If you work on the tenth floor at 555 West 57th Street I suggest that you start looking through the classified ads before you do your usual morning fuckery. In a few months I predict that Black Entertainment Television will be carrying the weed for lesser Viacom networks like MTV Brazil or Nickelodeon New Zealand. B.E.T. stopped being relevant a long time ago but the final death knell was sounded this week.
When the news came down that B.E.T. was creating it’s first original programming series and that the series was going to viewed on Viacom sister network VH-1, I knew it was a wrap for the old Negro Network. It’s nothing new for networks to share their programming. Look at how Disney made ABC give Monday Night Football over to ESPN. The understanding is that ESPN has a hardbody sports clientele that would support the MNF broadcasts wholeheartedly. So then why do the head honchos at Viacom think that VH-1 would serve as a better platform than simply B.E.T.? It’s because the program is a dramatic series focusing on the lifestyle of a Hip-Hop music mogul.
And could it be all of the rap music related programming that already has Hip-Hop fans tuning into VH-1? From ‘Flavor of Love’ to ‘I Love New York’ on to ‘Ice T’s Rap School’ and now currently the most important program in Hip-Hop history… The outrageously popular ‘ego trips white rapper show’. This shit is so important to Hip-Hop right now that RAFI from OhWord dot com had to shut down an IM chat with me because the show was coming on. Fuck DVR’ing that shit, the show has to be watched and discussed in real time. Suffice to say I haven’t seen one episode yet. I should take the advice of the Village Voice blogger and just give rap music back to the whites. It’s under this umbrella that B.E.T. is creating their show that they will ultimately give to VH-1.
Blame the previous producers of programming at the Negro Network for creating a block of shows that appeal to only a 13yr. old to 19yr. old demographic. It wasn’t totally their fault either since most of the music that is performed by negroes is designed to be trendy temporary pop music. Even 106th & Park seems more immature than T.R.L. The kids seem almost prepubescent. Somebody keep your eye out for ROBERT SYLVESTER KELLY. This is now the audience that essentially occupies the airwaves and message boards for Black Entertainment Television. Viacom doesn’t believe in them as a suitable or viable consumer base and they want to tap into the more mature audience that frequents VH-1.
I still feel a little bad for B.E.T. I know a lot of folks that work over there and they aren’t the type of people that can do much of anything else except maybe work at the DMV or the cashier station at Mickey Dees. These fools are going to be added to the already burgeoning unemployment pool in the entertainment sector thanks to MTV getting rid of some of its flotsam and jetsam. Again, I send this post out to all the cool people that I know at Black Entertainment Television. Good people like exec producer STEVEN HILL, and…
Damn, I don’t know of any other cool folks at B.E.T.
that’s really funny i just turned down an offer with a new BET project for the aforementioned reasons…
ironically i just heard that MTV is to be outsourcing their financial department to India…
what does it all mean Jedi Master?
“The Black race can’t afford you no more…” – Sgt. Vernon Waters, “A Soldier’s Story”
I gotta go home and watch that tonight.
What it means is that info about cats like this will never be general knowledge. Open your minds. Arm yourselves. Google this man:
Philip Emeagwali
Happy Black History Month
Guess you gotta destroy and rebuild. Always knew that Viacoms purchase of BET was some bullshit. I remember the moment they signed them contracts Tavis Smiley got the boot. Another move from Che Whitety. They gonna have a layoff like Chrysler yesterday and MTV a few days ago. (in Kay Slay’s Voice) DAMN!!!!!!!!!!
^CJ – According to T.I. people don’t even have time for Nas’ “Egyptian History rhymes”, so how can they have time for anything else?
(props on that reference, never heard of dude before and I consider myself one of the “Literate Ones”)
^CJ…Why do we need to know about him? Is he an american gangster, a washed up, played out actor, a soon to incarcerated rapper or burned out cracked out musician? NOPE. So then he’s not popular enough, trendy enough or hip enough to be relevant…….
I jest of course, so don’t start spazzin on me! But I do have to catch up on him cuz I don’t know about dude ( and I work in technology).
BTW…why is it called AMERICAN Gangster, like when are the non-African American gangsters gonna make their appearance? So are there no non-African American gangsters or are they claiming that the infatuation with gangster ism is a black thing?
That’s an awesome point . . . Media layoffs are treated by everybody with glee and the are usually met with some kind of snarky remark at Gawker.com but I bet they hit minority media professionals even harder.
Still, other than the ass video as night (do they still play those?) I can’t see any reason for watching . . . In fact, whenever I cross the station they usually are just playing reruns of something that looks like it should have Steve Erkel in it . . . When the fishing channel is garnering viewers like crazy and it’s ALL ABOUT niche programming then it’s almost unforgivable that this network could fail . . . Which it seems as if it’s doing.
I know its all about the gwap, scrilla and all that bullshit but Bob Johnson selling the negro network was one of the most selfish acts in all of “negrodom”. The network hasn’t been worth watching since the cocoa godess Ananda Lewis hosted that teen show.
I really want bet to succeed….I concur with those above me comments….it doesn’t appear as though they have a agenda or strategy…like they’re just throwing ideas at the wall…although I did like the Eddie Murphy set….as do most they need balance.
