Tuesday, May 4, 2010
In Defense of Sheila Johnson: The Real Culprit Behind BET is US
This morning, I read Dr. Boyce Watkin’s piece on Sheila Johnson featured on AOL’s Black Voice site. For those who may reside under a rock, Sheila Johnson is one of the wealthiest women in the country, the first Africa -American woman to be an owner or partner in three professional sports franchises (the Washington Capitals, theWashington Wizards and the Washington Mystics), a humanitarian and the former wife of BET founder Bob Johnson.
Johnson recently remarked that she is ashamed of BET and doesn’t want her own kids watching it. She stated that BET may be contributing to the spread of AIDS in the black community by promoting raunchy, unprotected sex in rap videos. She told The Daily Beast that the channel was originally started to be “the Ebony magazine on television.” She mentions that the channel started out with a variety of public affairs programming, including Teen Summit. She felt the video revolution changed the game, saying she felt pressured by recording artists to show their videos even though she didn’t like the way women were being portrayed. OK, whatever. Regardless of her feelings about what was being shown, BET showed it and made about a kajillion dollars doing it. And, personally, I have no problem with that. Last I checked, this was America.
What I do have a problem with is this notion that BET is responsible for the black communities social ills, that BET owners “sold out.”
Dr. Boyce Watkins states in response to Johnson:
“…in order to fully convince me that you are seriously remorseful of your work with BET, you’d have to give back the fortune you earned by trading in the futures of our children.” Are you f*cking kidding me? So BET is responsible for the futures of our children now?
Articles like Watkins’ perpetuate this notion that we all are mindless zombies with no responsibility for our own actions and our own children. We can be led by the nose by any company to do anything, and it’s all their fault for negatively influencing us. It’s the eternal victimhood argument. Has anyone ever stopped to think of the African American consumer’s role in this? Quick lesson: In order for BET to make money, WE HAVE TO WATCH. If we are not to be considered by the world as crybaby victims forever and always, we must stand up and take responsibility for our actions.
Is it BET’s fault if you let your kid’s watch inappropriate imagery? Is it BET’s fault that hip-hop has become nothing but a hotbed of thuggery and misogyny? Is it BET’s fault that you are not involved in your child’s education and career goals? And, most importantly, is it BET’s fault if our black asses won’t turn it off? As a community, we have refused to stand up and demand better, so we deserve what we get.
You’re going to tell me that a race that survived slavery, Jim Crow and degregation has been totally felled by a bullshit cable channel? The argument is embarrassing. BET is like the low-hanging fruit of the black-people-blame-game. If we can’t construct an intelligent argument regarding social factors affecting our neighborhoods, just blame it on BET. Personally, I thinkRay J’s show, ‘For the Love of Ray J,’ has some of the worst depictions of African American men and women I’ve seen in years, yet we sit quietly by and the ratings soar. So I guess that’s VH1’s fault? Would we dare ask Viacom to give all their fortune to the black community in order to make amends for us watching their shows? Lunacy.
In the past, BET has had to eliminate public affairs programming, not because they hate Negroes, but because, WE DON’T WATCH THEM. If we don’t watch, ratings are low and no money is made. Look at movies like ‘Akeelah and the Bee’ or ‘The Great Debaters,’ both were excellent films that promoted positive images of African Americans. But they made no money, because we didn’t run out and see them like we did Madea (who we also complain about). Yes, it is about money, and until the African American community demonstrates that we are willing to spend our money on something other than negative imagery or caricatures, then that’s what we’ll get.
BET contributes to the spread of AIDS because it promotes promiscuity? Isn’t it faaaaaar more likely that the destruction of the family unit, the lack of adequate parental supervision, lack of adequate health education for our young people, and lack of parental involvement in our schools have a larger impact than some damn BET? Watkins stated they “traded in the collective consciousness of our children in exchange for a billion-dollar war chest.” Last I checked, our communities and families were responsible for forming the collective consciousness of our children. And if one channel (a cable one at that) can achieve such a feat, than we should be collectively ashamed of ourselves.
Sheila Johnson and Bob Johnson and BET are no more guilty for our community’s ills than every one of us. We seem content to sit and talk about how terrible BET is, how terrible this is, how terrible that is. But when was the last time you called your cable company and asked them to block it from your television? When was the last time you boycotted a record label because of the images in an artist’s video? When was the last time you told your children they did not have permission to watch it. I don’t like Tiny and Toya. I don’t watch it. I don’t like Ray-J’s Whorefest, so I don’t watch it. I don’t like that dumb ass Ghost Whisperer, so I dont watch it. Why is it so complicated?
