Coretta Scott-King, the iconic widow of slain civil rights leader, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was laid to rest on Tuesday. Coretta, as she has been so affectionately called furthered the cause of her husband after his untimely death and made sure to keep the struggle for civil rights at the forefront of American society.

You see, Coretta (she attained one name status long ago), was concerned about the direction of this country and hoped that progress and strides could be made to reach the elusive equality her husband fought and ultimately gave his life for.

Progress, hope, and optimism. That was Coretta.

It was for these reasons that CNN, MSNBC, and Fox News Channel (!!!), broadcasted the funeral live for their viewers.

“You can find me in DC…” - Notorious B.I.G. “Kick In The Door”, 1997, Life After Death

Not on Tuesday you couldn’t.

Because BET decided “to offer a different experience for BET viewers.” (link via Poplicks)

Sometimes I feel as if I’m beating a dead horse here, or preaching to the choir, or kickin’ tires and lightin’ fires.

However, how is it that TVOne and the Black Family Channel (a station I didn’t even know existed), both stations catered to the “black experience”, would decide to broadcast the funeral but BET, the one station with the most reach, opts to run music videos.

And let’s be real, its BET, it isn’t as if they were running a political analysis of Bush’s budget proposal. They did run a 30-minute taped tribute later that night, but whoopty damn doo.

“If BET erred, we erred on the side of giving viewers a different choice… . We wanted people to have access to this wherever they were - at work, at home, traveling, at school. The online experience would give them that.”

No…you erred on the side of being yourself. It seems like they intentionally TRY to do things that are in direct conflict with what makes sense. I swear, if we ever elect a Black President…BET will probably decide to go to a country music format.

Non-sequitor? Clearly. That is BET in a nutshell.

So BET ran the funeral online.

By a show of hands, who here actually goes to BET’s website???

*crickets*

And excuse my fuckedupedness, but why would you? In fact, hold on one second…

*going to BET’s website to see what’s actually on there*

Umm…feel free to whistle while you twerk…er…work. Ah fuck it, it’s BET…that’s what you saw instead of the funeral anyway.

*back*

Just like I thought…there is no good reason to go to BET.com. It isn’t like there’s any news there or anything. News that affects black people. No, you can just go to BlackAmericaWeb for that…and even that isn’t all that stellar.

It’s strange, when I think of finding out what’s going on with black people in America, BET doesn’t even come onto the radar. Hell, they quit running “Day-Late-And-Dollar-Short” News last July. Apparently people still watch BET though…and I’m not shitting on anybody’s religion, but okay. However, deciding to run the feed on their site, largely a HAZMAT-like destination, and offer on their TV station videos and Burger King (guess that was close enough) commercials…which reaches a vastly larger audience, was…how do you young kids say this nowadays…

…oh yes…stupid as the fuck.

And the justification…even worse. I feel like they have the staff of chimps that the careerbuilder.com commercials are using, running shit.

And I’m not calling black people monkies. Plus, I’m not white…you can’t fire me.

To be fair ABC, NBC, and CBS all streamed the funeral on their website. And you know what, I’ll bet people watched it there…from work. I go to abc.com. I got to CNN.com at least 4 times a day. I watch TV on my computer ALL the time at work…while I’m, ya know, working.

“While acknowledging that BET “has not satisfied what every viewer would want” in regard to King’s funeral, the network provided “an informative, enriching experience,” (Michael) Lewellen says.

The experience won’t hurt BET’s image, he insists.”

You got that right, jack. In fact, I don’t even think anybody noticed. Or cared. Hell, I only found this out, after the fact. You can’t hurt an image that’s high point is BET:Uncut.

You just can’t.

I do however wonder about which “informative, enriching experience” he was speaking of. It’s BET…when was the last time you watched BET and you felt more informed or enlightened?

I’m well aware that BET is well within it’s rights to not show anything substantive on its station. And they exercise that right very well. In fact, I’d say they were tops in the industry at pointless programming intended to do nothing to further the cause of its intended audience…however…

…it’s Coretta.

An icon of not only Black, but American culture. Hell, four US presidents were there. Including the one “black” President we’ve had…President William “Slick Willie” Clinton.

And BET aired the Ying Yang Twins.

So, with that, I’d like to suggest that when the NAACP gets together to change their name (hopefully sometime before I die), BET also be invited to the Re-Naming Committee Board meeting and come up with something more appropriate.

