Apparently Debra Lee is going to be meeting with the AJC Editorial Board during the BET Hip Hop Awards and the AJC wants to hear from YOU about YOUR thoughts on BET. What do you think? BET's CEO, Debra Lee, will be in Atlanta this weekend and is scheduled to meet with the AJC editorial board. Is there anything you'd like to ask her? Please e-mail wethepeople@ajc.com. Include your first and last names, your city or county of residence, and a daytime telephone so that we may contact you and verify your comments.
Well I can tell the AJC Editorial Board EXACTLY what Debra Lee is going to say because she is a Stepford wife-like Robot who just keeps repeating the same thing over and over. "We're Balanced" "We put on Meet the Faith" " BET has a burden because everyone wants it to be PBS" boo hoo hoo. "Original Programming" and repeat. Oh yeah and I forgot, "Please get those church folks off my front lawn" & "We listen to our audience". Really? I can't really tell.
Before you write the AJC, go take a look at MTV Tr3s. It is BET's Latino cousin within the Viacom family and yes, they have ignorant shows, but they show their balance 7 days a week and women have massive representation in the programming, especially the documentaries, and not just as props in the background on music videos. Especially take a look at Tu Pride. I have actually seen a couple of these documentaries on MTV Tr3s ( I get it as a broadcast channel). Notice the women they highlight and why? I got sucked in one Sunday watching a marathon session of Making Menudo the entire show was about family, history, and pride. The judges were talking about pride, the contestants, and the families. I mean the entire family was there for almost every contestant which actually made for good television. TV One has a similar show, Stage Black. But BET did offer the world The Ultimate Hustler.
Also look at what MTV Tr3s had to say about the goal of the channel.
"The heart beating stood for Latino culture and pride and what's in their heart and the passion they have inside of them. That's what the channel represents," said Silver. SOURCE
"MTV Tr3s will be the validation, voz and vida of young U.S. Latinos by celebrating their influence, cultures and languages," said Ballas-Traynor. "MTV Tr3s will celebrate young Latinos for being tastemakers, pioneers, gatekeepers and key influencers in their households and communities and our programming and production teams are exceptionally well qualified to create programming that Latino youth are craving - programming that honestly reflects and amplifies U.S. Latino youth culture, trends and icons." SOURCE
"I look at it as a pop culture destination because these kids have not really had their music or culture and what is really defining U.S. Latino culture on a channel 24 hours a day," said Lucia Ballas-Traynor, MTV Tr3s senior vice president and general manager. SOURCE
GASP! Did they just admit that television can define a group of people? It's just not possible. I mean I could just change the channel. Oh you mean it can define me even if i don't watch because other people watching will draw conclusions about my group based on what they see on TV?
Notice how they want to show the BEST their culture has to offer. GASP its as if they are aware that the images they put out in the world affects how they see themselves and how others see them. Is that corporate responsibility and pride I hear? But, but, what about the BURDENS? Because y'all know BET feels picked on and BURDENED by UNFAIR criticism.
So it IS possible for Viacom to produce programming based on something other than appealing to the lowest common denominator or trying to shame humiliate or teach Ze' Common Folk how to read. Knock me over with a feather.
Contact the AJC (wethepeople@ajc.com) today folks.