We live in a capitalist society. If we stop watching, they will stop making money and change the formula to something that will. If we act like positive TV programming is important, and support it, the sponsors will come. If we act like positive music is important and refuse to support music with negative messages or destructive images, they won’t make it. Acting like positive behavior is important in our own lives and communities are the key to changing this framework of media trash. But we can’t continue to give Ray-J sky-high ratings and then call Viacom the devil. It just doesn’t work that way.
The Johnsons owe us nothing. In fact, I think we do ourselves a disservice by condemning someone for promulgating negative images when we were the ones too stupid to reject them and turn them off. We got to do better.
Dr. Kiti
on 04 May 2010 at 7:17 pm #
Fantastic article! I stopped watching BET a long time ago, before it was fashionable (among people of my age group) and I feel so much better for it. I’ve quit MTV, I’m weaning off VH1 and refuse to listen to the radio. There’s an off switch for these things and I use. I encourage the teens I work with to use it too in order to learn to think for themselves instead of going along with whatever is being sold that day. We all want something different, something better for ourselves but we seem totally unable to take the necessary steps in order to get it. We as a people need to become involved in our communities and schools again, let our kids see us doing something positive like furthering our educations or looking for a job (even if we don’t find one). I wish we as a people would stop complaining and looking for a scapegoat. The change starts with us as individuals. Thanks for putting this out there.
THERREN DUNHAM
on 04 May 2010 at 11:13 pm #
After reading your piece and the article by Dr. Watkins, I must admit that I’m kinda ambivalent. It can be very seductive to place blame (period), and incredibly easy to make this a case of either/or, rather than both/and. Regardless of how anyone may see this issue, this to me is like a bad train wreck. We block the path of the cops and the EMS vans, we gawk and Bojangle behind the newscasters as they inform the public of what’s going on, we distract rescuers and add to the confusion and mayhem with our honking and cursing (instead of maybe saying a little prayer, being thankful that we only have to WATCH what’s happening). For that, we all walk away a little bloody.
Johnson (pick one) literally garnered spent their thirty pieces of silver buying a cheap fiddle to delight themselves while black America burned. It has been well documented that Robert Johnson stated that the primary goal of BET was not to enhance black culture or to promote a healthy black image to the masses, but to maximize its value to the shareholders. Big deal, right? I mean, this IS what entrepreneurs are supposed to do, right? Got that. And the network is a living testament that, yes, you can run a successful business on the cheap. And that’s exactly the problem.
Shelia Johnson NOW has a conscience after she made money hands over fist, after a generation of feeding the masses yearning for a diet of life-affirming programming the social equivalent of chitterlings? You want me to accept your defense that she put out that weak-ass Teen Summit and that way-too-local-in-scope BET News (whatever happened to that sexy chocolate-toned woman who did the news briefs?) as if she insisted that the network actually SPEND MONEY on them? Where the hell was her public interest when the network was posting its profits; how come she couldn’t just take some of that money to invest in its original programming? Are you really telling me that we should hold our feet to the fire, while ignoring that the only truly original programming of note this decade consisted of your show (that’s no diss)and BET After Dark (but that shit DEFINITELY is)? How come she never consulted the like of John H. Johnson, ever noticed that NOOBODY ever put his name and sellout in the same sentence in the 60 years he put out Jet, Tan, Ebony, Fashion Fair, and EM? Even with his less than successful ventures, he always put the interests of black America first, and put that commitment where his mouth was. I have my opinions of Johnson Publishing. Cheap and second-rate will never be two of them.
If Pat Robertson mandated that Disney keep the 700 Club in exchange for selling them CBN, how come the Johnsons couldn’t make Viacom ensure that they invest in quality, socially redeeming programming on the network, instead of positioning them as a low-rent, third-tier network showing rip-offs of their obviously more-esteemed companions? Why did she not try to restart Teen Summit BEFORE the sale?
It’s easy to decry the treatment of that ‘57 Packard you spent so much of yourself on, but where is the evidence of any true nurturing (and appreciation) of what you had along the way? I mean, hell, I get that you gotta make your paper, and we all gotta eat. My point is that you don’t have to be all Halmark-y on us, but do you think you can spend the money to develop one good show? To show the social investment in the communities that made you rich? We have enough robber barons in the hood. We certainly don’t need any black ones whose approach to our ills border on duplicity.
Shelia Johnson may not deserve unqualified scorn, but she also does not deserve your defense.
