After two episodes of the award-winning show The Boondocks were preemptively pulled from the air, Cartoon Network denies being pressured by either its parenting company, Turner Broadcasting or BET to remove them.
In a statement released to Advertising Age,Cartoon Network Spokesman James Anderson said, “The two episodes you were talking about are not scheduled to air on Adult Swim. We really have no further comment, but you should know that neither Turner nor Adult Swim were contacted by BET, Ms. Lee or Mr. Hudlin.”
This sudden denial is contrary to information given to HipHopDX from an unnamed source close to the situation. In a previous report (available HERE), the source stated the “Hunger Strike” episode was scheduled to air on Jan. 7. Many believe BET wanted the episode removed after characters who bear a striking resemblance to BET CEO Debra Lee (Debra Lee-vil) and BET Entertainment President Reggie Hudlin (Wedgie Rudlin) were criticized for “dumbing down” BET’s programming in hopes of increased ratings.
At the heart of the matter lies what could be a conflict of interests, since Hudlin is also listed as an executive producer for The Boondocks. As numerous sources have pointed out, the banned episodes will likely be included when the current season of The Boondocks is released on DVD. In the meantime, Boondocks creator Aaron McGruder is developing a live action series tentatively titled Super Deluxe, which will appear on Turner’s online comedy site.
