The Fact Of The Matter Is:Does "BET" still stand for Black Entertainment Televison?

[NinjaJack]

.

Have you looked at BET lately? Listened to the latest in R&B recently? There's alot of entertainment and entertainers to provide it, but the only black entertainers on there are the ones BET allows you to see.. Justin Timberlake, Joss Stone, Eminem and Bubba Sparxxx are all gifted in their own ways, except I thought this was /Black/ Entertainment Television?

Not to sound overtly critical but how does Justin Timberlake count as a musician of afro descent? Were Joss Stone and Alicia Keys separated at birth? The only reason these artists are on BET and endorsed buy the black media is because they fit the quote unquote black persona, but not necessarily the black identity.

BET isn't afraid of to bend the rules to play a Justin Timberlake video, but are very much afraid to play anything by a black artist that doesn`t scream R&B or urban.

Usher himself stated on CNN the other day that the R&B of yesterday has been replaced with a steady decline in quality music, and he`s right about that. R&B has lost alot of soul over the years, R Kelly can`t hold a card to Marvin. Yet BET will continue to promote weak rappers like Nelly and lackluster divas .
Because of stuff like this being pulled by BET and MTV, alot of African Americans like myself and others have found some faith in Modern Rock.

Chavelle, Yellowcard, Evenessence, AFI and even FeFe Dobson have all tickled my fancy just to name a few, but I`m not alone, there are thousands, no doubt millions of afro Americans who would like nothing better than a change in the stereotype that to be black you must bounce like a balla.

You might say that R&B has become so oversexed and overhyped lately that it's starting to age as fast as a 30 year old supermodel.

Now heres something to think about, it`s a common misconception that rock is caucasional music and that Hip Hop and R&B are solely for the urban crowd, well if you`re surprised to see more non black performers on BET, don`t be since the craft itself isn`t all based here in the states with the afro American community, it`s a hybrid of the old time black folk singers from the barbershop quartet era and a music style born out of the Netherlands.

And as far as Rock is concerned, just take a gander at the latest issue of Rolling Stone, it's the 50th anniversary of Rock & Roll and if you look through the 50 artists featured, you'll notice that most of them are black. So many years after parents were calling Rock "Negro Music", today it`s referred to as anything but.
Rock originated as a style born out of Jazz and R&B, rock is the son of the two and it`s a shame you don`t see more embrace that fact.

It`s because of the overworked and sometimes overpaid producers like The Neptunes and The Matrix that help inspire Outkast's latest CD Speaker Boxxx and the Love Below. They were tired of anything not being made by a super-producer running the risk of not being called R&B. Maroon 5 is a ROCK band, but they make better R&B then the alot of the recent big timers.

It's such a shame that BET and other /black/ outlets will support and embrace the thugonomic elements of black society, but not the positives..but mad props goes out to Kenye[minus Demita Jo] West for producing some quality music in this age of staleness.

I want to throw out a name, FeFe Dobson, you might or might not be so familiar with that one, she's black Canadian signer who has alot of potential. She makes for a great and bombastic performer(check her got milk ad in Rolling Stone) but that just gets her on MTV. But you see it's just funny to me how Fefea black performer will not be shown on BET because she's playing music thats consider "white' yet as I stated above BET has no problem with placing white musicians who sing "black:" music. It`s a double standard and it`s a shame.
Sevendust
Dave Matthews Band
Yellowcard
XExocutioners

All the above have some fine black artists and musicians[XExocutioners being best buds with Linkin Park and Red Hot Chile Peppers] yet you`ll never here them promoted by BET or by too many "black" publications because they`re signing music that isn`t black enough, yet when you look throughout history blacks and whites have one thing in common with Rap, Rock, R&B,Hip Hop and Emo....we all so dearly love are music and to me, it's just a crime that MTV and BET shut out people just because the color of their skin doesn`t match the colors of their soul.

--Ninja Jack

[GL2k2]

I won't get into this too much, because this could cause arguments where both sides are right, just different opinions (I obviously discussed this on other boards). But I will say this, I seen people create a wish list for a BET schedule, and it ruled, but as a black person, I realize we have very scantilly been portrayed correctly in media anyway. Rappers and music videos are for kids and are keeping most blacks in a stereotype position, same goes for sitcoms. Some shows are breaking the barriers of new ground (Bernie Mac and Chapelle's Show), but even still not breaking it hard enough to where it becomes tiresome.