Now, ON THE OTHER HAND, we have just got to stop serving our kids Jungle Juice when they need filtered water when it’s hot outside. We all know the shit is neither healthy nor juice (and the connotations with black people and jungles should stop us right there!); we only buy it because that shit is cheap and accessible. But my father raised me not to accept just anything because it’s there, or that’s only what someone else wanted to give me. It’s peferctly fine to say we don’t watch BET, but how often do we lobby the cable and satellite providers to give us TV One? Or the Black Family Channel? Sometimes I’d even settle for Centric (the former BET Jazz) just so I can pick on my parents while viewing Soul Train reruns. It’s 2010; we have to stop with the mentality that there’s only one, and this is all we have. To keep doing so will only keep us ignored and force-fed the same slop we had to deal with forever. So yeah, we’re guilty for watching BET while talking shit about it. And we shouldn’t scapegoat the Johnsons, or Sumner Redstone, or anyone else for BET’s programming while not supporting the few venues that promote that we claim what say we want to see. And I wish that after all of that I’ve written, that I could offer some viable solutions. But I’m tired. And I missed Rachel Maddow, so I’m pissy.
We’re all guilty, agreed. Boyce Watkins is not right, agreed. But Shelia Johnson is no victim.
Jam Donaldson on 05 May 2010 at 9:20 am #
Therren, I think you are absolutely right. I, in no way, believe the Johnsons or BET are victims at all. Yes, BET is shitty. However, the solution is not to watch it religiously for the last 20 years and complain. We have so much more power than we know and it is only when we demand better and collectively condemn negative imagery with our actions and most importantly our wallets, will things ever change.
Kamala Jones
on 05 May 2010 at 10:12 am #
I harbor no ill will towards the Johnsons. The Johnsons tried to bring quality, original programming to Black folks but we didn’t want that. This is some of the programming that BET tried to bring to Black folks in the past: HBCU football games, Sunday Conversation with Ed Gordon, BET News with Courtland Milloy’s commentaries, Teen Summit, the BET nightly talk show where Tavis got started, Caribbean Rhythms that traveled throughout the Caribbean showing some of the African Diaspora, there was the Bev Smith Show, and I believe Courtland Milloy had a talk show too which focused primarily on Black men. Unfortunately, we, Blacks, didn’t support these shows like we should have. What Blacks did support at BET was/is the music/video programming and that’s why there’s such an abundance of it shown on the network to this day. Black folks got to stop blaming the Johnsons as if they are some hucksters who got over on us and Viacom as well. The Johnsons tried to bring original, informative programming for Black folks but the numbers weren’t there. We only have ourselves to blame when crappy TV shows make it on the air and are renewed for successive seasons. Black folks (and really most Americans) are to the point now where we slop up low-brow art exclusively and ridicule anything that makes us think in the slightest. I think that one should have experience a mix of the low-brow and the high-end of art.
Now, Black folks like Dr. Boyce Watkins (whom I like) want to say that the Johnsons mortgaged away the futures of Black children for money. That dog won’t hunt. I’m so tired of the pseudo-moral arguments people attempt to use against Black entrepreneurs who capitalize on Black ignorance by owning legal businesses. I liken the Johnsons to Black liquor store or check-cashing establishment owners. Sure they serve products that may be harmful but if one is properly educated, one will not continually indulge in what these businesses offer. Also, why does it seem that Black folks like Dr. Boyce Watkins have no pseudo-moral argument for white-owned business owners who also capitalize on Black ignorance?
The best thing Black folks can do is not shy away from the hard work of being real parents and raising their children. Raising children isn’t glamorous but I can’t think of much that could be more rewarding. Black folks must be a factor in their children’s lives, helping them accomplish their dreams, etc.
Lastly, Black folks and their offspring that were and are about the right thing succeeded before BET, continue to succeed today, and will continue to succeed after BET is no longer with us.
SC on 05 May 2010 at 10:15 am #
Um… why is there a Black Entertainment Television when there can be no White Entertainment Television? Isn’t the whole premise of a network for only a certain race, racist?
Kamala Jones
on 05 May 2010 at 10:19 am #
@ SC. That would be the case in a just world but our world isn’t just. It’s implicit that every other network beside a BET or TV One caters to whites. So, in my opinion, all the other networks besides the two I’ve mentioned are White Entertainment channels.
ichannel on 05 May 2010 at 12:09 pm #
‘The real culprit behind BET is us’…
…
MzPoodle1
on 05 May 2010 at 12:48 pm #
Child please. You made a few quick dollars over at BET that’s why you’re defending Sheila johnson. SMH. Get it how you live Jammy.
MzPoodle1
on 05 May 2010 at 12:53 pm #
Your argument was great though.
Jam Donaldson on 05 May 2010 at 12:55 pm #
If you remember, i was too “controversial” for BET so they kicked my black azz off. Had the highest ratings of the summer, BUT my type of commentary got all the negroes up in arms, so they gave me the boot and played more Rick Ross. If anyone would have beef, it would be me.
