My (Sad) Opinion of B.E.T.

AS A WHOLE ... I think BET is garbage. I believe that it is a network run on the premise of wasted potential.

There was a time when you could practically leave your television locked on BET. Where you once got news, you now get videos. Where you once got "Teen Summit" for the kids where they discussed issues of the day and teens got to learn something about positively expressing themselves, you now get "106 & Park." Then again - the ORIGINAL "106 & Park" with Free & AJ was actually a great show. I'm not hating on Terrence & Rocsi, but eeeghh! ANYWAY hey ... they're getting a check right? Rock on!

Where you once got Donnie Simpson & "Video Soul," you now get BET Uncut where you can watch all of the pole dancing and ass shaking you can stomach until 4am - at which time they put on a WHITE TELE-EVANGELIST! Haven't we learned yet from white folks telling us who God is & how, when & where to find Him?

AND PLEEEEZE don't get me started about these coon-ass shows like "Hell Date, College Hill, & Baldwin Hills." It's like BET is doing just what our people did 50-60+ years ago. When we couldn't participate in what the white man was doing, just copy it and make our own version of it - but it just never quite looked as good. Last night's awards show was the best awards production they ever put on. NOT because it was a memorial to Michael Jackson, but because the recipients were actually there! For the past several years, whenever they filmed the BET AWARDS, the majority of the winners weren't there. They would have their asses at the Grammys, the Oscars, and the American Music Awards - but BET or the Soul Train/Lady of Soul awards shows - nothing but "So & So couldn't be here with us this evening, so I'll gladly accept this award on their behalf."

Let's be real family ... The ONLY reason why so many people were there to make last night's show the true success that it was, was BECAUSE of Michael Jackson's death. It was because none of them wanted to be the ones who would be honored and NOT be able to be there and have something to say or have people say anything about them at THAT particular show. Let's see how many people show up to NEXT YEAR's show (provided we don't lose anymore legends).

And what was up with the sound crew and the censors? Mic's weren't working when they were supposed to, and SOME artists had working mic's who really didn't have any business having working mic's. Obviously there was a several second delay for the censors, but there were a couple of "bitches" that got slipped, and Eddie Levert (gotta love that brother!) came out LOUD & CLEAR when he said, "People were all around dancin' & SH%T!" Uhhh ... yeah ... I think BET might get a nasty-gram or a little Pee-Pee smacking from the FCC.

I don't derive ANY pleasure about saying these things, but how about BET invest in some QUALITY ORIGINAL PROGRAMMING instead of trying to "NEGROFY" (my own word) things that have already proven themselves to be tired and unfulfilling?We owe it to ourselves to do better for ourselves, but with a giant like Viacom TRULY holding the purse strings, BET - no matter how "proud to be black" they may TRY to look, I really do not see a change from all of this reckless huckle-buckin' on the horizon anytime soon.