I can honestly say that I have watched maybe several hours of BET programming in my life. I may have caught a comedy show or a movie, but most the programming has sucked majorly since the network first aired. It's not even worth getting angry about, because it sucks so bad. BET is no different than a Basketball player that says they're in slavery, they are in slavery of the dollar bill. In actuality, it's a dangerous ground to tread, because I think "Black" has become something you imitate or a state of mind that you copy and live like, like say for instance acting like a Italian mobster from Brooklyn. It's pretty sad that most Blacks who act like this are kinda riding it out and laughing at it, but destroying it in the process, and the celebrities are laughing at it all the way to the bank.

I had a friend who was Chinese and I understood his argument of racism for Asian Americans, I see that happening to Blacks. There's no difference in Jackie Chan coming over here to the States exploiting the heritage that is Chinese, but the Asian Americans are left in the dust. Blacks have the advantage that they don't, they don't have Africans coming over to the States enforcing their heritage and trying to profit off it in media, it's not identified with, African Americans are identified. All, I can say, it will be interesting to see how things progress from this.

[Vyse]

I see your point, Ninja Jack, and I'll agree with you. The first time I ever thought that BET was going downhill was when 'NSYNC's vid for "Gone" was in heavy rotation at the net. BET has become more of a breeding ground for hip-hop/R&B music than other types of music African-Americans have contributed to (I'm not touching jazz; BET already has a net, BET Jazz, that caters to it). Sure, they'll do a gospel-themed program here and there, but where's Lenny Kravitz at the BET Awards? His mom was on the Jeffersons! Can anyone find Sevendust on 106&Park? And where's Jimi Hendrix's star on the BET Walk of Fame?

I might be a white boy, but I have watched a metric ton of television to realize when a network does not satisfy its name (i.e. Toon Disney airing Power Rangers). To keep up and justify with GSN's new direction , BET: Black Entertainment Television should now be known as BET: The Network For Urban Sounds

[Djm912]

This is a very personal and painful issue for me. It's something that I face day to day. According to MTV, BET, and other media outlets, I'm probably the ultimate enigma. I'm black, but my favorite genre of music to listen to is metal. The double standard makes me mad and it really hurts me inside. I know for a fact that I'll never see Sevendust, Living Colour, God Forbid, and definitely not Suffocation on BET, because the stereotype of what's 'black' and what's 'white' and what kind of music belongs to who has been forced into culture for so long that it's seemingly reversible.

For a majority of my life I've dealt with being told that I wasn't 'black enough'. It's unfair to musicians and people, regardless of what their race may be. I don't believe a person's tastes can be predetermined by their race. I, myself, am living proof.

[Kyl416]

I remember back in the day, BET used to air shows like Bensen, 227, Thea, Amen, and other shows.

[Redi]

BET started sucking when Viacom turned it into MTV 3. They got rid of shows like Teen Summit and Tavis Smiley and replaced it with more video shows...that showcase some of the most ignorant artist in hip hop today. :rolleyes:

BET used to be needed because there weren't many black television shows...and there still aren't. So BET is still needed but this version of BET that exist today is doing more harm than good...and can go to Heck for all I care.


BET= Bamboozaled Entertainment Television.

[Nick K.]

There was a time when MTV showcased only white musicians and pop and rock. They were accused of being discriminatory and added r & b and hip hop to the channel, as well as balck artist. Besides all are music and it is Music Television. BET is a channel for Black Entertainment, but it is mostly a music channel and just showcases r & b and hip hop. Occasionally there are specials here and there. The fact is, is that BET is like MTV a coupla years ago. If they showcased themselves as an urban channel with more then just music then i wouldnt see anything wrong with just black stuff or whatever. And do you think that a White Entertainment Channel could exist? No, because its initials would be WET and everyone would think its porno! JK... :D

Anyways, i think there is no black or white stuff, its just entertainment and be free to like what you like.

[Caffeine King]

BET is sucks.

I'm white, but it obviously is just trying to appeal to everyone, not just African Americans.

It's all gansta rap (suck as 50 Cent and G Unit) and that's only on there to appeal to the mainstream crowd.

IF it really wans Black Entertainment Television or just entertainment they'd take off most of what they got on there and put stuff that actually appeals to African Americans.

African Americans liking hip hop is a sterotype.

I have black friends who like hip hop and rap, but they also like some other genres.

BET's only doing it to appeal to the mainstream crowd... :shrug:

I wish that they'd put Good Times, The Jeffersons, and What's Happening!! on, but that'll never happen. :shrug:

BET (now) is just another MTV except it plays more hip hop and rap.
:( :shrug:

[Eidan]

As others have already said.

BET= MTV Hip-Hop

[Kyl416]

I wish that they'd put Good Times, The Jeffersons, and What's Happening!! on, but that'll never happen. :shrug: You can catch Good Times on TBS
The Jeffersons on TV Land
I'm not sure about What's Happening

[MJC]

As others have already said.