I know you can’t resist a chance to attack me Poodle but at least get your facts straight.
Mrs. B
on 05 May 2010 at 1:33 pm #
Jam, as always I am in awe of your ability to think clearly and cut with such precision.
We as a people were doing well during the period of “Enlightenment”, the 1960’s, and then wham bam a series of very unfortunate events rained down on the community. We opened the gates and the floods rushed in. We know many of them and we can call them out readily. The ones more insidious and not so well understood are the things discussed on your site. BET was a major player but not the single fault of our current social ills. Not even in the top 10 of “where did we take a wrong turn.” The idea of the Revolution will not be televised was more than a notion.
TV was not permitted in many homes of Black folks during the 60’s and 70’s and with good reason. Only educational programs were allowed, if TV was permitted. Books and art were the dominate decorator items.
It would go a long way to improvement of our current situation if we turn the tube off. Just do it. Talk with your children, dance with your children , play with your children, listen to your children, read to your children, love your children.
I can’t remember the last time I saw children playing sidewalk games or singing Miss Mary Mack Mack…
Once or twice I tried to understand what the words were in some of the more reported offensive rap “music” tunes, I wanted to argue intelligently about why this tune or that tune was inappropriate, and even when I could make out the words I swear I didn’t understand the context. And the words now used to address women…! Have Mercy!
Really, what’s Sheila Johnson got to do with it? Not a thing. She capitalized in a capitalistic system.
Chickens coming home to roost? Reap what you sow. Consequences for your actions - pick one.
Sammy
on 05 May 2010 at 2:01 pm #
The black pseudo-interllectuals and black-pseudo scholars, of which Boyce Watkins is one, spend their time whinning about one thing or another relating to SOMEONE ELSE. Yet one is hard pressed to find one single thing Watkins and the likes of Cornel West, the guy with the PhD in rap music, Tavis Smiley or any of the other race pimps, have done for the betterment of the black community. But they are quick to blame everyone else.
Point me to the tutoring programs, job training programs, mentoring programs or anything the likes of Walking sand his ilk have done.
So Boykce Watkins nedds to sit his sorry a** down and stfu.
Tracye
on 05 May 2010 at 3:47 pm #
I agree with everything you’ve said. Sad that it wasn’t written by someone 15 or 20 years ago.
KIM B
on 05 May 2010 at 5:19 pm #
It all starts at home.
THERREN DUNHAM
on 06 May 2010 at 11:07 am #
“I think the one million folks who’ve collectively seen ROSEWOOD/SOUL FOOD/BAMBOOZLED count more than the five million dumbflick attendees. It’s the theory of I’ll take the top three out of ten cats to whip the other seven out, because of the quality of the top. The people watching TAVIS SMILEY weigh more, impact-wise, in that one hour, than the whole rest of the twenty three hours of brain beatdown.”
–CHUCK D, March 30, 2001
For all the apologists out there, I can think of no better indictment of BET than that.
As I’ve written before, John Johnson never watered down his product in ordered to make a larger profit. He always put our interests first. And Johnson Publishing is even more ubiquitous in black life than BET. And sure, one can argue that his publications catered to the lowest common denominator in the past (early issues did indeed advertize fortified wines and skin lighteners), but as we grew more sophisticated, so did Ebony and Jet.
What makes these entities the same is that at one time they were the only game in town, but what makes them entirely different is the way they evolved, and what influenced their evolutions. John Johnson’s business model was putting the best of black America forward. Bob Johnson’s was to sell what constituted in his mind for black to Middle America for a profit.
I would be the first to agree that Dr. Watkins’ assertion that S. Johnson fork over a portion of her wealth is as preposterous a suggestion as they come. There’s nothing illegal about a corporation undermining the interests and aspirations of the people they serve. Stupid, yes. But not illegal.
But what Watkins succinctly articulated (and, unlike other posters, made clear that his credentials did not come out of a Cracker Jack box), the things that Shelia Johnson now cries fowl over HAPPENED ON HER WATCH. SHE was pulling the strings at BET for 23 years, HER HUSBAND was writing the damn checks. The proliferation of rap videos and substandard programming was in effect LONG BEFORE they sold it to Viacom, and it was THEY who dressed up the town whore to be its bride. Our complaints about BET aren’t new revelations; and let’s not forget that while we were pleading, the Johnsons didn’t merely turn a deaf ear. Through their continued proselytizing of collective ignorance, they effectively showed their asses to our faces. If either Johnson sobs at night over the current state of black America, they only have themselves to thank.
