The Starting Five

Soap box time.

Just like sports, everything is not simply about the here and now just to stroke the insecure egos of man and woman. Check yourself.

Call me ideological, but I can care less.

Is something wrong with me? Am I one of the few that listened to my Mom and Pop when they drilled into our psyche “If you can’t say nothin’ nice, don’t say nothin’ at all?”

I wonder.

Maybe it was the lackluster show that exacerbated a monstrosity of ridiculous and unrelenting criticism. Maybe it’s our current culture. I don’t know. I never watch BET because I’m not attracted to it’s superficial, bubblegum, stroke the mainstream programming.

So, I decided to use Twitter’s technology during the BET Awards and also post my tweets simultaneously on facebook. I wanted to see how the world responds to an awards show the entire world was watching because of a scheduled tribute to the King of Pop. There are many questions surrounding Michael Jackson’s life and death and regardless of what you think of him, last night was not the time for stupidity.

It could have been a moment of class…a time of iconic energy.

Let me say I was patient with the show. The advertising was geared toward this massive Michael Jackson tribute that became a disrespectful showcase of individual talent with Michael Jackson “big ups” at the end of performances. I thought there was going to be more song tributes. Something like Tyrese singing Billie Jean or Trey Songz doing Rock With You or Tevin Campbell performing Can’t Help it or even Beyonce and Usher doing this:

Read the captions please.

Scream was what I wanted to do after reading all the comments. Look, constructive criticism is one thing, but when did Black people begin to hate on their own kind in the same way others have hated on us since the first slave ship sailed?

If it was a comment here or there, I’d be over dramatizing, but trust, most of the comments about people were overwhelmingly critical. Seriously and in that unconscionable objectifying way people just love oh so much.

I know I wasn’t raised that way. Thanks Pop.

If I was producing the show, the first part would have been showcasing talent with the last hour and a half an impromptu dedication to passionately honoring Michael Jackson’s body of work with anyone who had the balls enough to get on stage…culminating with a final mass offering by performers really getting down to some of Michael’s classics to end the show.

Could you imagine how emotional that would have been? It would have been memorable.

Repeating the entire Motown 25 Billie Jean performance (on the big screen) would have been hot as well.

Here’s the thing, did Debra Lee and BET furiously attempt for something obvious like this to go down and the talent selfishly resisted because they couldn’t handle the pressure, or was BET’s feet held to the fire from its admin? I know it’s hard work putting together a show of this magnitude, but other networks do it relatively without hitch.

The world was watching and when Wayne did some whack track about having sex with every girl in the world complete with pre-teens on stage, I was sick. Really sick. I saw my daughter and became disgusted.

Where have we taken music? What the hell is going on? Some of that mess was almost demonic. Who gave the final OK for such a performance? Heads should roll because the world was watching and BET flubbed.

Wayne you ought to be ashamed of yourself bruh. For real. What’s up with the little girls?

It had its moments. I thoroughly enjoyed when grown folks showcased what our music is all about. Our contribution to the world’s culture at its best.

Janet appearing on stage and making a statement mere days after the brother she loved passed? Amazing. I love you Janet. Ne-yo doing a nice rendition of Lady in My Life, New Edition opening the show with a Jackson Five tribute, Mary Mary and Latifah performing a great song, Ke Ke Palmer is a true talent, Tevin Campbell coming out of nowhere and doing his thing, Maxwell coming back strong, The OJay’s giving the world Black music in its truest form, Tyrese Gibson, Johnny Gill and Trey Songz doing great covers of the O’Jays and Keyshia Coles and Monica being a professional force. Jaime and Ne-yo’s performance of I’ll Be There was great as well.

Beyonce and Jay-Z, IMO took the occasion to make their performances memorable in the moment. I can’t fault that. At least they are good at what they do.

