via Shadow and Act

http://blogs.indiewire.co...work-again

She's done it before and now she's done it again. That is, BET co-founder Sheila Johnson criticizing the very network that she created with her former husband, Bob Johnson.

Personally, I think it's an act of atonement, perhaps for those sleepless nights she's been having for worryng about what sort of evil she unleashed in the world. Then again that's just me.

Her criticisms this time came this weekend, when she was a speaker at the "Conversations and Encounters" program at the Carmel Art and Film Festival in Monterey County California.

Ms. Johnson talked about her early life and achivements and said that her proudest accomplishment at BET was the creation of Teen Summit , which ran on the network from 1989 to 2002.

About the show, she said that: "All those young people on the show became so successful because they had a voice. And we were talking about issues out there and they became leaders in life".

However, she's not too thrilled with the network now, which she said "reinforces negative stereotypes of young people, African-Americans in particular."

She went on saying that: "I think we squandered a really important cable network, when it really could have been the voice of Black America. We're losing our voice as a race as a result."

And she went on: "I'm really worried about what our young people are watching. There are so many young people who are using the television as a babysitter. We have parents who are not being parents and not monitoring what their children are watching".

O.K., all well and good; and granted, haven't we all heard that before? But considering who said it, do you think she's being just a tad hypocritical?

h/t to Candace Allen

Wasn't BET perfectly viable at the time she and Bob sold it? Didn't they basically just cash out? She makes some valid criticsms, but she could have simply retained control and avoided it. She didn't see that selling out to a media giant would push the channel towards the lowest common demoninator?

I agree with alot of what she is saying but at the same time... she kinda did the very thing she is speaking out against.

She gave up a network for more money and I am pretty sure she knew that Viacom was just going to do things that was mostly geared toward money with it.

If they really cared about the network they should have just kept it.

While I agree with her points, I am not buying the whole "I was oblivious to what they were going to do with my network after saling it"

She knew but now she is just starting to care. BET has been trash for about a decade now.

cry me a friggin river

Ya sold it for $3Billion!

Its now become just like MTV - complete trash.

She better recite that speech to herself and her bitch ass husband. Over and over.

She and her ex were the ones who sold BET so she ain't got room to talk.

THIS is what happens when culture has been robbed of her essence

this is what happens when we relinquish our best interest for the sake of "success"

now we are seeing the cumilative effect unfold, and it's going to get worse

this is why the pop ascension movement which began in 1987, ripped the very fabric from culture, in particular black culture

BET was already in decline thru incremental stages beginning the late 80s, even as the network was ascending, Donnie Simpson saw it, and that's why he got outta there

this is not her fault, or her husband's fault, it was the system of things predicated on exploitation combined indifference that has led to black americans losing their voice

and thru the current age of politics (which is watered down), and because of the "historical" precedence we witnessed 4 years ago, our voice will contine to lose its voice

because of the illusion, channeled thru the false notion of political correctness, many of us are participating in our own demise but don't realize it....

because we compromised our genuine worth, and once we do that, it's very difficult to regain it, because by that point, the system has already exploited it

but if we would have stood up when the moment called for it and said "naw, we ain't rollin like that"......BET would have been what Ms. Johnson had envisioned....

exactly what qualifies bet as a black media company? the money that mr johnson use to start the company was from a white man. most of the programing is sponsered by white corporation. most of their sitcoms is produce by whites. does anybodt really buy the notion that this network represent afrocan culture?

how can bet reflect on the tradition of black culture when white men are making the call on whst black culture is?

jackson35 said:

we no longer have real black music

what we have now current is black people making music.....huge difference

allot of outstanding white artists who contributed to the golden era of music have been phased out of the landscape as well

even the latino community, who helped shape hip-hop culture in the late 70s/early 80s, they have been misrepresented too....