Going after the rubberneckers in a train wreck doesn’t absolve the engineer from his culpability in that train going off the tracks and killing someone. Personal responsibility and corporate accountability go hand in hand; they are not mutually exclusive terms. And when we let Shelia Johnson off the hook yet continue to demonize ourselves, we make it easier for everyone else to continue to peddle more of the bullshit that does no one any good. Without any real influence, there’d be no incentive to do better from anybody.
Part of being ubiquitous is having a presence and influence in every facet of one’s environment. BET has more far-reaching influence in black America than black America has in BET. We as a collective entity do not sit in the boardrooms. We aren’t involved in any decisions over the direction of the network. We don’t sign the checks. Yes, we do consume the product, but if that product is the only thing in town, or the biggest player in the game, people are going to consume the product simply because it has the biggest imprint on our consciousness. That’s not the failure of a people anymore than McDonalds, ExxonMobil, or the proliferation of payday loan shops or liquor stores are in our communities.
Even if every last black person simply stopped watching BET as a matter of conscience, the bar has been set so low, financially and socially, that the network could get Nielsen ratings of 0.05, and still make money. Maybe not enough to justify Viacom keeping it long-term, but by spinning it off, it’d be fine as a separate entity. Remember, the majority of black music (sans gospel) is purchased by nonblacks. They’re still going to watch and purchase. For (too many of) them, anything called BLACK ENTERTAINMENT TELEVISION will be necessarily seen as representative of the black experience. The game is meant to be sold, not told. (With apologies to Morgan Spurlock), BET’s/Robert and Shelia Johnson’s/Viacom’s loyalty is not/have never been to you; it’s to their shareholders. And by marketing superficial aspects of black culture to mainstream America, Viacom still makes millions. That alone should be worth our vigilance. The dignity of our people should be worth infinitely more.
So this is what I’m gonna do. I’m going to continue watching BBA (Butt, Booty and Ass), if only to monitor them. I’m going to get my money together, and I’m going to buy stock in Viacom. It may not mean a whole lot at first, but I’ll keep buying more. I want Viacom to know that I have a seat on that table, and I want my voice heard. Because my voice matters. The old Teen Summit voices mattered. The BET news crowd mattered. The people behind the ratings that weren’t large enough on BET’s radar to compel the network to nurture and develop their programming, their voices matter. Hell, even the two or three Desmond’s viewers mattered, too. And that’s important. Imagine how strong our voices can be if we all did that. 18 million people, some 7 million households, each owning at least one, ONE share of the corporate entity exhibiting our blackness. THAT, to me, is the personal responsibility we need. Ownership of our culture, our messages, our direction.
angela johnson on 07 May 2010 at 1:49 pm #
shelia, sheila, sheila. where thou art is sheila you made your living off blacks while your daughter took horse riding lessons piano and probably ballet. i,m sick and tired of black people fucking pretending like they don`t know what the hell goes on in the hood, you can say just turn off the television but when your house is being used as a get high spot who`s gonna turn it off. please you people are all lost sheila and the good dr. boyce watkins
THERREN DUNHAM
on 07 May 2010 at 2:27 pm #
@angela johnson,
With all due respect…WHAT?
Ms. M
on 08 May 2010 at 12:32 pm #
Jam, I think you are right on point. To me this seems like just another opportunity to blame someone else for what we don’t do at home. I gave up watching BET years ago and haven’t looked back since. Unfortunately, there are so many people who don’t seem to be able to make the same choice so the piss poor programming and tits on parade continues. Personal responsiblity has been made passe making these sad times in which we live. Bob and Sheila are no angels in all of this, but they couldn’t have made a dime had folks not been watching.
Ms. M’s last blog post..Tryin’ To Get It Write
MzPoodle1
on 08 May 2010 at 9:18 pm #
@Jam Mmmhmm. Whateva
@AngelaJohnson GREAT POINT!
MzPoodle1
on 08 May 2010 at 9:28 pm #
@Therren: I think she’s trying to say we can all scream turn it off.But, if our behavior still doesn’t change, wtf is the point in turning it off? The damage is done. People should’ve have taught their families what’s right and what’s wrong when BET first starting becoming garbage YEARS ago. You don’t mimic EVERYTHING you see being done on tv or anywhere else. I know Black folk that don’t allow BET to be turned on in their homes, but are still raising idiots because they mimic what they see other foolish ass kids do.
Moonie
on 08 May 2010 at 9:37 pm #
Great post. I haven’t watched BET, MTV, VH1 in years because they don’t show anything I am interested in seeing. It’s really just that simple. Your life will still be worth something if you don’t know who Tiny and Toya are.
THERREN DUNHAM
on 09 May 2010 at 10:35 am #
@MzPoodle1: I really do get that we should all conduct ourselves and the choices we make, and I couldn’t agree with you more. Where I take great umbrage, however, is the insinuation by Jam and others that corporate America should get a pass because it mastered the art of profitting from our poor decisions, making millions of dollars at our expense.