Lion XL Says:
BTW…why is it called AMERICAN Gangster, like when are the non-African American gangsters gonna make their appearance?
^Ironically I was just about to mention that American Gangster was one of the best put together shows on BET and then I read ur comment.
Ppl who are offended by it need to realize that when whites/italians watch all the same shows on A&E they are not offended because they not a fucking serial killer or part of the mob! That show is a damn good show. Nelson George (get familiar) execitive produced it and I give him props for it.
Have u even watched the damn show?
911 Says:
I really want bet to succeed
^cosign. and IMO it does have a chance
Duck Down,
FUCK B.E.T.
(these niggers been going the other way for years, now it’s time for them to go to hell and die)
FUCK THAT FAGGOT SHITBAG NELSON GEORGE
(he shitbagged me on an interview in Sundance to talk to some Becky bitch – no offense to any readers named Becky)
and
FUCK YO’ COUCH!
(that American Gangster with Freeway Rick Ross was television real talk – but still fuck yo’ couch)
“I still feel a little bad for B.E.T. I know a lot of folks that work over there and they aren’t the type of people that can do much of anything else ”
^no disrespect but if thats the case and those ppl can not find another job in NYC besides cashier then maybe they were never qualified for their job to begin with. I know ppl with no skills holding down jobs and/or constantly finding work in this city that they are not qualified for (we laugh about it all the time) and they all work in television..so your friends will find more work if they have any skillz at all.
The (Afro) – American Gangster show was cool but I couldn’t fully support the show because of the lack of balanced programming on the network. For some reason people who idolize and romanticize the gangster lifestyle never remember the ending of these stories…. Death, isolation & imprisonment. I do like how they touch on the Original(G)overnments role in bringing drugs in the country. B.E.T. Had potential…
They could have been exposing Dick Cheany’s leaking the identity of ex C.I.A agent Valarie Plame unlike the mainstrem media who is currently using Anna Nicole Smith’s death and endless amount of baby daddies as a smoke screen.
my peoples is going deep. as usual. i’m proud.
{rant} fuck BET. fuck them people for underestimating our intellect. fuck them people for feeding the stereotype. i cosign errbody else who previously said this. the black channel has a million ways to represent black life. ass n titties are bountiful round here, but we’re so much more than that. big FUCK the negroes who’re in upper mgmt selling us out day after day. ain’t nobody surprised that the swine is in it for the dollars. there has to be a point when we wont sell our peoples out for money. at least i wouldn’t. thats a huge reason why them grimey fuckers gained acceptance. clean that trashy house! {/rant}
For Real, For Real…Fuck B.E.T. It’s like watching one big Blaxplotation Channel. Even the car commercials targeted at my demographic offend me. “You made it out, but you never forget where you come from.” So that’s why I should buy your car? It’s like so many other things…it’s trying to appeal to a demo and because it has to try it will never accomplish it’s goal. I will watch Seinfeld reruns before I watch B.E.T. The sad part is…I can remember when it didn’t have to try and it got my patronage on the virtue of what it presented…that’s a long time past now.
^Duck Down..u once again show your in ability to comprehend written word….your an idiot and really should go find a video blog cuz reading isn’t your forte.
Where did I say the show was bad? Where did I claim offense? I simply questioned the title AMERICAN GANGSTER which I feel should be AFRICAN-AMERICAN GANGSTER, because that is what it is concentrating on. my position was that they should include other cultures of gangster ism in America and not just the African Americans.
and for the record, I have watched every episode with my son, and talking to him about what I know of the NY gangsters that were around when I was coming up….
and since your such a Nelson George Fan, since your so much more up on shit than me, quick tell me about some of his other work. Be specific and if you copy from a wiki I’ll know..IDIOT.
BET has been nothing but shit for some years now and like Amadeo stated, Black exploitation at its best.
When they cancelled BET nightly news, that was pretty much it for me. Maybe if the news program was still being aired, important issues like New Orleans would still be discussed. I’ve wondered for some time how this network has stayed on the air. Bob Johnson sold out period and this new chick should be fired. The whole network should be scrapped.
The majority of material on the network is inappropriate for the age group that watches. Then they turn around and have a lame ass gospel show (with a suspect host) on Sunday mornings, WTF?
I agree with your sentiments here dude…I still am just hoping someone or a group of folk can come together and really get something popping off channel-wise for negroes..
Lion XL, You suggesting the show be called African American Gangter is ridiculous. Its aired on BLACK Entertainment Television so why should the show focus on other “cultures of gangster ism in America and not just the African Americans” when channels like A&E has already covered those?
And to the person who mentioned how “people who idolize and romanticize the gangster lifestyle never remember the ending of these stories” I think thats exactly who American Gangster was made for.
Dallas calm down and get your dirty ass fuckin shoes the fuk off my couch! I’m not defending BET but I am defending that show and trying to be optimistic. I would like to see BET nightly news return and alot of other programming happen and it might. More than likely not but shit let me keep hope alive.
Sorry Nelson stood u up for a Becky but I still think hes a good choice for executive producer for the channel.
CORRECTION-meant to say Executive Producer for American Gangster (not the channel)
^my badd DuckDown, you caught me off my meds.
NELSON GEORGE is still a sucker emcee, word to Black House – Park City, Utah