"Pause" is the 8th episode of the 3rd season of The Boondocks, and the 38th episode overall. It originally aired on June 20, 2010.
Winston Jerome, a famous black actor/playwright/screenwriter, has now casted Robert to co-star in his latest production. However, Jerome's theater troupe turns out to be a homoerotic evangelistic cult trying to sucker in an unwitting Granddad. So Huey and Riley try to stop the play.
Tropes:
- All Gays Love Theater: Guess who.
- Armored Closet Gay: Jerome claims that he is a straight, God-fearing Christian man. Only in the climax does he admit that he just wanted to fuck Granddad.
- Bad "Bad Acting": Granddad is not a good actor.
- Creepy Crossdresser: Jerome often dresses up as an obese Sassy Black Woman. It's implied that he's both gay and transgender.
- Expy: On top of being a Take That! to Tyler Perry, Winston Jerome is also based on Dr. Frank N' Furter from Rocky Horror Picture Show, being a theatrical, cultish, crossdressing sex-maniac. Even his introductory song bares a resemblance to his Villain Song "Sweet Transvestite," with a few choreographic cues resembling "Time Warp".
- No Celebrities Were Harmed: Winston Jerome is an unflattering parody of Tyler Perry.
- Sinister Minister: Winston Jerome is more than just an entertainer; he runs his theater troupe like some kind of bizarre quasi-Christian cult, with the ultimate goal of brainwashing men into having gay sex with him. He even makes all his employees live in a compound, forbidding them from any contact with their families outside.
- Special Guest: Kadeem Hardison appears As Himself, auditioning for Ma Dukes Finds Herself a Man alongside Robert.
- Strictly Formula: Huey gives an explanation on how each Winston Jerome story plays out;
- A beautiful black woman is in a troubled relationship with a dark skinned bald guy.
- She meets a shirtless light skinned gardener who just got out of jail.
- They bond over their love of Jesus.
- She tried to give her marriage one last chance with the dark skinned bald guy.
- Before the dark skinned bald guy hits her, the shirtless light skinned gardener saves her.
- The woman and the gardener kiss.
- Take That!: This episode does not pull any punches regarding Tyler Perry or his Strictly Formula stories.
- Title Drop: "Pause" is used by Riley throughout the episode. He claims that "No Homo" should be used after a phrase sounds like a gay/homosexually-directed Double Entendre.
- Uncle Tomfoolery: Jerome's plays and movies run on black stereotype humor.
