Never Thought I’d See The Day…
I began today with a plan to write about something I’ve noticed in our Nation’s Capitol and the people our federal government employs…however the line for hell was WAAAAAAAAAAAY to long, so I’ll get back into that later.
I’ve decided to do something that I thought I’d never do, and that I’m sure nobody will agree with me on…that is to…(drum roll please)…
PROVIDE THE DEFENSE OF BLACK ENTERTAINMENT TELEVISION (BET)
Nowadays BET gets a bad rap. Black people complain about it to no end and white people couldn’t care less. Latinos, for the most part, are too busy working or driving somewhere to pay it any mind (guess that line to hell wasn’t as long as I thought). But, today, I am going to come to the defense of BET as the provider of legitimate opportunity and forethought in the black community.
First and foremost, BET has provided a lot of jobs to otherwise unworthy individuals. Take AJ and Free for instance. There really is no good reason for either one of them to have a job on national television. Neither one of them is THAT great as a host. Their chemistry is lackluster at best on a good day (further evidenced by the fact that they have NO CLUE whatsoever how not to talk over one another…possibly one of the most annoying facets of the damn show). AJ absolutely DOES look like The Predator. I mean 106 & Park lost its purpose something like 2 years ago and its still on the air. You know why…because BET provides jobs.
Hell that point is further driven home by Tiffany. Now I’m not sure who she’s sleeping with, or who she has scandelous pictures of at BET…but its kept her with a job. And NOWHERE else in America is somebody going to hire her. I mean they even gave her a show all to her own…a video show mind you…which directly follows 106 & Park, another video show. Which proves that though they have no real use for her, somebody was like,this poor girl needs a job and she gives good head. Same goes for Young Sir…I’m sure he’s sleeping with the same person Tiffany is (and who the hell comes up with the name Young Sir anyway???). There are numerous other people who don’t deserve employment but BET out of the benevolence of its heart found somewhere for them to get their shot, including but not limited to: Laz Alonzo, Amerie, etc.
Also, BET has provided no-count worthless rappers with video cameras and a microphone the ability to broadcast their wide range of talents to the world via BET Uncut. Now I must admit, I’m a fan. Where else can you see soft porn bundled with your regular cable package? Nowhere that’s where. Only on BET can a dollar and a dream really get you on TV…even if it is at 3am and the only people still up are perverts and your boys who you told that you were going to be on TV.
Arabesque films. Does this need any justification??? Kadeem Hardison, Lark Voorhees, Khalil Kain, every other B-list black actor/actress in Hollywood, or rapper, can get on TV this way. Let’s be real, don’t we all want a shot in a movie??? Here’s your chance. All you have to do is call up BET and say you have a movie idea that would be great for Kadeem Hardison, or any other black person who starred in a sitcom or has released an album at some point in their lives that mainstream American just couldn’t quite latch onto and that you’d like to write yourself into a part. There you go…you’re in a movie. Oh yeah, and is it just me but doesn’t everybody ELSE think Prison Song AND Brooklyn Babylon were great movies???? Just me, huh??? Maybe so…but most of us have seen them!!! (And for the record, Black Thought is a great actor…no really, I’m serious!!!)
Comicview. We all like laughing. Period.
Nightly News with Jackie Reed (sp??). Now really people, WHERE ELSE are you going to get your news from a woman who is up on the latest fashion trends??? She’s a trendsetter. I mean she still rocks chokers. Barbara Walters ain’t rockin’ no choker!!! Ed Bradley ain’t rockin’ no choker! No…its Jackie Reed and Jackie Reed only. She provides her own style and grace that we just have to appreciate. The fact that the news is often two to three days late and/or completely irrelevant is moot here. She rocks chokers. Any news anchorwoman who does that so flawlessly and effortlessly is well worth my 30 minutes!!! And who needs news anyway…rappers talk about current events and politics in rap songs all the time. And lest we forget we get about 12 hours of videos anyway.
Improvements. We all know that MTV, BET, and vh1 are owned by Viacomm. Well it seems to me that MTV in particular has dropped the ball and BET has improved on some of their shows. Hits from the Streets was WAAAAAAAAY better than the Tom Green show. Especially since he went places we knew folks. You never knew who you might catch on TV. I have no further defense on this point. Cribs is better than How I’m Living, which sucks. And oh yeah, they had some host chick on their who fits into my worthless people jobs category. I don’t even know her name. My life is better this way.
Downsizing. For the sake of efficiency, BET has cut out some of its most interesting shows and hosts. You know why they were picked??? Because Bob Johnson had the forethought to KNOW that they could find work elsewhere. Tavis Smiley is the MAN on his show and in America. Donnie Simpson is on the radio in DC doing his thing. Big Les…well I’m sure she’s doing fine without Rap City! Teen Summit…what youth needs that useful education, that’s what we have rappers for. I’m sure all of the teen summit panel kids are off to college and being successful somewhere anyway. And its only a matter of time before Tigger heads out to finish his “Tiggernometry” album. Al (aka Hits!) found a great job on Punk’d. BET is a breeding ground for great new talent. And they know it…which is why they are able to downsize to a point where some of the shows don’t even have hosts anymore…like BET:Start and BET: Uncut.
New Talent. They break in new talent EVERY WEEK. Between like 130-2pm on Saturdays when we are ALL supposed to be at home watching, they have Next Level where we get the smooth sounds of the newest neo-soul artists like Spooks and Novel. I know you have’nt heard of them…maybe if you spent more time watching BET you would.
*UPDATE* I THINK NEXT LEVEL DOESN’T EXIST ANYMORE…SORRY.
and, finally (for this version anyway)…
Unintentional comedy. Nowhere else on TV will you find an award show with categories for best rap artist that have artists who haven’t released songs in the past 5 years. I mean 50 Cent might still be up for Best New Artist in like 3 years. And deservedly so. Movies that nobody has seen are up for awards…songs that you never heard are up for awards by people you’ve never heard of. All 2 to 3 years late. I swear Bobby McFerrin got nominated for “Don’t Worry Be Happy” as best new song of 2000 a few years back. This is comedy on its highest level. You almost HAVE to watch just because. Where else can you find this level of unintentional comedy??? All in the name of keeping black folks entertained…
Throw in the weekly showing of Losing Isiah or Jungle Fever and add the fact that they know we are in church ALL day on Sunday so they don’t even bother to show black folks and waste all that talent and I’m convinced that BET is actually worth every dime they owe to creditors.
They show videos all day long cuz we love music, they provide some comedy for an hour cuz we like laughing, include a movie or two on Monday’s and Friday’s cuz we like movies, and then news for 30 minutes before Midnight Love, cuz we make love.
I mean really…where else are you going to find this level of Black Entertainment????
What happened to co-host Jackie Reed being on the Steve Harvey Morning Show? Did she quit, was she fired? What? The people would like to know.