Rollo Goodlove

Reverend Rollo Goodlove is a fictional supporting character of The Boondocks television series. He is a parody of African-American activists such as the Revs. Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson and his name is similar to that of Creflo Dollar.
Personality
Rollo Goodlove, voiced by rapper Cee-Lo of Gnarls Barkley and Goodie Mob fame, is a slick-talking reverend who uses his activism to garner more fame to his persona than to help the supposed cause he's supporting. He is an African-American left-wing activist whose activism seems more to get him media exposure than to show his opinion on the issue. He claims to be a reverend to the style of such known activists as Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson, both Baptists (though his religious affiliation is unknown). He has claimed to be good friends with Jesse Jackson (The S-Word).
History
Goodlove used to tour with Parliament-Funkadelic in the 1970s, became a community activist in the 80's (his current job) a former presidential candidate in the 1990s, (He has tried twice in 1992 and 1996 but failed), and is currently the host of his own syndicated talk show What's Goin' On with Rollo Goodlove as well as the star of the fictional BET sitcom My Dad Rollo.
Goodlove's beginning with music would be similar to Al Sharpton's early musical career with James Brown. Jesse Jackson ran for president two times in the 80's but failed. Al Sharpton also has a radio talk show called Keepin It Real with Al Sharpton.
Series appearances
Goodlove first appears in "The Hunger Strike" as a supporter of Huey Freeman's hunger strike against BET, but with the exception that he continued to eat. He throws a rally to support the hunger strike, along with him singing "Go-Go Gadget Gospel" by Gnarls Barkley. He then tells Huey that he goes with the way BET portrays things to "reach out" to the young people who needs his help. He further exaggerates this excuse when a video of Goodlove is shown on the news, with him being at "The House of Cheeks", paying a stripper for a lap dance (possibly a reference to Jesse Jackson's affair), though it isn't that first time that he's been publicly embarrassed. He has been paid as a spokesperson to pitch high interest loans to exploit the poor and desperate, calling himself "The Loan Ranger". He has also justified his appearance in the video using examples of heroic yet controversial figures such as Jesus, Muhammad, Martin Luther King, Jr., Muhammad Ali, and Mary Magdalene, explaining that she was "Jesus's baby mama" in The Da Vinci Code. He also claimed in other talk shows that the release of the video was made by BET, in conjunction with the Republican Party and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Furthermore, he had escalated the attack on BET with the release of his DVD called "BET: The High Cost of Low Standards", in which he shows countless hobos, portraying them as employees of BET. Apparently, it was that gesture that forced BET CEO Deborah Leevil to set up a meeting with Goodlove, subsequently offering him a sitcom on BET called "My Dad Rollo". Goodlove didn't hesitate to sell out Huey for a chance at fame. He then claims to a dejected and disillusioned Huey that he will change BET from the inside.
He later appeared in "The S-Word", trying to escalate the situation of Riley being called a "nigga" by his teacher, Joe Petto, in an attempt to sue the school board for an exaggerated amount of restitution (Tom Dubois, a district attorney, says that the school board doesn't even have the amount the Freemans and Goodlove ask for). He then turned it into a political debate between himself and Ann Coulter (which was carefully orchestrated) giving him more media exposure. After the school board announces that the only action it will take is suspending Petto without pay along with mandatory sensitivity training, the Freemans eventually give up their lawsuit, with Huey's persuasion. Goodlove, however, continues the lawsuit with paid protesters, but was overshadowed (forcefully with rifles) by trigger-happy, openly-racist elderly women protesting for the Second Amendment who scheduled their protest in advance.

Main Menu

See Also

Main Menu