Sometimes I think Black folks are in a no win situation. We are damned if we do and we are damned if we don’t.
Take for instance, Debra Lee. Man, the last couple of years have been very bad for her. After taking over the helm in 2005 as H.N.I.C from Robert Johnson, who sold the company and the integrity of BET to Viacom, Lee has been charged with taking all the original programming and transforming it into a steady diet of offensive stereotypes and cheap entertainment for the TV watching audience. And after successfully producing one of the worst Michael Jackson tributes ever during the even more shame-worthy BET awards, Lee topped herself by following through with the premieres of Frankie and Nette and the Tiny and Toya shows.
The backlash came swift. Letters and blog posts were written, anti-B.E.T songs were produced and boycotts were organized. Folks around the blogosphere expressed their disdain for BET and its usage of hyper sexualized, misogynistic, materialism under the flagship of Black entertainment. They pleaded with Lee to do us a solid and start producing more relevant programming, which presents Black folks in a more positive light.
Hearing the concerns, Lee and BET have been trying to get its act together, albeit slowly. Recently it has taken a new approach to improve the brand by researching what their viewers wanted to see. Of course, the answer was more family-oriented programming. In the last decade or so, the black family has been largely missing from prime time and more than anything, viewers wanted to bring back the golden era of black television which is best represented byThe Cosby Show. So being good stewards to the Black community, BET created a lineup of more family-oriented shows such as “Reed Between the Lines” and “Let’s Stay Together.”
And so far it appears to be working as “Let’s Stay Together,” a romantic comedy involving a contemporary relationships that debuted in January, has averaged around 3 million viewers, helping the network score its biggest ratings in history. And the premiere of “Reed between the Lines,” a new show starring Malcolm-Jamal Warner and Tracee Ellis Ross doing their best Cosby Show impersonation, has pulled in solid numbers since its debut. It seems that things are starting to turn around for the station, and more importantly Lee, who has certainly taken a beating in the Black press. Not so fast.
Despite BET’s noble attempt to change the face of Black entertainment, its wildly popular sister-network VH1 continues to capture the attention of Black America. It first started out with shows like Flavor of Love and I Love New York and has now expanded into Basketball Wives, Basketball Wives LA and Love & Hip Hop. Both Wives shows and Love & Hip-Hop have been a ratings bonanza for the station. The network released stats showing that the season finale of Basketball Wives LA drew over 4 million viewers. And the second season premier of “Love & Hip Hop” scored equally high in the 18-49 demographic, making it the most watched episode out of the two seasons. In short, the tawdry agenda of seeing black folks backbiting and backstabbing, which is taboo on B.E.T, has become perfectly acceptable must-see TV on VH1.
It’s obvious that despite all the declarations of not representing “us” well, we still tune in at record numbers. But let’s be frank, VH1 is just as bad culturally for Black folks, if not worse, than BET. So why it is that BET catches all the flack while VH1 gets all the ratings glory?
Honestly, I don’t know. However I have a working theory and a loose analogy: In Western astrology, there is a belief that our personalities are mostly shaped by two symbols: the Sun sign and Moon sign. Both the sun and moon signs are calculated by what house, or horoscope, the sun and the moon positioned itself in at the time of your birth. The Sun sign represents the dominating nature and will of an individual. This sign is what you are likely to show to the world. Whereas the Moon signs represents the more emotional side of your personality. This is also the side of your personality, which is much more vulnerable to criticism and will likely only be revealed in intimate situations.
In some respects, Black folks are trying to use BET as our sun sign. This is what we want to show to the world. The situation in which we were reared in America has created a multi-personality disorder in us, which doesn’t allow for outward displays of duality out of (good) fear of being characterized unfairly or used to justify some horrible treatment of us. When the mainstream sees the name Black Entertainment Television, they will see family shows and all around positive images of us in hopes of convincing white folks, those curious enough to tune in, that this is what we are about. Meanwhile, the majority of us black folks will be seated on the couch, eating popcorn and drinking Pepsi with our moon signs, watching two video models in shiny spandex mini-dresses beating each other senseless with crystal stemware.
When we are truly equal in society, we will be able to drop the façade of what our representation of us on television is supposed to be and enjoy it for what it is: cheap entertainment. However, we are not there yet and probably won’t be in my lifetime. So as long as BET claims itself as Black entertainment, it will bear the brunt of scrutiny. Meanwhile, both B.E.T and TV-one, a real Black station with quality programming, will continue to fall short ratings wise in Black households to other stations like VH1 and TBS for that matter, that continue to show us unabashed.
Charing Ball is the author of the blog People, Places & Things.