Nowhere did Watkins say that we do no share blame for the state of BET; he simply stated the Johnson has no moral leg to stand on. And he’s right. And Jam’s right for calling him (and us) out for our own failings.
But I think we make a grave mistake when we position our arguments in terms of “EITHER/OR” instead of “BOTH/AND.” Championing one position does not necessarily invalidate the other. Thus, how is it irresponsible for people to hold accountable the institutions that project the way they appear to the world? And why should doing so conflict with how you carry yourself in public? That’s the question nobody seems to have an answer for.
I understand the whole “strike the shephered and the sheep will flee” argument, but what happens if striking the shephered unleashes a pack of wolves? Just because black people may stop watching Black Entertainment Television, it doesn’t mean that others will, too. It doesn’t mean that our children won’t be influenced by those who’ll continue to watch.
And that’s dangerous, beacuse as the largest outlet of what reflects blackness to the masses, BET is how our collective worth will be defined. And if its current business model continues to prove successful, then what’s stopping Comcast, Universal, or Time Warner from following suit? Could ‘House of Payne’ only be the start of a new age of coonery? Makes you think.
Personal responsibility is a wonderful and necessary thing, but by itself is insufficient for the progress of a people. To abdicate the imperative to hold those who do business in our communities, those who portray us to the world, and those who have sworn to represent us accountable, is to effectively surrender any claim we have to self-determination. There is no virtue in preaching temperance to the masses while turning a blind eye to the priviledged few running amok.
Are you telling me that we can overcome so much, but can’t walk and chew bubble gum at the same time? We don’t have the luxury to pick and choose our battles, much less can afford to sacrifice one battlefront for the other. If we’re going to win, we have to conquer all sides.
THERREN DUNHAM
on 09 May 2010 at 10:37 am #
Dammit, I meant to say that I get that we should conduct ourselves and the choices we make BETTER. Sorry.
THERREN DUNHAM
on 09 May 2010 at 11:51 am #
And let me say this last thing, and I promise I’ll sit down (you’re welcome). All you people crying that we don’t want to watch quality television with black characters are full of shit.
How long was Lincoln Heights on the air at ABC Family? You think it garnered any ratings remotely comparable to Tiny and Toya? What about Any Day Now, which aired 4 years on Lifetime? C’mon, now; we supported The Wire and The Corner (and will probably watch Treme later), Soul Food, Moesha and Living Single…with the exception of The Corner (it’s a miniseries), you’re looking at programs that survived at least four seasons WITHOUT a Cosby-like following, many household names when they premiered, or making tons of cash for their networks. But they were nurtured and cared for, and for that, rewarded with a loyal enough following to make a few dollars in syndication.
Based on that alone, do you REALLY want me to believe that BET and other networks are incapable of putting out black-oriented TV worth watching, or that we’re incapable of recognizing and supporting it? REALLY? Lifetime and ABC Family can produce (of all things) black DRAMAS that are both critically acclaimed AND watched by black people, but BET can’t? It will be about another six years (according to Wikipedia–see how that works, Sue?) before Wheel of Fortune supplants Soul Train (off the air since 2006!)as the longest-running program in syndication, but black folks can’t support a show? REALLY? GTFOH.
So what’s the excuse now?
M Slade
on 11 May 2010 at 4:14 pm #
Co-sign on everything you wrote Jam.
Just the other day, I was telling a friend of mine how I used to love hip-hop but now I can’t stand it. I used to love me some Tribe Called Quest, De La Soul,Gang Starr, Eric B and Rakim, The Pharcyde and on and on…
But whenever I hear the ignorance that spews from Lil’ Wayne and his ilk, it makes me ill. Why do record companies put out such garbage? The answer is simple. Because people BUY IT.
We get the art we deserve.
Again, Jam, great post. I’ma buy another copy of Jam’s book just to support the sister.
(I’ve got such a crush on you girl. You’re lucky I’m madly in love with my wife…and the fact that she’d cut something off me if I tried to holla at cha’.)
Megan from WGBH
on 13 May 2010 at 4:03 pm #
Tonight on Basic Black we will be discussing notions behind masculinity, particularly black masculinity, and what these mean for the black community and social structure. Join us tonight LIVE at 7:30 on WGBH Channel 2 in Boston or streaming on the web at http://www.basicblack.org! Also tell us your thoughts by participating in the LIVE online chat throughout the show! Tonight our panel includes: Callie Crossley, host of The Callie Crossley Show on WGBH Radio; Latoyia Edwards, anchor, New England Cable News; Peter Roby, Athletic Director, Northeastern University; C. Shawn McGuffey, assistant professor of sociology, Boston College; and Rev. Brandon Crowley, Myrtle Street Baptist Church, Newton, MA.