Like, NUT. Nothing Useful Television.

At least that would be honest.

In other news, Kanye got robbed at the Grammy’s in the Album of The Year Category. I’ve heard U2’s album, it wasn’t that great. I just hope that this causes Kanye to once again, create an album that can’t be denied. Because at some point, the RIAA is going to have to acknowledge him.

And somebody tell Sly Stone that McDonald’s wants its Golden Arches back.

(You can’t see it, but one of Prodigy’s tattoes says, “50 Cent Was Here”)

I remember it like it was yesterday.

I stole into my older sister’s room while she wasn’t home and helped myself to a few of the tapes that were sitting on her dresser. I took them upstairs to record them like I always did.

I popped one tape in.

It changed my life.

(Well not really, but when writing like this, it is often important to exhibit life-altering moments for dramatic effect I suppose.)

The brashness, the audacity, and gotdamn…the beats. I had never heard anything like it. Every beat was good and welcomed me into a world I knew nothing about but left me yearning for more.

(See? More dramatic totally flufftastic ass bullshit. However, by writing like this, it makes me seem like one of those folks who attempst to connect with his audience through vivid imagery. Please…follow along.)

It was NWA’s EFIL4ZAGGIN. That was in 1991. Fifteen years later, it is still one of my two favorite rap albums, along with De La Soul’s de la soul is dead.

Up to that point, I had been listening to rap sporadically, but I was 12, lived in Germany, and didn’t have cable. My rap was limited to videos our families would mail us from the US of VideoSoul and Rap City. That means I didn’t know shit.

[***Sidenote: In Germany, there was one English language channel that wasn't on cable, AFN. The Armed Forces Network. If it didn't come on AFN, more than likely, we weren't watching it. And that goes for most military brats overseas. You watched the shows the military wanted you to see, down to the cartoons. The one good thing was that there were no commercials. Needless to say, we depended on our family and friends to make sure we even knew what year it was in the states. ***]

My first real introduction to rap was through NWA and it helped to shape my preferences early. I was never that into New York rap. I liked certain folks like Nas and Jay, but I’d take some of that West Coast, DJ Quik/NWA/Dr. Dre/Ice Cube over most of it anyday. It was more laid back, kill you quick so I can party, type shit. I appreciated the “get to the point” storytelling. Plus, I didn’t care so much about lyrical content (though Cube was really spitting some shit back then…now, he sounds like a brillo pad), it was more about the beats to me. It still is today. That doesn’t mean I’ll listen to any craptastic rapper over a hot beat. Not at all. What it does mean is that if the beat doesn’t catch me, I won’t listen at all.

Now, there was a point where I started to get more into the New York foundation rap shit. When I moved back to the states, the South was coming into its own via Outkast, which was good, I was in the South. But New York was at its high point. I started getting involved, from Pete Rock and CL Smooth [my favorite rap song ever is "They Reminisce Over You (T.R.O.Y.)"] to Nas to Mobb Deep to OC to LL Cool J, etc. I was never a big Mobb Deep fan at first, but that was before I fully listened to The Infamous.

My goodness gracious that album bangs. One of my favorite beats ever is “Trife Life”. That shit is so gangsta its crazy. And who can deny the gangsta of “Shook Ones Pt. II” or “Survival of The Fittest”. It’s a classic album. Hell, so is Hell On Earth. Mobb Deep made me fans for real. And I appreciate them for that.

Which is why it pains me so to witness the gay ass antics they are exhibiting lately.

Good fuckin’ Satan.

It’s bad enough that I have to hear about them signing to G-Unit, ESPECIALLY after 50 Cent clearly clowned them on his diss track “Piggy Bank”. When speaking to Jadakiss, he says, “…i’ll clown your little ass like Jay did Mobb Deep…”

Apparently, that little shot wasn’t enough to stop them from doing business. That’s fine. But Prodigy has really been making it difficult to remain a fan. I almost think he has a mancrush on 50. During interviews he never fails to mention that he will do whatever 50 says he can do. Yeah, they’re gonna keep creating the murda music we love them for, but they won’t do anything that 50 has a problem with. And for the record, most of the dicksuckery comes from Prodigy. Havoc hasn’t been as bad.

