“The show came on at 8 pm and Jamie Fox needed to be bleeped out four times in the first 10 minutes. Then, he performed ‘Blame It On The Alcohol’ while climbing out of a giant bottle of alcohol. T-Pain had on a chain that said Big Ass Chain.” – Dwayne Betts, Blogger for The Atlantic
I might as well begin this post with a disclaimer: I did not watch the BET Awards Sunday night. I managed to catch a glimpse of Beyoncé’s outfit and an Internet replay of New Edition’s tribute, but that’s about it. Nonetheless, the comments and reviews that I’ve read assure me that my time would be better spent doing almost anything other than watching that train wreck. Before I continue, I’d like to share some comments from the blogosphere that have shaped and informed my commentary:
“What BET executive thought it was okay for pre-teen girls to dance on stage while a performance of ‘I want to f**k all the girls in the world’ was going on? What executive thought it was okay to perform a song where every other word needs to be bleeped…”
“Having taught in an inner-city public high school for the last two decades, I will simply say that the disgusting misogynistic music my students pump into their brains for hours every day simply builds a mental ghetto inside their head, and helps to keep them physically in the ghettos they go home to each afternoon.”
“MJ 's death presented a rare [occasion] for BET to reveal our immense talents but we were [subjected] to an utterly tasteless display of extra terrestrial being…”
“I was mortified at the coarseness on display.”
If the BET Awards were established to “celebrate” African American musicians and other professionals in the entertainment industry, then I’d like to know what BET executives deem worthy of celebrating. They claim to celebrate the best we have to offer, but surely they jest.
Like much of today’s music, the awards show celebrated and esteemed ignorance and buffoonery. They held in the highest regard performances that should be relegated to troubled adolescent boys’ bedrooms. They proudly displayed to the world that they value and support misogynistic, degenerate, anti-intellectual behavior. The fact that they dragged Michael Jackson’s legacy through the mud via a “tribute” is disheartening. Michael Jackson was a musical genius whose creativity was extraordinary. His crotch-grabbing notwithstanding, his trailblazing body of work taught us that vision, originality, and ingenuity could break down barriers and positively influence culture. How is Michael Jackson’s legacy honored juxtaposed to many of the ghastly performances on the awards show? But I digress.
The problem with the awards show lies, not in a single performer or performance, but in the overwhelming display of ignorance by so many of the performers and performances, including the host. It lies in their utter contempt for all that is inspirational and uplifting. It’s one ignorant minstrel show after another. Back to back coonery. One silly sideshow after another, punctuated by a respectable performance here and there. Again, that’s the problem--decency and solid musical creativity is few and far in between. The music does not inspire its listeners to strive for more, it does not critically evaluate our current condition, and often times, it does not even meet the minimum requirement of taking us away from our troubles and making us feel better. If anything, it encourages behavior that will lead to dropping out of high school, contracting HIV/AIDS, earning a jail sentence, or having three baby mamas or daddies. I am not blaming rap music for all of our problems, but we must examine rap and hip hop music’s content in the context of cultural influence. The problem with the awards show is that the lowest, most crass form of music is elevated and presented as representative of our culture’s greatness. But this is nothing new for BET.
I wonder if things would change if big name entertainers shunned BET? If people like Usher, Beyoncé, and Will Smith refused to lend their support in any capacity to BET’s efforts, would this make a difference? At this point, it doesn’t matter because I know of no big-name celebrity that publicly shuns BET. (Although Oprah regularly calls out rap artists for their disrespect and degradation of women.) It’s no surprise that I missed the awards show because at best, it’s a waste of time; at worst, well, it’s almost genocide.
Crecilla Scott is the founder of Infinity Research, LLC, a social science research company in the Washington DC area. She is the host of a local TV show, “Conversations with Crecilla.” She is also a passionate speaker, who has given professional presentations for various organizations and federal agencies. She can be reached at Crecilla@liukarama.com.
Reading Resources
http://ta-nehisicoates.theatlantic.com/archives/2009/06/makaveli_and_why_my_fathers_dont_rock_to_my_music.php#more
http://www.whataboutourdaughters.com/2009/05/why-bet-viewers-should-be-offended-by-centricbut-they-wont-be/
http://www.whataboutourdaughters.com/2007/09/how-long-could-you-live-without-cable-381-days-yes-bet-executives-really-hate-black-people-again-i-didnt-stutter/
http://mesdeauxcents.blogspot.com/2007/08/why-i-cancelled-my-cable-tv.html
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