[quote Care to add some meat to those bones by being specific about what you don't like? I take you didn't care for Countdown to Lockdown, the DMX series, the Keyshia Cole series, College Hill, or Hell Date. What about American Gangster, Exalted, Meet The Faith, or Sunday Best? What else is there?
I think we're all looking forward to scripted original programming but I understand there are some projects in the works...
Yes, I wasn't being specific in my first post, but that was just to make my point that not all of those who protest BET need to make pest of themselves and not all pest need to be banned or threatened to being banned.
What I don't like and why:
Helldate - Was funny after the first three episodes. Very formulaic. The minstrel factor: the two midgets in devil costumes. Scripted.
Any or all the music video shows - Why? It's all about payola; just like the radio world and pretty much what MTV did before they stopped showing videos. No chances taken, experimenting with the audience to see if they would even want to see artists like Zap Mama; "Just show who's on the Bill Board top 10 and sell that sh*t to the sponsors."
While there are those from our community who express themselves in such deep complex ways such as "Supaman dat ho", why do we forget that there are others who express themselves the way Stickman form Dead Prez does? Where is the airtime for people like that? Yes, we know; black people are stupid and they don't like lyrics about stuff like politics and stuff. And neither do sponsors.
Comic View - Still an old hold over from the Johnson days. Comedy has more to do with personal taste, so what I write here has to do with what I like compared to the BS on CV. First, I believe that if you are not Richard Pryor or George Carlin get the f*ck off the stage! Yeah, I said, it Hamburger! Seriously, these dudes that they cut and paste into each episode from various cities, states, and time periods are about as funny as your parents when they tried to keep you from crying when you were two and teething. The physical humor the race comparisons; minstrel at its best.
American Gangster - I will say this; the production level on this show is far more eye-catching than the cheap productions found elsewhere on the network. It realluy is l;ike looking at an A & E doc. The problem is; it's all about gangsters. It seems that the creators of this show along with the show's enthusiasts are trying to cry out, "See, we have smart thugs just like Capone too. Our drug dealers can be jsut as blood thirsty and exploitative as the Italians were."
What I DO like about BET and why:
HGM (as to be originally aired) - the show's concept that to show how stupid our people can be, it would be far more powerful to use a TV show.
Wire reruns - I hate cop shows, but that's why I love the Wire; it's not a cop show. It was everything Charles Dutton had done with The Corner except the players are primarily dope dealers and cops. Really, HBO and the creators should be cutting the D-Man checks.
Girlfriends reruns - this show started out stupidly, but really, it turned out good. The writing stuck to the Cheers/Frasier style where characters are true to their natures and consistent with their actions.
Well, I posted this because I was asked to be specific, not to troll or attack. The best way to deal with stuff you don't like is to simply not watch. That has been my approach to the aspects of BET and the corporate comodification of black culture; don't buy it.
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Fair assessments but I disagree on almost all points but a few.
Hell date: Funny. Good formula tic but so is Cheaters, elimidate and every other show in this fashion. We are not asking for ban from those other networks for Formulatic shows. The midgets. I can take them or leave them. I see it more of exploited to small people as opposed to minstrel like. Black folks don't have midgetry lock down do we?
Music videos. Cry to the cows come home. I am 35. I am out of the demographic for video shows. If you are younger then 30, good for you. However the format of Rap n RnB that you look for the artist shun the radio and the cross over any way. I love Dead Prez but can we be serious. The content of their songs like F*$# the Radio and Turn off that BS aint establishment so why place them in an audience that is not there's? VH1 Soul and MTV 2 Bet Jazz are more to your liking Bro. Take that up with your cable provider if you don't have them.
Comic View: I actually agree for the most part on this. Back in the day before it used all of the spliced acts it was very good. Launched a few comedians to the national spotlight as well. We can all agree that fresh new comedy shows are needed. But I bet it is cheap as hell and profitable to show those rerun acts all the time. The game show/comedy show that launched the career of that young cat, cant remember his name was good.
American Gangster: I disagree all the way around and as a fan of the show I am kind of insulted. We had a thread a while back on why reasonable upstanding members of the board who are professionals like us are drawn to a show like AG. Hard to say but I will watch A&E, History Channel and other shows like this so why not watch a show that profiles the exploits of notorious crime figures who are of color? I mean the Wire is the best show on TV and AG profiled one of the main figures of the Baltimore Drug trade with a wonderful ending message to boot.
But again thanks for being specific and adding to the overall dialog quality of the board.