Well, it would seem that 50 has decided to return the manlove to Mobb Deep. In what had to be the hardest article to write without mentioning the homoerotic undertones, MTV scribes inform us that:

Mobb Deep, 50 Cent Get Tattoes To Prove Their Loyalties

“The Mobb Deep and G-Unit alliance seems to go deeper than just business ��� a true kinship and pledge of loyalty have been forged. Prodigy has the words “G-Unit” tattooed on his right hand and 50 has “Mobb Deep” tatted on his wrist. Fif also gave both Mobb members new Porsches when the ink dried on their contracts. The two sides knew right off the bat that things would work.”

How much do you want to bet that Havoc had to talk Prodigy out of getting 50 tattooed on his right hand???

I can ALMOST understand getting a G-Unit tattoo except that it’s so permanent. And we all know that 50 can drop a nigga in a heartbeat. And I’m sure that Lloyd Banks and Yayo have G-Unit tattoes, but they’ve been down since day one. It just seems risky knowing 50’s track record of wilingness to air out anybody who doesn’t have his back 135 percent. Though I guess Prodigy’s blatant willingness to bend over backwards for his newfound friend (pun intended) does indicate that he’s there for the long haul.

However, 50 Cent getting Mobb Deep tattered on his wrist? Well that’s just gay. I guess the t-shirts weren’t enough…he just had to have the M-O-B-B on his body too. If that isn’t manlove, I don’t know what is.

Not that there’s anything wrong with that.

I wonder how many of their diehard fans are going to be able to look past the uber-dicksuckery Prodigy has been exhibiting and objectively remain fans. I can’t look past it at all. I damn near hate them now. You don’t see M.O.P. running around acting little bitches. They have their dignity thank goodness. But the Mobb? Shit, what does Big Noyd think about all of this? Hell, what does Queensbridge think??

I’ll always be able to fall back on The Infamous or Hell On Earth or Murda Muzik, and I let that uber-cornball ass 112 collabo ride…

…but this overly zealous 50-riding is really testing my ability to take them seriously. There is a whole new level of cockiness they are exhibiting. It’s almost like they feel 50 has made them valid.

I hope they prove me wrong because I’m a fan, but somehow…I’m afraid. Or better yet…

…they got me shook.

(Dude…was that not THE corniest ending line like fuckin’ EVER???)

Every now and then I read very depressing news. For instance, I found out yesterday that UPN and the WB are going to merge into the CW Network sometime this year. Save for the casts of “Everybody Hates Chris” and “Girlfriends”, quite a few more black actors/actresses are going to be unemployed. And despite the shows sucking, they were still black shows on air. Sometimes the news involves world catastrophes, other times it involves civil rights or humanitarian efforts that seem to align with Langston Hughes famous poem, “A Dream Deferred.”

And then…there’s shit like this:

Study: College students lack literacy for complex tasks

*You don’t actually have to click to that link since I’ll be pulling out highlights of the article since any of you college students/graduates out there might not know how to click on the link*

“More than half of students at four-year colleges — and at least 75 percent at two-year colleges — lack the literacy to handle complex, real-life tasks such as understanding credit card offers, a study found.”

[***DISCLAIMER: What will follow will be very insensitive comments about college students/graduates (of which I'm a member...I'm also a member of the Safeway Select Grocery Store Discount Club). You've been informed and bewared. ***]

In the immortal words of Florence Evan’s signifying the point where Good Times went to total shit or more popularly known as the moment when Flo and family found out James died of a contract dispute, I mean, an accident in Mississippi (or somewhere down South)…

…damn, damn, damn.

What in the hell are people learning in college?

The worst and most disturbing part of the whole article is that it doesn’t surprise me. I can’t tell you how many actual college graduates I know who don’t seem equipped to handle the simple tasks in life. And for the college students who don’t understand that last statement, let me simplify it.

College students isn’t all smart.

[***DISCLAIMER# 2: I'm aware that many people who come here are indeed college students or college graduates. If you have trouble reading or analyzing anything on this site, it's okay, apparently you aren't alone. However, I'm a saddened by this news and I hope to never work for or near you in life. You will make me dumber. Go count something. ***]

“The literacy study funded by the Pew Charitable Trusts, the first to target the skills of graduating students, finds that students fail to lock in key skills — no matter their field of study….

Without “proficient” skills, or those needed to perform more complex tasks, students fall behind. They cannot interpret a table about exercise and blood pressure, understand the arguments of newspaper editorials, compare credit card offers with different interest rates and annual fees or summarize results of a survey about parental involvement in school.”