Jaime Fox did a good job, but there was almost too much comedy. It took away from the moment and lowered expectations of what could have been. I was embarrassed for BET. I really was, but I wasn’t going to slam the show as it was going on. I wanted to focus on all the performances as they were. I wanted to soak in the history of the show for Mike’s sake.

I thought it should be class over cash.

Please BET, please make better decisions. You represent an entire race–or at least try to–and fail miserably. I don’t know what’s going on down there, but whatever it is, it ain’t working–both on the website and the tube. Tear up the entire model, hire conscious, witty, edgy, hungry, positive people and shoot for a goal of representing our people outside of what you think everyone wants to see. MTV should not be your model. How could it? Represent our race and its rich history of can’t stop won’t stop talent and hard work. It should never be about gossip, or hate or whatever is hot (make people work for getting on your show first). If you do it right, things will change.

Get back to the Negro Leagues.

Dumbing down America with all these ghetto reality shows just because everyone else is doing it straight sucks.

What about the kids? What about the beeps that didn’t catch the lyrics?

It should have been a show President Obama could have attended.

Get it right or get out!

During the show, I was pissed off at all the hate. I understand people are just trying to be funny, but I wasn’t getting the entire world wide vibe of visceral hate pointed toward the entire production.

Again, demonic.

I hope people weren’t going off like they did on twitter in front of their kids.

I’m not holier than thou, but damn man some of that stuff was straight childish. It was like someone walking through a room with the entire audience screaming out criticisms before, cheering wildly and asking for pictures during, then straight hating with mad passion after they leave the room.

What is that?!?

Does it make you feel better about yourself? Are you better than these people? Do you understand the hard work they put in while you sit on your butt burping beer and Cheetos? Laughing at this and pointing at that like someone who just doesn’t know better under the age of 10.

So, the entire time I would try and sway the negative into positive to no avail.

The world was watching. CNN was interviewing Joe Jackson and others on the red carpet while BET was using the moment to reinforce every sick stereotype known to sick White and stupid ass Black man.

I do understand folks were frustrated there wasn’t a more MJ based tribute show, but it seemed the hate showed its face way before knowing what was going to be the case.

The Don Cornelius comments were specifically troubling. He’s 78 and the moment had to be hard for him. Let the man speak his piece despite age related difficulties because this might be his last shot. I’m sure many in the field are facing their mortality head on like it’s a hard and fast ticking clock ready to explode. He was there when Mike was developing into an icon and saw it all. I could have cared less if he took up the whole damn show because that’s somebody’s grand pop. What happened to respect? The man has contributed to our culture just as much as any artist alive or dead.

All of those performances before the show with cats rockin’ painted on jeans saggin’ below their ass was again, disgusting. What about that is right? How is that crap fashionable? I would say the same if it was women dressing similar.

Mizzo Jr. and Gaston. If you ever…

Here’s some of my comments on twitter:

“You know what, BET could b a great resource 4 all people if they learn 2 b independent of others. Let them do their thing and you do yours.”

“Is ths how U live yr lives day by day? Hatin’ on others? Do U realize the hard work they put in? U shld try it sometime. h8 is easy.”

“cn I ask a question? Is anyone gonna giv anybody props 2nite? 1 time? Is everyone a critic? cnt a brotha just enjoy the show? WTF man”

There are countless others. I guess when you walk the path you learn to appreciate the artists more for the travel. I’ve had so many people tell me no I’m used to it. Does it stop me? Hell no! I’m can’t stop won’t stop until my sun sets. I do want to make change and turn the tide of this  negative spell of kiddie journalism that says bad press is good press. That’s bull crap. Get some balls and get creative. Work hard. I ain’t nowhere near the goals I’ve set for myself, but I will get get there and I damn well know hate ain’t stopping me for one day, the haters will become cheerleaders in their right space and time.

You should read some of my emails…

Hate – Wale

This entry was posted on Monday, June 29th, 2009 at 1:51 pm and is filed under Blogroll. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.