Dear BET, Why Do You Hate Us?
This was sent to me, along with many others. It not only caught my attention, but stopped me dead in my tracks and made me read it. I am so proud of this young lady and have asked myself why others haven’t stepped up before now and said the same things.
It is a well written, well voiced cry out, from a 15 year old, young, black, articulate woman. It is lengthy, but powerful. Please try to read to the end.
Ms. Janitra Patrcik: Dear BET, Why Do You Hate Us?
Dear Debra Lee,
I’m Janita Patrick, a 15-year-old African-American female from Cincinnati. Recently, I watched the 2009 BET Awards and felt the strongest urge to reach out to the program. My family is of the typical middle-class variety; both parents and four brothers. See, I’m a junior in high school (got skipped), so naturally EVERYBODY in my age group watches BET. I’m used to seeing the sagging pants, tattoos, lack of emphasis on reading and respecting women that makes up your videos. People in my class live this out everyday, while teachers tell us that we’re acting just like the people in your shows.
In your shows. That struck me as odd, because I would think that with your show being the primary outlet for black entertainers and musicians, and considering the context of blacks in this country, there’s a social responsibility factor to consider. I would never blame BET alone for the way a great deal of my classmates act and talk and dress. Everybody makes their own choices. However, if anybody is aware the power of television on impressionable minds, it’s the people running the television operations. If you are not aware, then perhaps you shouldn’t be running the operations.
Guess who watches your network the most? Not those who are intelligent enough to discern foolishness from substance, but those who are barely teenagers, impressionable and believing. It’s awfully cruel to plant seeds of ignorance in fertile minds. You know it’s really bad when the co-founder of BET, Sheila Johnson, said that she “really doesn’t watch it” anymore.
I am constantly fighting against the images and messages put forth on your program. What made you think that it’s okay to bring my classmates on stage to dance behind Lil Wayne and Drake to a song talking about boffing “every girl in the world”? Why does reality train wrecks have to thrown in our faces? Are you aware of the achievement gap going in inner-city African-American communities? A report from America’s Promise Alliance, a non-profit group started by Colin Powell, recently stated that 47 percent of high school students in the nation’s top 50 cities don’t graduate. (Fifty-four percent of males of color in Ingham County graduated from high school, compared to 74 percent of white males). This isn’t because of BET per se, but I don’t see any episodes on your show doing anything to counteract this disturbing trend. In fact, your show is a part of this cycle of media depicting us at our worst.
My older brother told me something about profit being the number one goal for every business. I’m not sure I understand what that means, but I do know that your shows have to be entertaining enough to generate viewers, which is how you make your money. But surely our culture is rich enough to entertain without anything extra to “boost” ratings; why the over-the-top foolery? I listen to classmates talk about Baldwin Hills like it’s the Manhattan Project. It doesn’t take much effort to produce a throng of degenerative reality shows, nor does it take much to eliminate socially conscious shows off the air. MTV isn’t much better, but since when does two wrongs ever make a right? It’s one thing for white television shows to depict us in a particular way, but for black television shows to do it is baffling.
Why do you hate us?
All of the values that my parents seek to instill in me and my brothers seems to be contradicted by a more powerful force from the media, and your show is at the forefront. Your network is the only network that features rap videos and shows exclusively to children of my color. I know that you have no control over the music that the artists put out, but you do have influence as to how you air these videos. I’m sure if a stand was taken to use the talent in your organization to actually crank out thought-provoking entertaining shows and videos, then artists will follow suit. Being that they need you as much as you need them.
There was one awkward segment in the BET Awards when Jamie Foxx singled out three black doctors-turned-authors, but the introduction was so powerless that many of the viewers had no idea who they were. Had they been introduced as Sampson Davis, Rameck Hunt and George Jenkins, three brothers who overcame major obstacles to become a success without the use of lyrics that berate women, the sell of substance that destroy communities or through raps about loose gunplay, then maybe my classmates would have come to school talking about more than Beyonce, T-Pain’s BIG ASS CHAIN and Soulja Boy Tell Em’s hopping out the bed.
