Adult Swim's 'Black Jesus' Comedy Offends Christians With Pot-Smoking, Beer-Drinking Jesus Character

By Katherine Weber, Christian Post Reporter Tuesday, July 22, 2014

A new trailer has been released to promote the upcoming comedy "Black Jesus" that will debut on Adult Swim in early August.

The new live-action scripted comedy series is created by Aaron McGruder, known for his controversial and highly popular "The Boondocks" comic strip and television series. McGruder's new project, which will air for a half hour every Thursday on the Adult Swim television network, will follow the life of "Black Jesus," played by actor Gerald "Slink" Johnson as he tries to spread his teachings of compassion and kindness through his Compton, California neighborhood.

Multiple media outlets have said that the newly-released trailer for "Black Jesus" proves the upcoming series will be sure to ruffle some feathers. McGruder's "The Boondocks" has also proven controversial in the past with its criticism of American politics and African American culture, targeting the Black Entertainment Network, Al Sharpton, and Martin Luther King Jr., among other well-known public icons.

The new "Black Jesus" comedy has some protesting the depiction of Jesus as a marijuana-smoking, beer-drinking character in the show. Paul Scott, a self-proclaimed minister of the Messianic Afrikan Nation, has called for a boycott of the upcoming comedy, arguing that it "[makes] a mockery of the concept of a Black Messiah."

According to his blog, the North Carolina-based minister argues that "the show does a disservice to the Black leaders and theologians who have dedicated their lives to advancing a Black Liberation Theology," adding that he believes "the Black community needs to see a proper image of a Black Messiah in 2014."

Scott has also previously called for a boycott of the "Son of God" movie, arguing that the image of a white Jesus was "racist and offensive" to African Americans.

Along with his new "Black Jesus" comedy, McGruder is also slated to produce another comedy for Adult Swim titled "Hooligan Squad."

"Black Jesus" will premiere on the Adult Swim television network on Aug. 7.