4 Reasons Why BET Is An Embarrassment To Black People

1. BET(Black Entertainment Television) did not air Coretta Scott King’s funeral on it’s station. BET claimed it wanted to offer viewers a different kind of experience by posting a live webcast on it’s website of the funeral where viewers could access it "at work, at home, traveling,[and] at school". Likewise, the four major networks; NBC, ABC, CBS, and FOX all broadcast their own live webcasts on their respective websites. But these stations as well broadcast the funeral on television. C-SPAN and CNN also aired the funeral live.

This reason alone proves that BET is the epitome of trash on television. And not to equate the struggle of blacks with Coretta Scott King, but there would be no BET without her. BET felt that viewers would prefer to watch women shaking their rumps in music videos rather than some funeral for a beloved civil rights leader.

2. BET is not black entertainment television. It does not represent the views and ideals of the millions of Blacks in the United States collectively. The station has no right to such a name as it falsely identifies itself with Black people as a whole.

If BET is for Blacks, why does it’s music selection consist of only hip-hop, rap and R&B music rather than the works of blacks in many genres of music and entertainment. Why is its target audience, as stated by BET, "African Americans 18-34". Does Telemundo go out of it's way to destroy the reputation of Hispanics? No, it does not.

3.BET proudly airs(and has aired) programming that further permeates stereotypes about blacks, thus ingraining negative associations in the minds of people who are devout of much contact with blacks as it is. When I say it proudly airs this type of programming, let’s take for example, "BET Uncut", which was canceled on July 7, 2006. A description of the show, courtesy BET is as follows:"Sexy, seductive, steamy, provocative and controversial can barely describe UNCUT, BET’s late night over the top adult program. Aired in the wee hours of the morning, UNCUT was created specifically for mature viewers who enjoy raw, erotic, and mind-blowing entertainment. See your favorite hip-hop and R&B artists in a different light as they bring out their freaky renditions of videos that you will never see aired during normal BET viewing hours". A second description read "this sixty-minute ‘raunch’ fest gives the late night crowd an option to view deliberate 'un-sanitized' videos by mainstream and unsigned artists alike. UNCUT is solely adult entertainment-NOT INTENDED FOR CHILDREN".

For two reasons, I must say that this program airing on BET was a disgrace to the African-American. First of all, just because this program aired at 3 in the morning didn't mean it was off access to children. BET has argued that it was the fault of bad parenting if a child happened upon the show. Anyone and everyone with a hint of common sense knows that you cannot keep everything from your child that you don’t want he or she to see. And if this is a station for Blacks, I would assume that it would have material extending from G-rated to R-rated and nothing more. A station geared at Blacks surely includes Blacks young and old, otherwise they should take the initiative and change the station’s name to Young Misguided Black Men’s Entertainment Television(YMBMET for short), as that’s who 90% of it’s programming is geared at anyway. Would you believe me if I told you that the religious shows appeared immediately after BET Uncut’s 1 hour block. (BET Uncut's cancellation had nothing to do with protests of it's content, claims BET.)

4. BET supports the miseducation of the African-American. Every show that could have provided real and legitimate positive inspiration in a person’s life has been removed(unless it is a gospel show). Teen Summit which dealt with teens’ and their everyday issues was killed. ‘BET Tonight with Tavis Smiley’ was likewise murdered. BET is more interested in shows that show lite pornography.

All accompanying quotes are taken from BET(Black Entertainment Teleivison). All images are from rapper Nelly's video "Tip Drill", which has been featured on BET Uncut.

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