As many of you know, I'm on a boycott of Black Exploitation Television, better known to you as BET. My boycott should've begun during last year's BET Awards, but I gave them the benefit of the doubt because Michael Jackson's death sent them into a reactive mode, but the final straw would come 48 hours later. I was scrolling through my channel guide when I got to that evening's programming for BET, "Frankie & Neffie", followed by "Tiny & Toya", rounded out by "The Wendy Williams Show". That was it; I turned in my lifetime membership card, poured out some liquor on the grave of "Video Soul", and chucked up a deuce!
I haven't turned to the station since, not accidently, don't even have the urge. Remember a few years back when BET had the slogan, "Black Star Power", what did that mean? I took it to mean that they would put the creative minds and collective talent of the African-American entertainment community to work and roll out quality show after quality show. I envisioned comedies, dramas, TV movies, variety specials galore…but what did we get, Frankie & Neffie!
When Bob Johnson got his billions for selling out to Viacom, Black Star Power died and BET essentially became MTV in blackface. Instead of the Black Star Power, we got colored versions of shows MTV had made popular, with the ignorance dialed up to 10. Gone was any sense of responsible programming to the millions of Black kids that watch the station with aspirations in their eyes, that was replaced by a bevy of reality programming following folks on their 16th minute of fame, save for the occasional special that demonstrated Negros of intelligence, achievement, progress and contribution. But those are far and few between.
Somewhere right now, Donnie Simpson is shaking his head, thinking about what could have been. So is Sherry Carter. Rachel too, with her fine ass! How did it all go wrong? Go back to that last paragraph; Bob Johnson got $3 billion to for BET! The dollar sign was more of a driving force than the vision. Black Entertainment Television began as an outlet for talent that wasn't been seen or used correctly in other avenues, but overtime became part of the status quo, because quite frankly, ad revenue adds up. So, for someone who prides himself as a businessman before a Black man, the choice was simple, get that money.
The dumbing down of BET coincided with its commitment to hip-hop, but not all hip-hop, a few years back the station refused to play a video by Little Brother, saying it was "too smart' for their viewers. But I guess videos by Waka Flacka Flame are right on target for their viewers? At some point, we have to raise the standards and practice better judgment, so I took the first step by refusing to watch until the powers that be grow a conscience and realize they are responsible for helping to shape the minds and ambitions of young people. However, by repeatedly displaying images of ignorance and ignoring the possibilities, they'll continue to rake in the big bucks for Viacom at the cost of Black America.
Leave a respond
Post a Comment