BET= MTV Hip-Hop

Exactly. I'll occasionally watch videos (if I don't just download them) but on the whole I just don't like BET. It's boring and redundant, and rarely does anything interesting come on. The fact that they constantly show the same videos doesn't help much.

(I'm black if anybody was wondering)

[Mister Intensity]

Black people still make some good rock. You should listen to TV on the Radio, a predominately Black rock band that offers a nice quirky, mature take on love and heartbreak. Great stuff. I also hope that more artists like Van Hunt blow up than those oversexed R&B himbos/bimbos.

Mister Intensity

[Storm Eagle]

This is a very personal and painful issue for me. It's something that I face day to day. According to MTV, BET, and other media outlets, I'm probably the ultimate enigma. I'm black, but my favorite genre of music to listen to is metal. The double standard makes me mad and it really hurts me inside. I know for a fact that I'll never see Sevendust, Living Colour, God Forbid, and definitely not Suffocation on BET, because the stereotype of what's 'black' and what's 'white' and what kind of music belongs to who has been forced into culture for so long that it's seemingly reversible.

For a majority of my life I've dealt with being told that I wasn't 'black enough'. It's unfair to musicians and people, regardless of what their race may be. I don't believe a person's tastes can be predetermined by their race. I, myself, am living proof.I know what you mean. I am also a black person, and nowadays, the music I'm leaning towards the most is rock. Modern rock and classic rock. I'm 24, and it has been this way since I was 11. The school I went to at the time had a very diverse racial mix, and some of my black classmates were talking about bands such as Guns 'N Roses and Motley Crue. I still liked other music besides rock, but I guess rock was what I liked the most. I was in for a big shock when I started going to another school that had tons of black students, a handful of Hispanic and Asian kids, and NO whites. Some people looked at me strange when they saw that I liked rock music, and hardly knew too much about rap artists and R&B artists. Hell, my music collection even consisted mostly of rock music.

Things started to get slightly better when I started high school, since some of the black people in my school also listened to rock. However, it was kind of annyoing when some black students knew I liked rock, they'd ask me "you don't listen to rap?". Well sure I do. I wasn't into it as much as rock, but I do anyway. If white people can like rap, then why can't a black person have a diverse taste in music? My white friends who knew I liked rock, they didn't even bother to question my taste in music. Now what really pissed me off is how this one black guy asked me if I was either slow or retarded. One of the reasons he mentioned he thought that of me, is because I'm black and don't listen to hip hop. It's not that I DON'T listen to rap. I just don't really listen to it often. I know a good number of rap songs, and I could even identify a lot of rappers just by looking at them. I believe that the stereotype is also a disservice to the musicians too. Rappers can appreciate their non-black fans, so I'm sure rock bands can appreciate the fact that they have black fans just as much.

Well yeah, I'm heavy into the rock scene now. I guess I've always just liked that kind of music because it well, it gets the adrenaline going. Rap can be kind of annoying at times. Especially the videos. It's like they tell you you're nothing unless you have all the name brand clothes, jewelry that costs more than your college tuition, a juiced-up "ride", and getting ass from tons of so-called b*tch*s".

In the end, I'm just a fan of music. Period. I like pretty much all kinds of music. Just as long as it sounds good, and doesn't make me want to suffocate myself, it's all good. Hey, I even like to listen to country, Asian instrumental music, and Irish folk music. Maybe I could consider Jimi Hendrix one of my heroes, since he was one of the original black rock musicians. I'm even grateful for the bands that are either headed by black people, or have black people in them.

[Youko Recca]

Show more old school Hip Hop...I'm talking De La Soul here....

[GL2k2]

This is a very personal and painful issue for me. It's something that I face day to day. According to MTV, BET, and other media outlets, I'm probably the ultimate enigma. I'm black, but my favorite genre of music to listen to is metal. The double standard makes me mad and it really hurts me inside. I know for a fact that I'll never see Sevendust, Living Colour, God Forbid, and definitely not Suffocation on BET, because the stereotype of what's 'black' and what's 'white' and what kind of music belongs to who has been forced into culture for so long that it's seemingly reversible.

