and is eventually horrified by the state of African-American culture. While that take is much funnier, I admit that it’s actually much more pessimistic than that of “Black Jesus.” “Black Jesus” may seem as negative as they come, but, underneath it all, it’s grinning at us for only seeing the negativity. Stereotypes are powerful things.

Verdict: OK

About: (Source: blackjesus)

Black Jesus is a new half-hour live-action scripted comedy that finds Jesus living in present-day Compton, Calif., on a daily mission to spread love and kindness throughout the neighborhood with the help of his small but loyal group of downtrodden followers.