Black Entertainment Television or BET is an American based cable network aimed at African-American households. Since it’s original launch in 1980, the television network has undergone numerous changes. As recent years and various reports have indicated, BET may not be what it was first intended to be. The network established to provide a space for the African-Community has since painted a dark picture full of confirming stereotypes and discrepancies.
Let’s first begin the analysis with the actual term Black Entertainment Television. The network is described as “your home for all the latest celebrity, music, fashion, entertainment, and African-American news” (BET.com). Increasingly popular shows include The Game, Being Mary Jane, Real Husbands, and more. These three shows share a common aspect- false reality! Being Mary Jane (see my review here) displays a strong black woman who is more or less man crazy. After an accidental relationship with a married man, she finds herself struggling to get over him, thus turning into a hyper-sexualized female who can’t be satisfied. I’m willing to speak for the entire community when I say not all black women are crazy! How can a network call itself black entertainment television when it doesn’t accurately represent the views of the millions of black people within the United States? It’s almost as if they’re supporting the miseducation of the African-American ideal or mindset.
Other criticism has risen regarding the level of appropriate content that airs throughout the day, risqué music videos, vulgar language, and much more. The black men in the network produced films and television shows are portrayed as cheaters fueled by anger and hatred toward their significant others. Children are talking back to their parents, there’s increased violence within the fictional streets, and thugs are around every corner. Honestly, the list goes on-and-on.
It becomes increasingly problematic when executives of the network express displeasure in the handling of plot lines and stories. “[BET] reinforces negative stereotypes of young people, African-Americans in particular,” said co-founder Sheila Johnson in a 2012 interview. She added, “I think we squandered a really important cable network, when it really could have been the voice of Black America…I’m really worried about what our young people are watching” (afropunk.com). A few years later, she and her husband, founder Robert Johnson, sold the network in hopes that executives and professionals would be able to lead the network on the right path. Unfortunately, one can come to the conclusion that the path has yet to be traveled upon.
Before rushing to conclusions, the success and positivity of BET should also be dually noted. When BET isn’t airing 21st century rap music videos or overly dramatic mad-black-women scenes, there is often opportunity to learn and become self-educated. For example, during the month of February, BET will air a mini series entitled The Book of Negros which will tell the story of an enslaved African woman who struggles to secure her freedom in the 19th Century. The network is also known to premiere documentaries and historical based movies that portray different time periods in history. If one is willing to look over the negative aspects of the network, the attempt to educate the general public is deserving of praise.
Despite all of the negativity, BET has managed to override chaos and disagreement. The television network was the first black-controlled company to be listed on the New York Stock Exchange. Unfortunately, the network owner, Robert Johnson, sold the network to Viacom in 2001, thus forfeiting ownership by an African-American (some attribute this to the change of BET success to failure). The television network currently reaches about 91,159,000 American households; therefore, it seems as though BET isn’t going anywhere anytime soon (Robert Seidman).
There is definitely still a glimpse of hope for the once successful network. Mass media is one of the most effective forces when it comes to shaping the human mind (ithp.org). People of color (including myself) continue to watch much of the monstrosity that airs on Mondays through Fridays. This reasoning may be because they enjoy people who look like themselves on TV. If Viacom and current television producers on the network could team up and introduce positive storylines and ideas, viewer count would greatly improve and a more positive light would shine on the African-American community.
Jordan Robert Lawson says
I really enjoyed this post, Candice. I think that you raise an incredibly important point in the on-going issue of African-Americans striving for having a decent light shed upon our culture in the U.S. Regarding your comment of “accurately [representing] the views of the millions of black people within the United States”, I think that you might agree that successfully doing that with one cable network would be a near impossible task, as the entire culture of a race can’t be specifically represented, but I completely understand where you’re coming from and I wholeheartedly agree!