For a majority of my life I've dealt with being told that I wasn't 'black enough'. It's unfair to musicians and people, regardless of what their race may be. I don't believe a person's tastes can be predetermined by their race. I, myself, am living proof.
You should not have to feel this way. Trust me, ignorance from outside sources should not be eating you up inside if you've done nothing wrong. Basically as I've stated before, it's the direction society is going, pretty much nothing can be done on our level. On a side note I caught Chris Rock on Charlie Rose last night who said he thought "Black movies suck", his reason is that they were not portraying Blacks as Blacks, it's either #1 from white writers or #2 from Black writers who have to sell the script. When I heard this I almost jumped up for joy, because finally someone in the industry outside of the loudmouth and militant Spike Lee understands. Chris also talked about a possible Black-owned studio and I know he knows of Richard Pryor and Jim Brown's studio INDIGO. This seems like a possible solution, if you don't have to make money for major studios you can produce what you want. Someone needs to give Ms. Winfrey a call.

[HelloKittyKat]

Rock was borne out of R&B and country, not R&B and jazz[/nitpick]

[sterfish]

The best way to describe just how bad BET has become is to paraphrase Pharrell Williams who appeared a couple of weeks ago to premiere N.E.R.D.'s video for "She Wants To Move" (a good month after it actually came out) on 106 & Park. Free asked him why people should vote for the video. He said "To change the perception of BET."

BET (and many many other radio and TV outlets) perpetuates the narrow idea of what is "black." Black to BET is strictly R&B/Soul, Hip-Hop. Even then, the channel is focused primarily on youth, so the idea narrows even further. Prince is probably the oldest artist whose videos you'll see on BET today.

I don't necessarily have a problem with BET embracing white artists who do R&B/Soul and Hip-Hop. After all, isn't a good artist a good artist, regardless of race? And white artists have always been accepted when they've been good....Teena Marie is white, you know. But it's a shame that BET decides to only embrace a narrow, homogenized idea of what is black. It shouldn't be breaking a boundary when an N.E.R.D. video airs on BET.

[MattThomasM2B]

PET = Poser Entertainment Television.

[Vyse]

If Jimi Hendrix was the earliest DJ instead of the greatest rock guitarist that ever lived, he could be on the BET Walk of Fame in no time flat.

MTV, sadly, already owns another urban station: MTV Jams (the successor of the rock-oriented MTV-X). Do what GSN does and call Black Entertainment Television BET: The Network for Urban Sounds

[Mynd Hed]

Y'know, a (white) friend of mine had the same problem in reverse. He's an art student, and is very frustrated with the intellectual and artistic stagnation he perceives at the art department at our university.
So he's working in the studio, and likes to play music while he works. One day on my recommendation he brings in some Jurassic 5. For those of you who don't know, they're a hip-hop group who are just about as non-gangsta as you can get, but who do often deal with urban issues in their lyrics.
Well, another art student working in the same studio angrily confronts him about it, asking how he can listen to such music. How, she asks, can he relate to the lyrics when he didn't grow up in the ghetto?
He replies, "Well, I didn't live in Vienna two hundred years ago, but I can still listen to Beethoven."

The moral of this story is that truly good music transcends racial and cultural barriers.

Postscript - If I'd been there, I could've told her that while the four rappers in J5 are all black, their two DJs are white.

Postscript to the postscript - Don't ask me why they're called Jurassic 5 when they have six members.

[Griever]

I kind of avoided this thread, so I never realized how many other black people feel BET doesn't represent what they like, stand for, or act like.

I thought it was only a Boondocks thing. :shrug:

Anyway BET tried to have shows that "appealed" to blacks...maybe one it was called 'Sparks.' (Don't know if anyone already mentioned it)

Sparks was a half decent show, and they re-ran it for about 5 years after it was cancelled.

As mentioned, they also cancelled Tavis Smiley's show, Ed Gordon's show, Teen Summit, and anything that doesn't stereotype blacks.

I think BET needs to go away and stop pigeon holing us, change their name to MTV Hip-Hop, or actually represent blacks.

[Tienshin]

I kind of avoided this thread, so I never realized how many other black people feel BET doesn't represent what they like, stand for, or act like.

I thought it was only a Boondocks thing. :shrug:

Anyway BET tried to have shows that "appealed" to blacks...maybe one it was called 'Sparks.' (Don't know if anyone already mentioned it)

Sparks was a half decent show, and they re-ran it for about 5 years after it was cancelled.

As mentioned, they also cancelled Tavis Smiley's show, Ed Gordon's show, Teen Summit, and anything that doesn't stereotype blacks.

I think BET needs to go away and stop pigeon holing us, change their name to MTV Hip-Hop, or actually represent blacks.

I agree with you on all of your points. Regarding some of the cancelled shows, I always thought removing that content was a terrible decision, but I think the main reason they were removed were because of weak ratings. While I didnt agree with Tavis Smiley's politics I thought having a decent current events broadcast was a positive step.

Regarding the overall programming, like others have said BET is nothing more then an alternative to MTV at this point. Hopefully Robert Johnson will take the initiative and develop some quality content, versus masquerading his network as an alternative voice in TV Land when really its just an endless loop of pop culture mish mash that only feed negative stereotypes.

