Why do we need B.E.T.?

Question

BET is a Racist Idea. Black people can do whatever they want they don't need BET.

I'm a black man and I can't stand the idea that we are so different from other people in this country that we need to have our own network. It's just more segregation I can't believe people are not speaking out about this. Might as well bring back colored water fountains. We are supposed to be equal.

I'd just like to thank everyone for weighing in. Whether you agree or disagree I think this type of dialog is great.

Answer 1

I totally agree, but prepare for a lot of flames. People don't understand that stuff like that only hurts us. What we need is an equal amount of all races on every channel, NOT our own seperate channels. Plus, B.E.T. doesn't properly represent all black people. Not all black mucisians have a turntable and gold chains; some of them have guitars and amps but I never see them on there.

Answer 2

If you are black, then you are rare.
B.E.T. to me is another example of Black Pimps making a dollar off their people. By putting a label on it, they automatically capture an audience who is gullible enough to invest in what they have to sell.

I put B.E.T. in the same category as the Jessie Jacksons and Al Sharptons of the world who get their power by devaluing their own people.

Now that I wrote this, I'm ready for people to start calling me a racist. I can see why people may want to start B.E.T. what only discourages me is that if a person would try to start a W.E.T. (White Entertainment Network) it would not be allowed to exist.

Many would say the ABC, NBC, CBS, FOX and others are already W.E.T. but I disagree.

Answer 3

OMG!!! Did you really just say that BET is a form segregation? And I doubt very seriously that you are a black man. Anybody with common sense can read deep enough into your "question" to see that there is no way on God's green earth that this came from a black man. You, dear sir, are not black. "Colored water fountains"? And you're black? Yea right!
You should have accepted a long time ago that people are different. This doesn't have to be a bad thing. It gets bad when people are ignorant enough to believe that anything that is different, anything that they don't understand is threatening.
And though I don't agree with the entire programming available on BET, this network employs hundred of people of color. This network televises programs that may not be available on any other network. As a true black woman, I love turning on the TV and seeing people that "look like me". Thanks to Bob Johnson for that and to the creators of TV-One which is now in my area.

Answer 4

1. BET was created at a time when MTV was so white centric, they wouldn't even let on white people who played "black music", or blacks who played "white music"

2. you're not the only one who doesn't watch BET. many, many people have boycotted it long before its black owner sold it, and have moved on.

3. it is adversely separatist. though it's true that blacks still aren't adequately represented in Hollywood, i can tell you BET is NOT helping. College Hill?? I just died a little inside as i typed it and remembered.

4. now that MTV and VH1 have become more diverse, the need for BET is done. it has fulfilled what it needed to. let's move on.

Answer 5

Equality is far away. BET is an attempt to even things up a little bit (I guess), but you're right. It could be interpreted as what you're saying. If there was a W.E.T. that would be bad... so then why is B.E.T. good.

Hispanics don't call their stations H.E.T.
In fact... if I think about it, they call them UNIVISION (as in united vision)... and TeleMundo (TV for the world)...

I agree with you ...

Answer 6

You should read up on Bill Cosby.
He has the same insight. It seems segregation comes in all forms and one of them is by segregating oneself; just because you are a minority, play a victim because it is easier to do so.
Strange.
Equality has been an issue for centuries and now that it has been coming of age, some see it as a crutch and segregate themselves farther.

Answer 7

We don't "need" TV period, but if someone wants to create a network and call it BET, and others want to watch it, why not? I'm black and don't watch it myself, but I have no problem with other people watching it and it existing. Aren't there asian tv channels also? There are obviously hispanic ones.

Answer 8

I think it's dumb, if Africans can have B.E.T why can't Caucasions have W.E.T? If that was done it'd be considered racist, but this isn't?

On BET there is never a person mentioned or even shown on that network whom isn't african.

Answer 9

Justtogetbi, is actually right. Just becuz we have our own channel doesn't mean we're racist or anything. We're just different and that doesn't have to be a bad thing.

Answer 10

I am sending my respect for your attitude.