Is BET racist?

[orange]

Boris - CNN does not claim to be a "White network". Just because you feel that it gives mainly the white POV doesn't mean that that is actually the case. Its coverage is worldwide, and I've seen African American anchors and whatnot on the station many times.

Cal - they're onto us!

Why can't a guy start a thread about something racially linked without automatically being seen as a racist?

[Boris Godunov]

Who was talking about CNN?

[orange]

er, sorry, you said CBS. Well same points, minus the world wide coverage, etc.

[Caligastia]

Originally posted by orange
Why can't a guy start a thread about something racially linked without automatically being seen as a racist?

Because race is a big taboo...and this forum has too many PC morons.

[Boris Godunov]

Just keep this in mind:

White Entertainment Network = WET

People would probably think it's an ENTIRELY different kind of network.

[orange]

you're right Boris, until recently I thought the "SPICE Channel" was akin to "Food TV"

[Guynemer]

Wait, you mean it's not?

Does that mean I should be afraid of that chocolate panties recipe I got off of Spice?

[Imran Siddiqui]

Not for long. If UPN survives it will begin replacing its black shows with more and more white ones, the way FOX and the WB have.

Because those 'white' ones draw more ratings and make more money ?

There are shows staring blacks that do have crossover appeal, but they are few and far between (Cosby Show comes to mind).

[KrazyHorse]

Re: Re: Re: Is BET racist?

Originally posted by orange


Becuase there is no station called "White Entertainment Television" nor could there be, as it would be labeled racist, and just because some stations have a lot of shows with white characters does not mean that they are stations for the white race.

It's a cop out argument and I get sick of seeing every race related thread answered by "well whites are more powerful and everything in America is already white, so it's only fair that there be something for blacks"

UPN has a lot of "Black" shows, but it's not called a "Black Network". I like some of the programs they show. Why does BET have to call themselves that name?

"White culture" isn't a subculture; it's the dominant culture of the US. Therefore, to label something "White ET" implies a sense of exclusionism. If blacks comprised 70 or 80% of the population and exerted the same degree of control over the mass media that whites do, then BET would be racist. If you want to make a "Scottish Entertainment Network" or the "Italian Culture Channel", then it's fine with me.

In other words, white American culture differs so little from general American culture that there's no justification for a whites-only channel.

[orange]

but is it really a channel about Black Culture? No...it's not. A channel about black culture wouldn't really bother me in the sense that a station about culture does not imply exclusion. To call a station "Black Entertainment Television" makes it sound like the station is for the entertainment of blacks only. Furthermore saying that all blacks enjoy what is shown on the station, which I assure you is far from the truth. In fact I'd say there are more whites in the nation that listen to Hardcore rap than blacks (by numbers) yet the station plays rap music a lot.

[drake]

In fact I'd say there are more whites in the nation that listen to Hardcore rap than blacks (by numbers) yet the station plays rap music a lot.

No doubt. Rap didn't take off until middle class white kids started buying it.

I love the rappers that rap about racial in-equalities and racism and whos pockets are being lined by the very people they say are degrading them

[Tingkai]

Originally posted by orange
To call a station "Black Entertainment Television" makes it sound like the station is for the entertainment of blacks only.

What do you mean sounds like? Any white person caught watching BET will be lynched. No white viewers allowed.

Where in the world do you get the idea that this is entertainment only for Blacks?

And basically, your complaint is that the name BET is politically incorrect.

[Imran Siddiqui]

Any white person caught watching BET will be lynched. No white viewers allowed.

[Sava]

Yes... but seriously, who cares?

[TechWins]

Personally I don't have a problem with BET. BET is cenralizing tastes to a certain group, and the majority race of that certain group is probably black. There's nothing wrong with that.

However, there is a huge problem with the fact that there can't be a WET. I could really careless if there is a WET or not, but the fact that it would create such an upstir is amazing. Just the other day I watched an old SNL (Saturday Night Live), and Chris Rock had a popular skit going on around that time. I'll admitt I think the skit is funny. The skit is based around how white people have no "rhythym"/"soul"/"groove" (whatever you want to call it...I don't know) and black people do. Kevin Bacon was the host that night, and he appeared on the skit as Vanilla Ice. Chric Rock made fun of him for saying that a white person can't (shouldn't) act like he does. It all went something like that. Yeah, I have no problem with that. It's that if a similar skit were created having a white host for the skit, and the skit instead making fun of blacks it would be labeled racism. IMO, it should be a two way street and there needs to be more tollerance within ALL racists.

All in all no big deal for me, but I thought I would add my input.