Miles Ellison
on 15 May 2010 at 3:29 am #
The lesson here is that black control of offensive images doesn’t make them any less offensive or damaging.
Pilgrim
on 21 May 2010 at 8:22 pm #
I’m gonna break the mould and say that I rather enjoy BET. I’m 20 years old, live in England but was first exposed to BET when I lived in the Caribbean. Now, despite the fact that I lived in the UK for all of my life except for those aforementioned two years spent as a teenager in the Caribbean, I’ve been reading about how bad BET is from Ebony and Essence (Yes, we get them in the UK).
I say bullshit. Sure BET might show a little skin, violence and depending on your perspective misogyny. But that’s irrelevant. Now, I know you’ve put the onus on us to turn off BET, but you’re still suggesting that there’s something fundamentally wrong with BET. Why? Is it because you have Black women dressed scantily and rappers rapping about violence, drugs and sex and you subsequently believe it negatively impacts our youth?
Get real.
Kids have been fucking people, stabbing people and inhaling shit for as long as they have been kids. All this talk about how the media impacts on our kids negatively is just a lame excuse for when some loser Black kid fucks up and is sent to jail. Listen, it wasn’t images on BET that made Jamal pop a cap in someone’s ass and run out on his girlfriend, it was his own damn self. He would have done it whether he was watching BET or C-Span.
Whatever happened to personal accountability? Just because imagery is offensive, it doesn’t mean that someone will internalise them.
Quit being so deterministic. Everytime someone stabs or fucks a girl with no condom, he’s not thinking of “A Milli” by Lil’ Wayne. He’s thinking about the task in hand.
And what about the millions of other viewers who watch it and don’t do anything morally wrong? Which is pretty much the majority. If BET was having an effect or even COULD have an effect, the rates would be much more higher.
I try to watch BET when I see it on in England and I have seldom, if ever reacted violently or sexist towards a female. And I’m not promiscuous either (not that I think there is a problem with that).
What ultimately impacts on a child is not the music he is listening to or the television he is watching. What ultimately impacts him is the social environment they grow up in, the family life they are exposed to, and most importantly, the own individual actions of that child.
THERREN DUNHAM
on 25 May 2010 at 8:31 am #
Pretty strong argument, Pilgrim. But, in keeping consistent with my BOTH/AND argument, I submit that it’s also important to note the power of the media to INFLUENCE people to make those decisions.
jam donaldson
on 25 May 2010 at 8:33 am #
You guys are so awesome. I just love to see people engaged in intelligent conversations. I know we all won’t agree all the time, but its so refreshing to see minds working on things other than black and white tropes regarding culture in this country. Its complicated and sometimes everyone is right. I love you man!
Pilgrim
on 25 May 2010 at 4:33 pm #
@Therren Dunham,
I don’t think the media plays as much as a huge part in our psyche as we’d like to think. The problems in Black community don’t stem from BET, it stems from ourselves.
The media is a reflection of society - not the other way around. The images you see on the media often stem from the reality out there on the street. All the media does is exaggerate it.
Does the media have an influence? To an extent. I mean, it’s hard to deny the effects of the media on fashion, luxuries etc.
But as for the moral aspect, I refuse to believe the media influences people to make the aforementioned bad moral choices. Wanna know why? Two reasons:
a) There’s thousands of influences telling you NOT to do those decisions. Some of these are:
- interactions with other people - in that you do something wrong and someone corrects that.
- Societal values (we all know right and wrong, no exception).
- The persons own empathy (do on to others as you’d do onto yourself)
- Church (I reluctantly include the Church), school,
- family (at times)
- Positive influences in TV, Music, books et al.
and the millions of other moral affirmation in society. So in order for the media to influence anyone to that degree we’d need to have some sort of secluded person who watches BET exclusively, doesn’t interact with other people and has some sort of sociopath disorder.
b) Even though we might have a lot of positive factors reinforcing good behaviour, you also have to remember one thing:
The Black community never learnt these ‘problems’ from BET. We TAUGHT BET those things.
Tell me; when an eight year old boy is on the corner with his fourteen year old brother selling crack, is BET there?
When a child comes back from school, can’t get help with his homework because his parents are entering into physical fights with each other, is BET there?
When a boy or girl feels pressured by the youth culture to be violent and argumentative to make sure no one takes them for a pussy, is BET there?
Where is BET when a boy or girl is pressured into losing his/her virginity, is BET there?
