Comments on: Sunday Discussion: Is BET Bringing Black People Down???

By: janice

janice — Tue, 03 Jul 2007 13:46:44 +0000

I’m looking forward to the show, especially since the two lame ass producers were fired, H and S, you know who I’m talking about. Ha! Ha! Now it might actually be funny.

By: Gem2001

Gem2001 — Tue, 03 Jul 2007 03:35:27 +0000

Advertisers Flee Website Promoting Latest BET Show, “ Hot Ghetto Mess”

July 2, 2007– Early indications are that advertisers want nothing to do with Black Entertainment Television’s latest venture into original programming, a show called “Hot Ghetto Mess.” State Farm and Home Depot ordered BET to take their ads off of a page on BET.com promoting the show .

The promotional page for the show features a blackface cartoon and says that “Hot Ghetto Mess is like the traffic accident you can’t look away from.”

The blog, What About Our Daughters?, and the National Congress of Black Women asked advertisers to remove advertising form BET’s “ Hot Ghetto Mess” promotional page,. Less than twenty-four hours later, BET was forced to remove prominent banner ads which had flashed advertising for State Farm, The Home Depot, Yum Brand’s KFC, Target, AT&T, and Daimler Chrysler. Both State Farm and The Home Depot said that BET had erred by placing their company’s ads on the “ Hot Ghetto Mess” site without their knowledge or permission.

“As a result of a technical issue with their ad-server, BET inadvertently placed our ads within areas of their site that we did not specify,” said Christi Tricoli, Media Manager for the Home Depot.

State Farm was just as quick to demand that BET remove the company’s advertising from the page. According to Edward Gold, Advertising Director for State Farm, “Hot Ghetto Mess” does not meet the company’s advertising guidelines and objectives and the company wants no association with the program.

”We have reviewed the content of this program, which we just heard about, and we will NOT be airing any State Farm advertising during this program on BET. We have also directed our agency to have BET.com remove any State Farm advertising to appear on the web page on BET.com,” Gold said in an email to the blog, What About Our Daughters?

Protests and petitions aimed at getting the show pulled before its debut on July 25th have popped up all over the internet , but BET has not relented to the outrage surrounding the show. BET continues to solicit videos and photos from viewers. Viewers are encouraged to send in photos and clips of people who look, sound and appear “bad “ and “ugly according to BET.com. The show will be hosted by Charlie Murphy and according to the “Hot Ghetto Mess” promotions site, the show will guide viewers through “shaking booties, thug life, baby-mama drama and pimped-out high schoolers.”

“If I was an advertiser, I’d think long and hard about subsidizing a show whose sole purpose is to hold African Americans up for scorn, ridicule, and contempt,” said Gina, the creator of What About Our Daughters?. “ I can’t imagine a company who would want to be associated with something called “ Hot Ghetto Mess” and whose logo is a blackface cartoon,” she said.

What About Our Daughters is a blog dedicated to combating negative portrayals of African American women in popular culture.

By: goldenchild

goldenchild — Mon, 07 May 2007 05:21:24 +0000

BET is responsible for poisoning the minds of naive youth in this country. BET is a venue through which attractive images of an unrealistic standard wealth and status are flaunted to disenfranchised teenagers. These ubiqitious images become the hallmark of the status quo. Young black kids begin to feel worthless because they can’t afford the meaningless material commodities endorsed by this mindless, self-indulgent rap culture. What is even worse is that these gangsta rappers, who are featured everyday on BET, strongly encourage black youth to engage in a life of hustling and drug dealing through their ignorant song lyrics. Collectively, people need to make a stand and fight to change the programming on networks like BET. The music industry needs a massive facelift as well. Before rap music became a massive commercial success in the 80s and early 90s, rappers cursed alot less and actually spoke about issues that everyone could universally relate to.

By: eddie C

eddie C — Mon, 02 Apr 2007 05:23:20 +0000

I can’t really blame the producers for wanting to cash in on this idea (of course they are scumbags). The thing is, when you start with shit (the website) you’re certain to end with shit (the tv show). It’s a stretch to take any of this as social commentary. We’re talking about stupid pictures/video of people at weddings, shitting themselves drunk, and acting silly. But it’s very easy to see how this could damage the black community, just by association with these negatives alone. If anything, I’d be ashamed to work on the show, not only because website founder Jam comes across to me as insincere about the real motivation, $$ (come on, she’s a LAWYER) but if there really is a “white broad” in charge of the show, what kind of social commentary are we really exploring? Bottom line, I pity anybody associated with this garbage.

By: NY87912487435

NY87912487435 — Sat, 31 Mar 2007 03:42:47 +0000

BET alone is racist. If white people had “WET” they’d be crying racism.

It’s about EQUAL, NOT EXTRA rights.

It’s 2007, not the 1907. Time to stop griping.

