“The Destruction of BLLLACK People…”
I wanna start this by saying Happy 30th to Black Entertainment Television. I also wanna start by saying BET sucks. Now that we’ve gotten that out the way, let’s talk about it.
See, here’s the thing- I wanna like BET more than I actually can. I respect that they’ve tried to become more of a network than just a video channel. At the same time, the programs they have on the station are mostly ridiculous. I respect its history and especially what it meant for Black artists that otherwise wouldn’t have been seen. But I also hate how limited and one-dimensional the playlist eventually got. I remember when I couldn’t wait to get home from school and cut on channel 7. But I also remember them advertising last year’s BET Awards as a Michael Jackson tribute, which ended up being the most 15-pieces-of-flair-ass shit ever. Sometimes I consider that maybe some of us Black folk give BET too hard of a time, but right after I consider that, they throw some shit on that completely justifies why they catch so much flack.
Ultimately, I feel we sometimes expect a bit too much, especially from such a historically substandard station. Of course their programming is wack, but have they ever really been known for having a stellar line-up? There were times in summer ‘98 when I literally woke up in the morning and watched BET all day long. From 9 a.m. to midnight, I watched ‘em all- Video Vibrations, Jam Zone, Planet Groove, Hit List, Rap City, that random 227 episode, Planet Groove again, ComicView, and Tavis Smiley. Sure, I was entertained and totally happy with BET, but there was no depth in that. It was hours and hours of videos with an ’80s sitcom and stand-up comedy thrown in, capped off by an hour’s worth of substance. Give or take a few shows, it was basically the same for years. It wasn’t so much an all-around entertainment channel as it was the place to catch all the videos… and Soloflex infomercials Teen Summit on the weekend.
Even when they tried to get more on-air personalities and shows that focused on things other than music, BET’s lineup was still primitive at best. Still, it was an appreciated station, because of all the exposure it gave to music that MTV and VH1 weren’t thinkin’ about fuckin’ with. They were almost the only place for most Black artists to be seen in the ’80s, when a nigga had to be named Michael or Prince to get mainstream airplay. I’d even say most of ‘em wouldn’t have even had videos without that channel around. Even in the ’90s as MTV was less resistant to play hip-hop and R&B, they still weren’t spinning all that shit BET was spinning. BET was always that outlet, whether Black music was the “in” thing or not, and they deserve respect for that reason.
But nothing gets popular without someone coming along and fuckin’ with it, and that’s what happened when Viacom stepped in. First it was the noticeable decline of diversity when it came to the videos (although that could’ve also been reflective of the music industry itself). Then, it was the MTV knockoff shows. Then it was the wack-ass “personalities”. Before long, it was just one corny show after another, and fuckin’ Prison Song every Saturday. I still get flashbacks of Fat Joe falling on the third rail and gettin’ electrocuted on some Ramo shit. If it wasn’t that, it was 3 Strikes- I’m almost positive that movie has run more times on BET than it did in any theater. Then there’s College Hill (which features students doing everything but goin’ to school), Tiny & Toya (letting every has-been and never-was of the world know that they too can become TV stars), The Monique Show (which should come on in the morning as a wake-up show with all that damn yellin’ she does), and the shit list goes on.
But I say all that to say this: BET is still every bit as limited as it’s always been. It’s just that now, instead of videos all day, it’s half-ass shows and movies all day. Some oldheads (including myself) have tended to feel that it went through some sort of dramatic decline as a station. After further consideration, I’ve realized that most of us really just miss the videos, and should probably be watching their new Centric channel before they fuck that up too. I love all that BET shit I grew up with- the cheap-ass graphics, Donnie coming out of the Video Soul elevator, their willingness to play any video with niggas in it no matter how terrible it was, and especially that got-damn Rap City (pre-Tigger). But that whole fairytale of it being some kind of informative, progressive, thought-provoking station was only true for about six hours out of the week.
Don’t get me wrong- I know that on this day of January 25, 2010, we should hate that awful station. Still, I’m not sure if we should hate BET for not being what it should be, more than we should hate it for never really being what it coulda been, despite having 30 years to do so.
-D!
Da’ Mayor >>>Joe Clair>>>Tigger
*does the shoulder bounce*
It’s just like any other station, that thinks they know what’s “best” for the audience. They go after the target demo, which changes every few years, inadvertently leaving behind those that helped make it successful. Some would say the same thing about EmptyV, when @ one time, it was Real World & Remote Control, & rock music. Couple of years later, reality shows up the wahzoo, & rappers all over the screen. Albeit mainstream, harmless rappers, but you smell my cologne.
I miss being a carefree youngin.
You know what Danj? You are absolutely right. I can remember when ppl would say BET sucked back in the day for just playing videos all day. You did forget one show “Caribbean Rhythms” with the beautiful Rachel. LOL Black ppl have a very bad habit of looking for things to liberate our race. Like the idea is to have all things black to represent us as intelligent ppl and that will never be the case. All things white dont show white ppl in the best light. No one talks about Tv One, which if you ask me, does a very good job at showing quality black shows. BET has falling by the waste side, but it wasnt to far from the waste side in the first place. It is just that the fuckery has reached a all time high with them.
