One of my favorite songs from the golden era of hip hop is "You Must Learn" by Boogie Down Productions (although I'm still tight over the dis record "The Bridge is Over", you know I gots love for Q-boro). KRS One was preaching the truth to the young black youth before the Wu were hipped to C.R.E.A.M, as he raps about our heritage and legacy. Did this song fall on deaf ears? Medgar Evers must be shedding tears in heaven; I'm sure ya'll have heard of BET's new line of shows, including Hot Ghetto Mess, inspired by the eponymous web site. I could wax poetic about how far BET and its suits are pushing us back, how Viacom probably will only green light shows that show black folk shucking for a few quick laughs, or how this humor is indeed classist. But, you already know all that and probably watch BET because you can't find reruns of "Girlfriends" or "Wayans Bros." anywhere else (that's how they get my viewership).Instead of doing all that, I'll stick with this - how in the hell can they produce a show with a damn Sambo blackface logo? Haven't these people ever seen "Bamboozled". Al Jolson was slapping on blackface and singing and dancing for captive white audiences as recently as the1920s, that's not that long ago people. And now we are going to have a show dedicated to rediculing our brothers and sisters and have the NERVE to implore them to "do better"? Well BET, what exactly is doing better? You haven't provided any ideas as to how this would look or even what it would mean. It's not that I don't have a sense of humor, I laughed at Def Comedy Jam as much as the next kid and my best friend and I quote Chris Rock to each other on the reg. Sometimes humor has to be a little more socially responsible, and BET has dropped the ball this time.Negative representations of black people is not entertainment to me. They have to do better in their representations of us. And apparently some advertisers have pulled support for the show, so maybe there is some sliver of hope.
Whatever happened to "Video Soul"? BET needs to get Donny Simpson back stat!
2 comments:
Why must I cry, BET?
I think you put that very concisely. The issue that I'm having with BET is that Bob Johnson is a Crack Head and he should have never sold his Station (BET). A few Years ago Bob damn near bankrupted BET and sold it shortly after without informing the buyers that it was going under. Now, these new owners have a choice to make. Do they stand for social Justice at the cost of their lively hood and TV station, not to mention all that money they spent on buying the failing station from jump OR do they support the very system that perpetuates the oppression of their people to save their investment.
Personally, I can't get mad at anyone for doing what they have to do to insure their futures, and that of their families and so on... However, I do have a problem when we live in a place that would even condone having to sell out your personal beliefs, and morals and just general decency and respect to accomplish that. America is a self perpetuating system... They have created an atmosphere where "they" are in charge and your survival is dependent on their system by default. We have to be ready to make some serious sacrifices in order to break that system and get BET UnCut OFF the TV. I mean lets face it, I'm a man and love a nice booty like the next, maybe even a little more. However, I'm also a Black man and hate seeing my beautiful sisters on TV being looked at, laughed at, and ridiculed by the whole world. As Black folks you know we always are taught don't talk about your family business outside... Well, BET is like a little black 7 year old standing on the corner of 125th and St. Nicholas SCREAMING about what he heard his momma say to her girlfriend about that lady on the fifth floor with the "rash."
Lastly, I would just like to say that I too enjoy a good episode of girlfriends from time to time (that's right, a brotha has a "softer side." We don't have to be Gs ALL the time...). It's a shame you can only catch it on that ungodly station...
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