[JohnCrichton]

I haven't watched BET in years.

I love my culture, yes I do, but I don't like it forced upon me in an institution that says I'm suppose to like it or a station that says it's "for me."

Not sure how it is now, but in the early 90's, "being your self" was a motherloving sin and I recieved yeeeeaaaars of crap for not "acting black", which several posters have pointed out is too much like "acting" and not just being yourself.

I've nothing against anyone who wants to dress or be a certain way... do what you want, but I hate how black people are suppose to be a certain way and yeah.. black entertainers, movies, and sitcoms are not helping at all with just more and more encouraging of stereotypes.

It's why I like The Shield so much. You've an interracial cast, that knows their own cultures and whatnot, but nobody's "token" or a forced stereotype.

BET... the channel itself just seems too much like our culture segragating ourselves from the rest of American culture. Just a whole channel institution that says, "You're suppose to be over here."

Then again.... I could be wrong. Like I said, I haven't watched it since its MTV: R&B days, which was fun, cuz you got to see videos and artists you saw nowhere else, but once MTV started showing true variety and I got all the kinds of music I dug.... saw no more need to watch BET.

If BET is branching out to show more ethnicities on the channel, I saw more power to it. I look forward to a day when they ditch the name and show that the black culture is far more diverse than just hip-hop and how that we're just another intermingling part of the American culture.

[Kyl416]

I think BET needs to go away and stop pigeon holing us, change their name to MTV Hip-Hop, or actually represent blacks.There already is an "MTV Hip-Hop", it's a digital channel called MTV Jams.

[Storm Eagle]

There already is an "MTV Hip-Hop", it's a digital channel called MTV Jams.
There's actually a digital cable channel like that?

[Caffeine King]

You can catch Good Times on TBS
The Jeffersons on TV Land
I've never seen Good Times on TBS, and they took The Jeffersons off of TV Land January 2003. :shrug:

[Kyl416]

There's actually a digital cable channel like that?Yes there's several Digital Music Nets from MTV Networks

MTV Jams that is mostly Hip-Hop and R&B Videos
MTV Hits which has pop videos
MTV en Espanol es Musica Latina
VH1 Classic airs videos from '60s, '70s, and '80s
VH1 Soul has R&B Videos
VH1 Country has Country Videos
VH1 Mega Hits has Chart Toppers from the '90s and Today
VHUno has Spanish Music Videos

I'm just pissed off that they changed MTV-X which was all Rock Music to MTV Jams, it would have been easier just to rename BET without alienating an entire fan base

[Kyl416]

I've never seen Good Times on TBS, and they took The Jeffersons off of TV Land January 2003. :shrug:Damn, I just checked my listings, TBS removed it from there schedule.

[Caffeine King]

Damn, I just checked my listings, TBS removed it from there schedule.
:(

:p Buy the DVDs! :D

The Jeffersons, Sanford & Son, and Good Times are all on UPN Atlanta (my UPN) but they're on late at night...except one of The Jeffersons timeslots is in the afternoon, and I can catch that. :)

BET used to air What's Happening!! or it's syndicated sequel What's Happening Now!! back in the 80's I think...

BET is too mainstream now, and as everyone has said (many times) that it's just another MTV... :( :shrug:

[staticblue]

I live in the atlanta area, but I attend college in North georgia, and up here, we do not have BET. I used to watch a lot of BET back when I had cable at home. Now that I dont have BET, I dont miss it at all. Its all about mainstream Rap and R&B. Now Im the type of guy that listend to rap and R&B, IM not gonna lie about that. But I listen to it if it has a good beat, or nice lyrics. Stuff like Tipsy, or shake your tailfeather really gets me jumpin. But to be honest. Im a true fan of oldies. Rick James Temptations. Stuff Im not old enough to know about, Yet I constantly listen to. I could stand for some classic Jackson 5 or my favorite songs from groups such as Atlantic Starr or Switch right onw.:sweat:

[Kyl416]

I live in the atlanta area, but I attend college in North georgia, and up here, we do not have BET.I wonder what that tells you about the south?

j/k

[Mynd Hed]

Like I said, I haven't watched it since its MTV: R&B days, which was fun, cuz you got to see videos and artists you saw nowhere else, but once MTV started showing true variety and I got all the kinds of music I dug.... saw no more need to watch BET.
I'm with you on all points, except... MTV showing true variety? What parallel universe do you live in, and what's rent like? (-:

[staticblue]

I wonder what that tells you about the south?

j/k
lol thats what I said when I got here guy:p