Is BET the ones making our Black parents so retarded in that they like to be wrong and right at the same time when they don’t openly condone their child’s bad behaviour but don’t want anyone calling them up on it?
No. These problems are internal.
And even if it was from BET you’d have a bigger problem of WHY BET is raising your kids instead of you. BET is entertainment. Not real life. Any smart person while they can enjoy the raunchy, violent imagery in it can make that distinction. If not, then you were probably going to do it anyway, and just needed an excuse.
Pilgrim
on 25 May 2010 at 4:34 pm #
I gotta stop ranting.
THERREN DUNHAM
on 29 May 2010 at 5:42 pm #
Pilgrim, I gotta hand it to you. You’re one of the best posters I’ve read on this blog. And for the most part, you are absolutely right and your points hit the mark. And if I would be persuaded to rally ’round the personal responsibility flag exclusively if I were forced to choose. But alas, it’s not the case. Nor can it ever be.
I can’t say enough that I find nothing wrong with what you said. But what I’ve been saying (and I ask that you read them again if you haven’t yet) is that going at each other and telling ourselves that we must do better simply isn’t enough. If we’re all in one big canoe and we’re all rowing to one side, all we’ll end up doing is moving in circles, going nowhere.
In fairness, our problems are indeed bigger than BET, the Johnsons, and corporate America at large. But what must also be considered is that there exists a symbiotic relationship between what we appear to go through and what they’re projecting. They feed off each other, exacerbating the problem.
Like I said, I’ve already addressed your concerns in my earlier posts, so I’ll close this by saying there’s room for both arguments. I don’t feel the problem can be solved without both.
Pilgrim
on 30 May 2010 at 6:34 am #
MB
on 09 Jun 2010 at 11:22 pm #
Jam, I agree 100%!! Turn the damn TV off. It may not solve all the problems…but it is a start!! BET has changed and not for the better. I have’nt watched it for years and I refuse to do so. I remember when Donnie Simpson used to be on! LOL! Those were the fun days…when videos actually meant something. But…..we can’t blame BET for the problems in the community (although they are a contributing factor). It starts at home.
Website value Calculator
on 14 Jun 2010 at 11:20 am #
A powerful psychological trick that gets your customers to practically fight their way onto your buyer list. They won
THERREN DUNHAM
on 14 Jun 2010 at 2:44 pm #
WHAT?
THERREN DUNHAM
on 15 Jun 2010 at 10:11 pm #
Look at movies like ‘Akeelah and the Bee’ or ‘The Great Debaters,’ both were excellent films that promoted positive images of African Americans. But they made no money, because we didn’t run out and see them like we did Madea (who we also complain about).
['Akeelah and the Bee' grossed 2 1/2 times its budget, and 'The Great Debaters' grossed twice its budget. In other words, both movies made money. While no one would dare place it on the same scale as the Matrix trilogy or even the 'Madea' series, the fact is that there is always a market for quality black movies on the silver screen. If you want to make a legitimate gripe, it ought to be the fact that movie studios don't risk enough capital in order to produce and PROMOTE these efforts (sorry, oprah, but it costs you nothing to promote a flick that's backed by your own studio). Other than that, these movies are going to keep churning because they're a low-risk, high-reward endeavor. Many, if not most, people would be happy with a 200% profit. But if you want to see more than 18 million tickets sold, them perhaps you should lobby the studios to spend more money on the films.]
THERREN DUNHAM
on 15 Jun 2010 at 10:25 pm #
And yes, my source is Wikipedia. It sucks, I know, but hey…as long as the math is right.
Jennifer
on 28 Jun 2010 at 5:49 pm #
“Look at movies like ‘Akeelah and the Bee’ or ‘The Great Debaters,’ both were excellent films that promoted positive images of African Americans. But they made no money, because we didn’t run out and see them like we did Madea (who we also complain about).”
Now I wonder how much of the difference in revenues is due to how many moviegoers who aren’t black saw each movie.
“It would go a long way to improvement of our current situation if we turn the tube off. Just do it. Talk with your children, dance with your children , play with your children, listen to your children, read to your children, love your children.”
…and even if you don’t have children like I don’t, there’s still way more to do than watch TV!
“Remember, the majority of black music (sans gospel) is purchased by nonblacks. They’re still going to watch and purchase.”
I heard that was true 15 years ago too.
Cathee
on 04 Aug 2010 at 11:46 pm #
Jennifer-Just for the record, I’ve never seen a Madea movie but I did see “Akeelah and the Bee” (good movie); I’m white.
Pursuit
on 05 Aug 2010 at 9:49 pm #
I have a hard time finding programming that palatable for me. It’s only when I’m really starved for Blacks like myself that I turn BET–and just as quickly turn it off.