BET

Interesting fact about me and many of my associates, we don't care too much for Black Entertainment Television; BET if you will. This fact is so true that I haven't viewed any programming on the channel in nearly 3 years; well other than the occasional trip to the barber. Also, once a show has been replayed on the network, I lose interest in it as I did in the case of In Living Color. The root of this dislike is not some Uncle Tom behavior that is anti-Black; nor is it the fact that I am not the target audience.
I can find three reasons for my displeasure with company. First, the attention given to cultural issues is pathetic. Loosely connected to this fact is the network's inability to provide solutions to mainstream's diversity struggles. Finally, the name of the network itself poses a never ending problem to which few would make comparison.
So many cultural issues face Black Americans from education to proper health care. Given the history of Blacks in America, there are a certain amount of social subjects that are unique to the race. The network's past approach to these issues had been minimal to non-existent in comparison to it's other foci. Being that the race that it claims to entertain is considered lacking in knowledge and action, the network seemingly continues to promote stereotypical values over character building initiatives. There had also been a shift to a younger demographic in recent years. Pause for this Trey Songz reality show...
Historic Black figures and events also are neglected by the network. Josephine Baker, Marcus Garvey, W.E.B. DuBois, and the list goes on. These are people that get little coverage from mainstream American history but are in fact a part of that very history. The majority of secondary education institutions give a half hearted attempt to cover contemporary American and World history as it comes near the finale of the school year. This gives the network an opportunity to pick up the broken pieces of the civil rights movement, black power struggle, fall and rise of Black education, and the struggles of subgroups within the race. Hold on, there's a new Waka Flocka video about to drop...
Numerous artist, actors, and entrepreneurs in general have no medium to display their skills. Of these cases is that of the lack of opportunities for Black Americans to gain respectable television programs or "ain't no Blacks on TV." Even though several networks have made attempts to remedy the problem, the network in question has typically resorted to syndicating reruns rather than creating quality original programming for either new or established artist. Except if that artist is into music and making the kind that will attract the target demographic. Oops let me catch this new show, "My Mom is Neffe and My Aunt is Keisha"...
My final point is a continuation of the first with a twist. The network is called BLACK ENTERTAINMENT TELEVISION. This name implies that such a network should at the very minimum entertain the majority if not all of Blacks. This has pretty much never been the case. As a diverse race, this is a feat that is next to impossible with only one channel. Within a Black household, there can be multiple taste in music, movies, and cultural issues. There is also no notable news program other than news briefs as if Blacks have so much entertainment needed that the only news allowed must come in random 30 to 60 second segments. Is that a Game rerun???
Back to my program. Considering the target audience, there is much distance between what is desired and what is needed. Many have complained of the education of Black minds, which are as sharp as any other, can look no farther than the distraction of the network. One would think that the network executives would act responsibly to close this gap. Those that follow the issue know that Ms. Lee has criticized other networks for not uplifting the Black cause, but really Ms. Lee, how much uplift is your network giving? Oh snap it's time for yet another Coon Ass fool dancing on the screen in some fake ass jewelry talking about living in a house he can't afford and spending money that he hasn't earned yet.
BET
"That's my shit nigga"
Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry