The Boondocks is one of the most iconic animated shows of the 21st century. Premiering on Adult Swim in 2005, the show, based on Aaron McGruder's comic of the same name, developed into a cultural touchstone. The show features several iconic episodes, including a series premiere that satirized the trial of R. Kelly (and public reaction to it) and the stories of fictional rappers Gangstalicious (voiced by Yasiin Bey) and Thugnificent serving as parodies of several popular figures of the era, including Dipset, Birdman, Diddy, 50 Cent, and others. But given its status as a meme, there may not be a single episode of The Boondocks more well-known than "Tom, Sarah, and Usher." And now, almost two decades later, producer Carl Jones shared the story behind the hilarious episode on the SiriusXM radio show Effective Immediately.
"This is a crazy story, too [...] It's not really crazy, but it's funny," said Carl Jones. "So we were celebrating the pickup of Season 2 [of The Boondocks], so we went out to Mr. Chow's. It was me, my ex-wife, Aaron, his fiancée, and Aaron's assistant and his girlfriend. We're out eating, right? And for some reason, the R. Kelly episode came up. My ex-wife, she hated that episode. She always felt like, 'That's not funny, it's not funny, he's peeing on a girl!' [...] It is funny, it's hilarious. I know what you mean, but it is hilarious," Jones continued. So she got really mad, and was kind of like, protesting at the table. She wasn't going to eat anything. And I was like, 'This is really uncomfortable because we're trying to celebrate, right?' And then Usher walks in."
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Usher Episode of The Boondocks
Carl Jones said that when Usher showed up, his ex-wife's attitude completely changed. "He sits like a little ways behind us and so for the most of the reminder of the dinner, like, she's turned around and making goo-goo eyes and trying to get his attention," Jones said. "He's waving, licking lips and stuff. So I'm looking crazy at the table, 'cause everyone sees it. Then it's time for us to leave, right, so we get up and we get to the front of the restaurant. I look back and she's at the n***a's table." She introduced Jones to Usher as "my... Carl," neglecting to mention that they were married. "I come in the office the next day, and they was like, 'n***a, you know that's going in the show.'"
Of course, Carl Jones has a cameo towards the end of the episode as a waiter approaches Tom DuBois, whose wife Sarah was off swooning over Usher at his dinner table, to say, "wouldn't let that shit happen to me, though." That quote has been used as a meme on the internet for years now, once again showing the staying power that The Boondocks continues to have. Elsewhere in the interview, Jones revealed how a sketch involving DJ Vlad contributed to the rift between he and Aaron McGruder that indirectly led to the demise of the show.