But they weren’t introduced like that. It seemed like a throwaway obligatory tribute to appease some irritated fans. It missed the mark. Big time. Ask Michelle Obama if she watches BET or encourages Sasha and Malia to do so. Ask President Obama. It’s a reason he is the leader of the free world, and it isn’t because of Buffoonery Exists Today.
You’d be surprised how smart young black children can be with the absence of Blacks Embarrassing Themselves. If your goal is to deter engaged, forward-thinking articulate black minds, then consider your goal fulfilled. It’s hard-pressed to think that your shows are working to promote cultural betterment. However, it’s quite easy to conclude that the destruction of black children through the glorification of immoral behavior and rushed production is by design. Poison is being swallowed by every viewer who adores your network, and the worse thing is, these viewers – my classmates – are not even aware what they’re swallowing.
There is nothing edifying for black women on your show. I don’t judge people who do throng to your programs though; I mean, if a jet crashes in right in front of me, I’ll watch it too. That’s why I don’t flip by your channel…I don’t even want to be sucked in.
I have aspirations of acquiring a law degree and possibly entering the public sphere, so I can counteract conditions in my community perpetuated by the images on your channel. So I should thank you, because in a weird sense, your shoddy programming is the wind behind my back. And it is my hope that I can accomplish my dreams despite BET’s pictorial messages, because Lord knows it won’t be because of them.
Sincerely,
Janita Patrick
Wow… Holla back!
Very, very, very good article. It will take this article and more from her age group to get enough of their attention to make a change. I watch BET for some of their movies, but not much else. I think it was a very, very bad move on their part when they eliminated Tavis’ show. His was the most intelligent show of theirs. I would even stay up late to watch it. The fact that it didn’t come on until 11:00 also spoke to how much they valued that type of show. He had some of the greatest guests on too. But it’s no sweat off Tavis’ back. He’s got the favor of the Lord on him and is doing better than ever. I will say, the programming is better than it was a few years ago when all you’d see was rap videos all the time. Hopefully now it will change even more.
BET is not black-owned. It is owned by Viacom, who also owns MTV and VH1. Although Sheila Johnson may be co-founder, she does not have the final say on what’s shown. Viacom is strictly profit-based, so whatever is deemed to be “hot” at that moment, is what Viacom in going to capitalize on. There really is no benefit for them to show Blacks in any other light.
Granted, they have better programs than they did a few years ago, the mustic videos and the content of those videos have not changed – and that’s what sells, so……..
.-= Kim Sawyer´s last blog ..Wordplay Wednesday =-.
Also, Janita Patrick is not a real person. It’s an article, written by Zettcler Clay, to represent young Black girls. Here’s the actual link of the story: http://clutchmagonline.com/lifeculture/feature/bet-why-do-you-hate-us/#2
.-= Kim Sawyer´s last blog ..Wordplay Wednesday =-.
It was a very good article. but I don’t think it has anything to do with the age group. I think all black Americans should wake up and smell the coffee. It seems we go so far and them we get stuck and then we make a mess of things after that. We talk about the white man keeping us down but we do this to ourselves sometimes. We get good positions and then after we have had them for a while we mess up, like the Mayor in Michigan or like those men that were digging up those bodies and reselling the grave plots and all of this black on black crime. We have enough white people killing us than to have to turn on each other. A lot of our black men have grown up and all they want to do is sell drugs so they don’t have to go out and do a honest day’s work. These people that make all of this rap music do not even respect themselves let alone women. I think all of this gold and silver that they are wearing on their teeth is silly also. Ask some of those people when is the last time you had your teeth cleaned and they would not be able to tell you but they have all of this gold and silver in their mouth. These changes do not have to start at BET, they need to start at home. Mothers, when you see you son bouncing down the street on 20s or 30s with a old car painted up to look like it just drove off the show room floor, and your son does not even have a job, something is wrong with this picture and you see why they land in prison. That is where a lot of our black men are today. LORD HELP US ALL. I AM YET PRAYING FOR THIS SITUATION! Oh and another thing we have problems with, we can stand to see our own brother or sister get ahead in life. Let one start a business, we can not wait to see the business fail. Two things are wrong here, we won’t use their business and then when they start one, they do sloppy work or they don’t get there on time or they try to cheat you out of time and money. It is like they do not have any business sense. I could go on and on but I will stop here. Not everyone fits that business mold. Let us bow our heads in a word of prayer.