BET has been and is on the decline. The shows are horrible and I get tired of seeing the same black films every other week there are only so many times you can watch “ATL”. I think when the company was sold that gave way for more tomfoolery lol (tomfoolery) …but granted BET never had stellar shows or a lineup for that matter it just seemed more mature back in the day. Maybe because I’m close to my thirties at this point but the 106& parks and other show don’t do it for me. Our kids need to know more than videos there more to black people then dancing and singing. And why is the black channel with any kind of substance somewhat hidden and not in the forefront. why are we trying to copy MTV’s formula for success instead of creating one for ourselves like we did with the initial run of the station. It would be cool to get some new head in the BET board room with fresh ideas that brought entertainment and a since of intellect to BET’s programming.
I might be alone, but every now & then I enjoy some coonery.
It’s good for the metabolism.
Oh yeah, I’m all for some ridiculous Negro debauchery… I just like for it to actually be entertaining at the same time.
-D!
Lol @ Amp. Nigganometry clears the sinuses.
@John
I can’t recall dudes name, but he was the head of HipHopDX. He got a job @ BET a couple of years back, & tried to change the system of things, but he said they shut him down from every angle. After a year, he quit & went back to the ‘net, & said that the shirts who run BET are out of touch, & think what they’re doing is good for the company.
It’s cool because when it finally goes off the air…. You’ll be mad about that too!!!
You left out that awful hood-rat Keysha Cole and her embarrassment of a mother and sister. Booting Tavis was an epic fail.
TV One has Martin & Good Times on a loop.
But they do try to have better programming. I give them that.
BET only lasted this long because of the black in their name. Their WPIX-like programming sux moldy pig knuckles. And I never understood why Mr. Johnson didn’t bring Soul Train into the fold as a big timer, after all without Don they wouldn’t have sold all of that Afro Sheen.
If BET signed off what would you really miss? Worldstar comments are funnier than BET shows.
“It would be cool to get some new head in the BET board room”
“It would be cool to get some head (from Rocsi) in the BET board room”
^ Now it’s a good thought
BET has been on the decline for years. First they get rid of Rap City, and then they add all of these reality tv shows, dating shows like Hell Date, that college show, and that 106 and Park. BET has become just a carbon copy of MTV. Since I don’t watch MTV, why would I watch BET?
joe clair was the illest nigga they had hosting rap city
Very true to light article.Big props…. I must say that I loved prison song and probably watched it about ten times no lie!!bobbito and qtip! How could u hate on that shit!
The closest BET got to be put on Blast for their antics and wack programming is from The Boondocks. I find it funny how back in the day we had all these Reverends and political fucks ganging up on Hip Hop and it’s music, even down to crushing cd’s on the street but those same peeps have a blind eye to what’s poppin’ at the station today. The reason why they get away with it is because there is no competition. If Master P gets his idea off the ground, we might start to see a change. That station nowadays is one big re-run !! Nothing new at all. 106 is like a radio station, got videos on program, showing the same unless we get a new one or a artist
come through. BET been whatever though, they took off the news, got rid off the intelligence and swept the originality under the rug. The only thing that stays a stable is the Gospel and who knows how long that’ll last.
Still remember the day Joe Clair played the shit out of Camp Lo, looking at them cats like they was extra soft……..
Also the time Ghostface and Cappadonna had Big Tigger shook, and Ghost cussing all in his freestyle in the booth…easily my favorite episode of Rap City.
Dudes name was dbrad who exposed BET.
..” Still, I’m not sure if we should hate BET for not being what it should be, more than we should hate it for never really being what it coulda been, despite having 30 years to do so.”
Yes, that’s the point. It never morphed into anything of value. Although, many of us foretold the trainwreck that is now BET, we held out hope that it would prove us wrong.
It hasn’t. It’s been hijacked/neglected/exploited/propagandized many times over. Many Yt people are STILL angry BET even exists.
It’s just another channel I pass over with my remote.
FIX YOUR CREDIT
Stop Procrastinating!!!
(You’re only hurting yourself)
A GOOD CREDIT RATING
is the most valuable asset in today’s credit based society
You have nothing to loose and everything to gain…
DON’T WAIT – CALL NOW!!!
323.674.5400 ASK FOR KEN
Representing white people here, I have to say I hate BET haha. Its usually Boyz In Da Hood or a knockoff MTV show that was already bad on MTV and made worse on BET.
I do watch it for the videos sometimes, but its alllllways just the same old same old radio songs. They don’t do much for breaking new music that you won’t hear on MTV.
The girl who hosts 106 & Park is sooo crack though, I dont even know her name.
Hell Date is easily the best thing I’ve ever seen though, easily the most entertaining thing on MTV/VH1/BET.
Menace II Soceity>Boyz In Da Hood
Man you guys forgot about THE UNCUT videos that came on at 2am.Easily the best thing to happen to BET.But people got brand new and decided that Black women don’t act like what we were seeing on the videos(yeah,right!)and shut that shit (MY SHIT) down!! BET can still redeem themselves to me…………UNCUT 2!!!Make it happen BET.Make that shit happen!
BET is a failure for one reason only:
They have failed to create black animation and cartoons for black children. A TV network is not a true network unless they an create animation through a studio or otherwise.
KILL RYU