Scorp said:

neosoulheart said:

I need to run B.E.T! its a much wider issue than the actual station, it only 'plays' music that is been released and is a reflection of the wider 'taste and what people are listening to that said I don't like the idea of Black entertainment TV not been a black owned and profiting company as you will end up with cultural discrepancy like they currently have. but also B.E.T is entertainment that comes from the tradition of black american culture, its not a reflection of black people just like 'Country music TV' is not reflection of 'white american society [Edited 10/15/12 21:31pm]

Why so you could promote trash?

I should run BET but then again they might censor me because the truth always gets censored.

Why shouldnt BET reflect black culture, art, history, music? The whole point of what Shelia is trying to say is that BET use to promote black culture in a positive light and not for exploitation and quite frankly it should. Its a utter disgrace what the channel has turned into over the last 15 years. It was much MORE than just a music channel.

I dont think BET should catered to the white audience, corporate media or be white washed for money. It should simply display African American culture for what it is. It did a MUCH better job in the 80s and early 90s of doing that but since Shelia and her husband sold it years ago it is now owned by the corporate slave owner Viacom which is why its shit now and always will be.

[Edited 10/16/12 5:25am]

neosoulheart said:

why you think your taste in music is better than mine, what do I listen to? once again!! read my post properly, seriously dude your a head fuck. I dont disagree with you, read my post, I was talking about something else! I don't believe TV is a baby sitter, nor do I think black people look to B.E.T for culture, but they may if the programing changed. now it is simply a channel that plays music of black origin, with programing featuring predominantly black people. the big issue is that the black 'community is not profiting from the channel

Who said anything about taste? And whats with all the disrespect? Your a newcomer here and you are going to have to learn to disagree without being disrespectful because it just shows you cant have an intelligent debate because your very immature.

T.V. is not a babysitter but just because it is not babysitter doesnt mean black people should be exploited by negative stereotypes.

So are you implying it is okay for black people to be exploited in the media just because black people dont look up to BET?

How do you know that?

Can you honestly sit here and say EVERY single black person does not look at the programming on BET and not find a issue with how black people are being portrayed or look to that for how they live their life?

The demographic that primarily watches BET are under 21. So its safe to say it has a profound impact on youth in terms of how they think and their perspectives on things that affects them in their life.

EVEN if black people didnt care or look at BET it is "not okay" for corporate America to negative misrepresent black people.

The BIG issue is that BET exploits black people negatively even the African American celebrities negativenly exploit themselves. Ex. BET awards and music videos. It needs to turn back into a channel that brings the culture into a more positive light and it isnt just a music station. They promote shows, movies, etc

[Edited 10/16/12 5:50am]

neosoulheart said:

unless you read my post properly im done with you! Why are you arguing my point against me? dude if I say 'the sky is blue' your response would be 'no your wrong, actually its blue because....' your puposely messing with me every post?? read and comprehend what I say, I can't disagree with you when you are not even grasping fully what im saying

Then you need to be more articulate in making your point because that is what I got from your posts. I know sometimes I can be more clearer with my points as well and its nothing wrong with that.

And stop calling me dude, I am a female. Also, stop being disrespectful when someone disagrees with you, its unnessary and beyond childish. I am not messing with your posts but if anybody says something I disagree with then I am going to challenge it.

neosoulheart said:

Im not in the U.S so I don't view much b.e.t however from what I can tell their actual in house made content e,g Mo'nique show, the game are not bad and quite positive its when you get into 'music videos and artists that you get the negative sterotypes, which they don't produce. they could start banning, but they wont be popular with the young viwersas they will be left with very little which is why I say there is a wider social issue(black and white) how did a generation that grew up on Sheila's B.E.T end producing what she is now protesting? was it her B.E.T that caused this or something else happened in society?

Then why are you making opinions like you watch BET on a daily basis and you cant always go by what you think. I dont watch BET daily but I watch it from time to time (for a move specifically) and I use to watch it when I was younger (which really hasnt changed much over the last what 8 years) so I do know for the most part what is shown on the channel.

I wouldnt call those shows positive per se, I just think overall they dont bring any value because their just like any of the talk shows and sitcomes on t.v which ironically are all owned by Viacom.