.-= delores goodson´s last blog ..Wife Dies on Cruise, Husband Arrested =-.
Yea, I knew they had sold it to non-black owners. I remember when they sold it and how sad I felt. It seems so wrong for a black network to be owned by non-blacks. That is my strong personal feeling; others may not agree and think one has nothing to do with the other. I do.
Kim, I understand what you are saying. It’s about the almighty dollar and I understand that too. I am not against profit but it is just a shame that they “appear to be” without regard to how they affect THEIR audience and “appear” to do little to promote positive things. Since they have young people’s attention, especially young blacks, they should take that opportunity to, along with their other programming, showcase programs that would educate, encourage, mentor, guide, enlighten, teach, sponsor, expose them to a variety of ideas/thinking/lifestyles, rejuvenate, challenge, etc. those young minds. I bet BET is some children’s main voice of the day. I bet some young people come home from school and don’t read, don’t talk to any adults, don’t do homework, basically don’t have much of a life. BET, and stations like BET, is probably the only babysitter and companion they have.
BET could be so much more! Even if they lost some viewers temporarily, I believe they would gain a whole other crowd and surpass where they once were. They could actually put themselves in a whole new class and possibly be “classy”. Sup, I agree about Tavis.
This young woman, I’m sure, speaks for many like her. If she is the target demographic, she is who BET should be listening to! Not just the droopy drawers ones!
I didn’t know she was a fictional character and maybe its best I didn’t because the message it sent did touch me and make me think. I agree with Delores, it isn’t just this age group that needs to be crying out. I know grown adults that would rather sit and watch videos on BET, in front of and with their young, impressionable children, than any other programs. I am not speaking against watching BET or videos per se, I’m just saying. And to be honest, it is probably too late for those grown folk. They are who they are gonna be. But at age 15 and even younger, we’ve got to let them know, there is so much more out there than rappers and baggy pants and bling bling (am I out of date with that one? lol) EDUCATION is what we should be screaming from the rooftop, from every venue possible!
@Kathy – I agree with you on your point, but if you look at the alreading existing programs that are shown on MTV, and trust me, it’s horrendous, they (Viacom) is pretty much following the same format with BET. So, my point is, if it works on MTV, which brings in greater profits than BET, why not see if the same programming works on BET, to increase profits? Does that make sense?
Also, I guess I wanted to stress that it’s not owned by a Black person any longer because, there are those little kids who, watch it faithfully, with the thought that Black people are putting this stuff on the air, which they are not! Granted Bob Johnson, when he owned it, was no better in his programming, but now there’s way more sexually explicit programs on BET, like there is on MTV.
.-= Kim Sawyer´s last blog ..Wordplay Wednesday =-.
Oh yea. I understand them wanting to make a profit! I don’t blame them.
I do not watch BET like I use to. When I had nothing else to watch, I would turn to BET and watch a movie. Now, it is rare for me to find anything on there I like.
BET is garbage. I don’t think they really care what a few people think as long as the money rolls in. The station is still ran in such a sloppy way. The production is second rate (at least) and the change in ownership didn’t do anything to help. Also, Bob Johnson came up with a good idea at the right time, but he didn’t do much to develop it like he should have. The Charlotte Bobcats (NBA team he owns) are a similar story and I think he is trying to sell them.
Speaking about rappers and women. I think it is high time we take the power back and quit blaming rappers for what they say about women. What about the fact that most of what they say is probably true? What about all the athletes, actors, singers and entertainers who have beautiful women all the time? People, it is NOT a coincidence and all these women are not finding a good person in someone like Fifty Cents. What they are finding is money and they will basically sell their body and soul to live the good life. Please, start to mention the women like this in the same vein as the rappers.
.-= Tom Sawyer´s last blog ..Affirmative Action is Evil Says Pat Buchanan =-.
Tom, true true. I have heard of women and seen movies where all a woman’s goal is, find a rich man! I think there was even a Lifetime movie about it.