The Story of Jimmy Rebel (2024)

in:Episodes, Season 3, Banned episodes,

Episodes with Uncle Ruckus
Episodes with Robert Freeman
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"The Story of Jimmy Rebel" is the fourth episode of the third season of The Boondocks. It originally aired on May 23, 2010.

1 Synopsis
2 Plot
3 Appearances
4 Cultural references
5 Continuity
6 Critical reception

Synopsis[]

Uncle Ruckus gets the opportunity to meet a racist singer from the South.

Plot[]

Ruckus finds his musical soul mate in famed racist country-western singer Jimmy Rebel, who wants to do an album with Ruckus. When doing the album, the workers of Racist Records are not sure about having a black man on the work with Jimmy. But in the end, Jimmy Rebel and Uncle Ruckus do a concert in the same room where Jimmy started out singing. Consequently, Uncle Ruckus comes on stage, and the audience 'boos' the both of them off stage and starts a fight. Ruckus then leaves town and goes back home. Jimmy follows him, and together, they begin to make music about other things. Jimmy suggests that there are plenty of things to sing about in the world--friends, beer, good times, etc. The episode ends with Uncle Ruckus and Jimmy singing a racist song about Mexicans.

Appearances[]

Jimmy Rebel (debut/only appearance)
Robert Freeman
Uncle Ruckus
Huey Freeman
Riley Freeman

Cultural references[]

The character Jimmy Rebel is a parody of real racist singer Johnny Rebel. Additional references include the single "Coon Town" and the album It's the Attitude Stupid!.
- His other CDs include "Don't Let Your Nigglets Grown Up to Be N----rs" (a reference to "Mammas Don't Let Your Sons Grow Up To Be Cowboys"); "Why Do Coons Fall in Love?" (a reference to "Why Do Fools Fall in Love?"); "Spooks of Hazzard" (Dukes of Hazzard), "Welfare Queen and Cadillac King," "Songs in the Key of Coon" (a reference to Stevie Wonder's Songs in the Key of Life), Black Toes and Ghettos, Help Me, I'm Surrounded by N---rs, How 'Bout Those Crack Babies, N---r, Stay out of my Wife and N---rs Don't Die, They Just Smell That Way (a reference to Johnny Rebel's "Some N---rs Never Die (They Just Smell That Way)".
When Ruckus falsely renames himself "Toby" upon seeing Jimmy Rebel at the door, it is a reference to the book and TV series Roots in which Kunta Kinte is renamed Toby by his slave master.
Ruckus and Jimmy watch Amistad together, laughing at the whipping scenes
As Ruckus talks to Jimmy Rebel he says "As if the Internet scams and underwear bombs weren't bad enough, Goddamn Nigerians" This was a reference to Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, a Nigerian Muslim who unsuccessfully tried to ignite plastic explosives hidden in his underwear while on board Northwest Airlines Flight 253 on December 24, 2009.
The limousine Ruckus and Jimmy escape in is painted with the orange color scheme of the General Lee car from The Dukes of Hazzard.
During the limousine ride to "Spoke-n-Hope", there is a "Robert E. Lee Freeway" sign.
The sign next to Ruckus's door which says "Wallace for President" is a reference to one of the many presidential runs of segregationist former Alabama governor George Wallace.
This episode is one of two Season 3 episodes has been banned from Adult Swim because of its excessive depiction of racism and racial slurs. It is also the only episode to not be available on HBO Max. The other episode that was banned was "Pause".
Jimmy Rebel's introduction of "One Good N---r" is very similar to Johnny Cash's "Man in Black."

Continuity[]

When Ruckus and Jimmy Rebel are both in Ruckus's house, many racist pictures and antiques towards black people can be seen, such as Confederate Flags and a picture of a member of the Ku Klux Klan. These are seen in an earlier episodes such as "It's a Black President, Huey Freeman".

Critical reception[]

Leonard Pierce of The A.V. Club graded the episode a "B+," only complaining about a few slow stretches in the story while complimenting the "crazily over-the-top" humor involving Uncle Ruckus and Jimmy Rebel as McGruder's restraint in supplying a strong counterweight to the absurdly racist comments.

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FAQs

Why was the Jimmy Rebel episode banned? ›

The episode "The Story of Jimmy Rebel" was banned after its first showing on Adult Swim for excessive depictions of racism and perceived racial insensitivities over the episode's portrayal of a racist country singer named Jimmy Rebel (a parody of real-life white supremacist country singer Johnny Rebel).

What is The Story of Jimmy Rebel about? ›

"The Story of Jimmy Rebel" is the 4th episode of the 3rd season of The Boondocks. Uncle Ruckus wants to meet his idol musician Jimmy Rebel, a Confederate sympathizer and white supremacist who performs concerts singing songs that embrace white supremacy and condemns minorities (especially blacks).

Is The Story of Jimmy Rebel on HBO Max? ›

This episode is one of two Season 3 episodes has been banned from Adult Swim because of its excessive depiction of racism and racial slurs. It is also the only episode to not be available on HBO Max.

Discover More ›

Who is Jimmy Rebel based on? ›

Jimmy Rebel is based on Johnny Rebel, a real-life singer who made racist recordings. Jimmy's statement to Ruckus that he dislikes black people's attitudes, not their skin color, is taken directly from an interview with Rebel.

How many Boondocks banned episodes are there? ›

Adult Swim has banned an episode of The Boondocks from being streamed. In a report from The Daily Beast, a representative from Adult Swim confirmed that "The Story of Jimmy Rebel," an episode from the third season of The Boondocks, has been "permanently retired due to cultural sensitivities."