Thats the problem. It isnt a generational thing. Shelia doesnt own the station anymore Viacom does. So everything and anything that was on the channel before is not going to be on there unless Viacom wants to promote that. Of course, their not going to do that, their going to make it as corporate as possible to reach a wider audience regardless if their exploiting black people or not but ironically mostly black people watch the station not whites.

They dont need to start banning, at this point its nothing they can really do unless Viacom changes but their not going to. Shelia should have never sold it. Viacom is not going to change their lay out of the channel because they only care about money. They dont care about the culture of black people and how they are represented in the media.

[Edited 10/16/12 6:22am]

neosoulheart said:

well Shiela should of known when she sold it to the owner of MTV what would happen, so her opinion is just frustrating to the argument. maybe Oprah can buy it, ... and I can't think of anyone else who is black and can afford to buy it! issue number 1!! black people can't afford to buy a TV channel anyway even if they want too! build 'the wealth' of black people and watch this be reflected in the 'art' I.e music videos and artists (videos with cars, ho's ice and trap music, come across as very 'dark' and depressing visualy and sonically dark. I don't think it was intentional but highly very sub concious on part of the artists involved, I get a. "post-bling, bad credit STD" vibe with some these videos. think 'Pyramids by Frank Ocean! which was intentional and 'creative' . [Edited 10/16/12 7:40am] [Edited 10/16/12 7:43am]

Well thats the thing, SHE DID KNOW thats what makes her whining now kinda cheap.

She probably was unaware of the degree but she did know that once she sold it the station was not going to be like how it was previous.

And HELL to the no on Oprah buying BET. If Oprah brought BET it would probably be more white washed than what it already is, fuck her.

Having a black person own BET is not going to solve the problem, because you can have a caucasian person who who owns it but still promote black culture in its true essence. The nationality of who owns the channel is irrelevant. There just needs to be somebody who is willing to be true to the culture and not distort it for money.

Also, like I said before..... BET is not JUST a music channel so stop calling it that . It has other things besides music on there and you even named some so why are you insisting that its just a MUSIC channel?

Its the black version of MTV. Neither one of them plays music videos daily to even be called a music channel.

What we need is more people SPEAKING OUT about it. Viewers and EVEN celebrities.

neosoulheart said:

Well Oprah is the only one who could buy it! which is another bigger issue 'black wealth' but ultimately its not black CNN, it is not black 'discovery' or black 'HBO' this channel should be a 'side dish' of black culture not its centre, it should be the black MTV and nothing more. that said youth programming in general could use a dose of balance of entertainment and information . [Edited 10/16/12 8:20am]

Your right but just because Oprah is African American doesnt mean if she buys it that is going to solve the problem

Oprah is just as corporate if not more than Viacom and would not add any more value than what Viacom is doing right now and to be frank, I highly doubt she even cares about BET... seriously.

bet was never black owned. bob johnson had a whate boss he had to answer to. this explain the reason why bet has the kind od programing it has on the air.

jackson35 said:

bet was never black owned. bob Johnson had a whate boss he had to answer to. this explain the reason why bet has the kind od programing it has on the air.

Uh, that is inaccurate. Sheila and Bob Johnson put up their own money (15 million dollars) Mr. John Malone (financier) put up another half-a-million dollar when the Johnson's first launched their network. BET started out being on "AIR" for 2 hours a day and gradually work their way up to a 24hr network.

Have more to say... just did a quick read by of the org this morining.

mjscarousal said:

TD3 said:

jackson35 said:

bet was never black owned. bob Johnson had a whate boss he had to answer to. this explain the reason why bet has the kind od programing it has on the air.

Uh, that is inaccurate. Sheila and Bob Johnson put up their own money (15 million dollars) Mr. John Malone (financier) put up another half-a-million dollar when the Johnson's first launched their network. BET started out being on "AIR" for 2 hours a day and gradually work their way up to a 24hr network.

Have more to say... just did a quick read by of the org this morining.

how does this contradict my point? mr johnson still has to go to a white man to get a black mediaoutlet running, when there is plenty of affluent black professinals that could have written a check.