Let us analyze this a little bit. I’ve often looked at credit card applications, and quite frankly it can be very confusing. Sometimes I think its intentionally confusing. However, after actually reading an application I have an understanding of the different options, penalties, etc. You see, the key component is reading.

You know what, let’s cut the smart shit, this is a gotdamn shame. Let’s get to what this really means, mmkay?

“Most students at community colleges and four-year schools showed intermediate skills. That means they can do moderately challenging tasks, such as identifying a location on a map.”

I went to college…two of them in fact, and one of the things I learned while in college is to become more analytical. I’ve had plenty of conversations with my friends where I concluded that I didn’t learn so much in college, but moreso expanded on what I already knew (in the simplest forms) and acquired an ability to understand HOW to learn. Of course, that shit goes completely out of the window when I include my calculus classes or that lovely Mechanics (Physics) class I took the summer before my Freshman year where I cranked out a big D+ AND took the entire final by flipping a quarter to determine my responses.

When I dropped my quarter between some seats, I turned my test in. The quarter said I was done.

In my defense, the laughs of my peers killed some of the nervous tension in the air. I took one for the team. Ironically, I think I might have done as well if not better than more than half the class.

But I digress.

The fact that identifying a location on a map is considered an intermediate skill is troubling enough by itself, but the notion that college graduates are mostly adept at completing such a low intuition task, and potentially not further than that speaks volumes about education in this country.

Hell, I’m amazed college graduates can even read…and we know for a fact that some can’t. I guess this makes that whole idea of a dumb jock a little less funny, doesn’t it?

Dumb asses=universal, all inclusive term.

I don’t know if this was comedically placed or not, but this little paragraph damn near slayed me:

“There was brighter news.

Overall, the average literacy of college students is significantly higher than that of adults across the nation. Study leaders said that was encouraging but not surprising, given that the spectrum of adults includes those with much less education.”

The cliche, “no shit” comes to mind.

So we have to find silver linings in the fact that college students are able to READ better than most adults in a nation that has created policies to kick up the literacy level of EVERYBODY, not just children because it would seem that people can’t seem to…read. Even R. Kelly is admittedly a functional illiterate.

Functional illiteracy is like the new “passing”. Folks get by on other people’s assumption that they can read when in truth, even college students aren’t adept at anything past reading words on a page. Dammit, I used a college word again. Let me try to rewrite that sentence…

College students see words.

“The survey examined college students nearing the end of their degree programs.

Almost 20 percent of students pursuing four-year degrees had only basic quantitative skills. For example, the students could not estimate if their car had enough gas to get to the service station. About 30 percent of two-year students had only basic math skills.”

Understandbly, math was the Achille’s heel for most people since generally, people suck ass at math. However, the fact that as many 20 percent of students may not be able to estimate if they had enough gas to get to the station is troubling, ESPECIALLY given that cars come with little lights nowadays that say, “Dumbass, go to the gas station.” I’m one of the people who will test my car to see how far I can go while the light is lit and the car is on E. However, I’m fully aware of what I’m doing…and further, doing it intentionally, knowing that my car might run out of gas on me.

Apparently, my thinking is not shared by a sizable percentage of college students. This is again…a damn shame. This didn’t say “able to calculate using the quadratic formula.” No, it says basic math skills which I can only assume means using fractions and moving a decimal a few places. For the college graduates out there, a fraction is the two numbers that have a line between them.

I’m aware that this study was done with a sample of nearly 2,000 when the population of graduating students at large probably numbers in the hundreds of thousands (I could be very optimistic in that assumption), however, there is some truth in these numbers. I’m often surprised when I come across college graduates who seem to be intuitively challenged and apparently I’m wrong for that.

I apologize.

You can’t read (or count or determine a tip for a waiter or determine a pun in a sentence or are able to analyze a sentence or point out a predicate or, well you get the picture). And it’s okay…

…apparently it’s the American way.

I’ve made many distinctions in my day, call me an elitist, feel free (it’s been done before), about people who seem to know shit versus people who are smart. And believe you me, there is a difference. This study just furthers that idea since I assume that to make it thru 4 years you have to at least know something…that does not mean however, that you are smart. It also lends validation to the common saying…

…some of the dumbest people we all know, are indeed, in college.