Yo…
BET and reality TV set out to push black people back many years. They love to have black people acting a fool. They love to sensationalize dysfunction in the black community and make a show out of it. Love & Hip-Hop Atlanta, Housewives of Atlanta, Basketball wives, BET IN GENERAL. Where is the upliftment ?! It’s all just noise. Black people are strengthening negative stereotypes of black people through pop culture. Black people fail to understand that if they stop watching some of this ridiculous stuff, that they would have the power to change what is shown through the ratings. But because it gets so much ratings, so much talk on social networks.. it continues. I refuse to watch, because its so degrading. Seriously. Why cant there be a black version of CNN on BET. We need to demonstrate black excellence in the media. The youth isn’t seeing enough of it!!! All they’re seeing is girls shaking their asses, men having lots of hoes, lots of infidelity, lots of disloyalty, and just noise! We have to cut the tv off from our children, so we can teach them what it actually means to be black. Gone are the days of the Cosby Show, where you could see excellence in a strong black father of 4 who was a doctor and whose wife (who stood BESIDE and not behind him!) who was a strong black woman and mother of that same 4, who was also an attorney! Where is the standard. WHY THE HELL IS MAURY AND JERRY SPRINGER STILL ON AIR!?!?!??! They make money off of sensationalizing negative and dysfunctional images of lower-class white groups, black groups, and Hispanic groups. Where can people go, in terms of media to be fed? Lauryn Hill? Everyone is always talking about how much they love her, but if someone were to come now like her, she wouldn’t even make it in the industry. I kind of just stay away from TV and just cling to netflix, because it’s sickening. And I know that we are the ones who essentially raise our kids, and not the TV or the news. However……all I’m saying is why is there only junk on TV. I was honestly a nerd growing up. I loved watching documentaries on Discovery Channel. Now all you see is reality shows. It’s bull. There are actually people who believe that media and TV is better than it was before!….
BET stands for Black Evil Television. 😉
I’m hearing you. I struggle with my thoughts on it as well. At one hand, I do believe the things depicted on BET are a part of black culture, just a very small part of it that has, as you’ve said, has been sensationalised and it overshadows the more noble, excellent aspects of the black community within America. You’ll be hearing about the accomplishments of Lil’ Wayne, for example, sooner than you’ll be hearing about the struggles and philosophies of black leaders such as Carmichael or Du Bois, for example.
What defines black excellence? I don’t think it’s necessarily the Cosbys whom I see as mimicking a white life-style but in a blackface. Don’t get me wrong! I do believe they represent a positive black image, to be sure, but I don’t know if it’s one that has been molded to fit the authentic aspirations of blacks, or to fulfil the white, ideological idea of “good blacks.” if you get what I’m saying. I could never really identify with the Cosbys growing up, as they weren’t living my story. But then, my opinion could be unfounded because I don’t remember too much of the show.. hehe.
I completely agree with what you’re saying. I think what I was trying to say with the Cosby thing is like you have a couple with high end professions and good kids in comparison to reality shows like basketball wives and love&hip-hip and movies like baby boy that they play 5 million times. They are an example of good blacks like you said but in comparison to now a days..there aren’t really a lot of shows that show positivity even if it’s a boxed image heavily influenced by mainstream white culture.. There’s only drama. there’s no real standard. Marriage isn’t a thing. Being faithful isn’t a thing. Wanting to be something is becoming less and less of a thing. The standard has dropped so low that the cosby’s may as well be a fantasy or a flashback to the “perfect” good ol days