By: Uncle Remus

Uncle Remus — Fri, 30 Mar 2007 03:20:45 +0000

Hi. I be a fan of dem Hot Ghetto Mess folks cuz I think dat they wills shows me how I can be smarter and shit. By watching dem other colored folks I will learn about dem things dat make us blackies bad likes wearing funny clothes and talking silly, and having funny clothes, and answering questions wrong and shit by some kat who willz educate me. I am surz that dem whities will like us alls better and not usez it to builds their eracism agenda and laugh at us afrikan amerikkans. I be so glad dat Hot ghetto mess iz all abouts dem education and nots making money. I am sures that dem producers and dat website & Bet willz be giving all dat money backs to us in da black community and dat dey won’t be spending it and shit on dem selves. I dink iz is a great ideas there be some fat whitey chik in charges of de shows and shitz. I am sures shes cans easily take its upon herselves tooz commentz on de whole black race cuz she’s muss be real smartz

By: PFC BRown

PFC BRown — Thu, 29 Mar 2007 19:00:48 +0000

Gotta love that last line “all about black culture”. I know I do. So! You want to know what black culture is according to the working-for-blacks-peoples-best-interest cultural heroes at BET? $10,000 spinners on a Yugo. *Lights torch, grabs pitchfork* What in the hell is going on here? As is other races don’t already think of us as being ghetto idiots. See a show like this has two goals in my mind. (1) Reinforce to non-black America that blacks are ignorant, petty, and stupid. (2) Tell black America that they ARE ignorant, petty, and stupid because other black people on YOUR BET are saying so. With an angle on comedy, one thing about comedy, when ideas are presented in a comedic manner people accept them 200% more. Why do you think South Park, whenever they make some point (more recently the nigger guy episode which I thought was hilarious) it makes CNN news and a big whoop-de-do is made about it? Because they are funny with it, so more people accept it, even though other people for years and years have been saying the same exact thing. So now this show “with an angle on comedy” stands to do all kinds of damage not only to the image non-black America has of black people, but to the image black Americans have of themselves, young and old. People say that the youth are the most important thing, I agree. Television like this considerably poisons the minds of white, black, latino, and everyother race of young people in America. Because to be honest people get older, MOST of the time, well maybe I’ll say I’d hope they would grow out of BET and MTV. Unfortunatly parents are letting the TV raise the younger generation in a lot of cases. Even when I was in school, kids, black and white would ask me, and we would ask each other “you see that new music video on BET, MTV, whatever whatever” My mother never allowed me and my sister to watch BET and even when we would sneak and watch it, I never really liked it.

By: Josh

Josh — Wed, 28 Mar 2007 22:02:16 +0000

I think many people have the right idea by trying to stop shows that degrade the black comunity. It is true in many midwestern parts of America there are no blacks and all the population has to go on is what they see in the media. Also in more black populated areas when all that is shown on media is that sterio type children will naturally follow it in a atempt to find their place.
While the media is one of your biggest problems you cant only blame them. The reason there is a steriotype in the first place of black people being ghetto is because ALOT OF BLACK PEOPLE ARE GHETTO. I am trully sorry for a strong black man or woman who is steriotyped because of his brothers actions. You as a people should constantly think of how to stop this horrible steriotype because alot of my race watches you closley and often looks at any black person though a filter made by the media. I also understand that many black people who live in the ghetto sometimes dont want to fit the description but dont have many other options. I was born in the ghetto too, my family has sold drugs before to get by, if you have to do it, i dont judge you. But there is nothing glorious about being the dope man! Selling drugs shouldnt be a luxury, but only a necesety in the most extreme points. If you have to carry a gun to protect yourself i have no reason to judge you. But there is nothing glorious about shooting another human!
Stop watching BET,MTV, and other shows by viacom. Read a book! Do something proactive. Stop fighting eachother! Men (of all races) if you make a child and dont help raise it, you are no man. Any fuck up can be a dad but it takes a real ass man to be a parent. Women(of all races again) Dont let yourself be exploited. Black women are being degraded across the country and the worst part is alot of women are letting it happen or even helping it!
Finally I am sorry it comes down to this but most of america are ignorant hypocrites. They dont give a shit about this petition or this damn forum. They might talk about rights but bet you they ass is sitting in the house watching one of viacoms programs. The only way to change is by actually taking action, everyone here is talking big, but how many of you will go through with it when you get out of your computer chair and how many will sit in there living room and watch the idiot box?
And as a white male i will probably recieve alot of hate for talking about the black comunity this way. Call me a racist if you want but i was born in the ghetto and raised around blacks. Im am not a steriotype and i am not trying to be black. I am just trying to help people. Not just blacks or whites. I am helping human beings.

By: Marleef Jackson

Marleef Jackson — Sat, 24 Mar 2007 14:30:02 +0000

1. The show from my understanding is called hot ghetto MESS!!! Not Hot Ghetto WONDERFUL.

2. The Ghetto and ghetto like material possessions and attributes are a huge aspect of the black community.

3. By Exposing that, Questioning that and Raising Awareness by holding a MIRROR to this aspect of the black community may bring CHANGE. That I believe is the intention of the show.

4. By IGNORING and being in DENIAL about this aspect of black culture is only creating MORE OF IT.

5. So seriously, you should focus more effort and attention on the PARENTS , MUSIC VIDEOS THAT ALL HAVE GIRLS AND GUNS, ETC ETC and not on a show that is trying to raise awarensess of the negative aspects of black culture. I’m sorry, I’m black and black people deserve critism for their actions as much as anyone else does when they are wrong.

Jeez I know you have good intentions but you also fail to mention the show is called “HOT GHETTO MESS: We’ve got to do it better”

By: Sit and Spin

Sit and Spin — Fri, 23 Mar 2007 06:14:57 +0000

FYI the “supervising” producer of the show is a hog faced white broad who’s about as black (and smart) as K-Fed singing gospel. Not THAT’S a mess…