BlogHer - media - Comments

A Network That Could Be A Source Of Pride

Megan Smith — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 21:50:13 -0500

Hi Michelle,

BET is a network that could be a source of great pride instead of a source of embarrassment and anger.

And Adrienne, I find your experience interesting. It's kind of like twenty-somethings wearing flip flops at Fortune 500 companies. Like you said....sigh...

Megan
BlogHer Contributing Editor, TV/Online Video

Megan's Minute

Respect

Adriennevh — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 00:44:04 -0500

I worked the show, I worked in the backstage (read parking lot area), where the seat fillers, mosh pit fillers and the 106 and Park pre party people were staged and shuttled over.

I was surprised to see how "undressed" most of them were. If this is an awards show, shouldn't the attire reflect that?

Girls in shorts shorter than any Daisy Dukes I have ever seen. Guys in jeans down around their knees (and these were the seat fillers!).

I understand that the "dress code" of some shows is not quite Oscar's, but it just shouted disrespectful to me.

As I was sitting backstage (I never actually saw the show), I was reading tweets on my phone from East Coast watchers and just sighed.

I have never been a watcher of BET, don't even know if my cable carries it or not, but I guess I am just disappointed that a formerly respectable tv station and awards show has "jumped the shark".

My thoughts exactly

Southerngirl — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 13:02:56 -0500

Everything you guys said and esp this:

In fact the only way my cable box ever lands on the dreaded BET channel is if my finger slips on the remote. Then I make sure to get the heck out of there before my eyeballs fry and my blood boils.

I did try to watch a Boyz in the Hood one night and the commercials just got to me. I could not even finish the movie. I have blocked it on my kids' TV, I should just do the same on mine as well.

I hope no one was expecting anything less from Lil wayne. I have seen enough of his interveiws and listened to his songs enough to know that he beleives his press clippings.

I have written enough complaints to BET to wallpaper a room. I do not think they are listening. Because after all they are catering to their market. Whoever that is.

Michelle

I blog at http://www.mommycan.blogspot.com/

I'm Surprised I Haven't Been Kicked Off!

Megan Smith — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 14:13:46 -0500

I have gotten notices on TweetDeck that I've reached my what-cha-ma-call-it limit, but then I just switch over to regular Twitter in my web browser.

Thanks for the info.

Megan
BlogHer Contributing Editor, TV/Online Video

Megan's Minute

Petition site

cutiebootycakes — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 13:54:33 -0500

Lisa, I am not aware of a petition site but if I come across one I will be sure to post it here.

Megan, twitter will kick you out if you send too many tweets in one hour. I had no idea that I was tweeting that much but I couldn't log on for received the too many tweets message. This has happened to me before but I was leading a twitter party and knew it was a possibility. I suppose it is a safeguard against spam. I turned to facebook to continue my commentary and interaction with my network.

I think everyone should send a letter to BET - the awards show received the highest rating of all awards shows on cable this year. More info on that can be found here:
http://www.blacktalentnews.com/artman/publish/article_2367.shtml

Cutie Booty Cakes

Thank You, Maria

Megan Smith — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 12:47:14 -0500

Gina is doing some great work, and it was such a pleasure to be with a group of bright and enthusiastic internet professionals.

And I look forward to seeing you there next year!

Megan
BlogHer Contributing Editor, TV/Online Video

Megan's Minute

Incredible coverage

Maria Niles — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 11:59:56 -0500

OK - finally caught up on your coverage of BWB, Megan! While I am totally jealous that you got to cover this conference, I deeply appreciate the fabulous work you've done to help us all experience the event vicariously.

Gina and her work are impressive. I love how it sounds like she's created a space for learning, community, friendship and respect to all come together. It makes perfect sense that BlogHer would support such an event.

I really hope to be there next year. Third year, three's a charm... right?

BlogHer Contributing Editor
PopConsumer
Beyond Help

Lisa, Thank You!

Megan Smith — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 11:40:58 -0500

Lisa, thank you. You'll get an extra hug at BlogHer for that!

I don't know if Renee has a petition site, but I provided the BET addresses in my response to her comment.

Let's see if we can light a fire under 'em.

Megan
BlogHer Contributing Editor, TV/Online Video

Megan's Minute

Booted From Twitter? I Thought You Were Joking

Megan Smith — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 11:33:59 -0500

I thought you were joking when you said in your email that you were booted from Twitter. Please, tell us what happened in more detail.

As far as Lil' Wayne, I was appalled when I read the description of his performance, but unfortunately, I wasn't surprised.

You can send an email to BET here: contactus@bet.com.

Or here are BET's addresses and phone numbers:

BET Networks
1235 W Street, NE
Washington, D.C. 20018-1211
202-608-2000

BET Interactive
General Inquiries
1235 W Street, NE
Washington, D.C. 20018-1211
202-608-2000 or 212-258-1000

BTW thanks for the links to Tazz on Facebook and to Womanist Musings. ;-)

Megan
BlogHer Contributing Editor, TV/Online Video

Megan's Minute

Yeah, That Whole Supporting "Our People" Thing

Megan Smith — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 11:23:52 -0500

I've got nothing against "supporting our people," but I'll be damned if I sit silently by while some of the clowns of the music industry pretend to represent me. They don't.

If they just went about their business making bad, non-mysogynistic music, I'd say go right ahead. But when they start talking about how they're "the real black people" I've got a problem.

Dude, I'm almost ready to bring back the days when Jesse Jackson "spoke for all black people." Or even better, when Spike Lee was the media-anointed king of "what black people are thinking."

Almost.

Megan
BlogHer Contributing Editor, TV/Online Video

Megan's Minute

Megan Smith, take a bow

Lisa Stone — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 08:50:13 -0500

This is one fantastic piece of journalism-meets-commentary. Thanks for your wrap-up.

Renee, I hear you re: letters to BET. Is there a petition site out there that you're using to get the word out? Or do you recommend snail mail?

Best,
Lisa

Lisa Stone
BlogHer Co-founder
Surfette

BlogHer is non-partisan but our bloggers aren't! Follow our coverage of Politics & News.

Letters to BET

cutiebootycakes — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 08:24:17 -0500

I think that you hit the nail on the head when you said that BET really hyped the show as an MJ tribute but it never manifested. Although I was live tweeting and was subsequently booted from twitter, I did not see Lil' Wayne perform. Let me clarify that - I did see him on the screen but my eyes glazed over and I continued to focus on talking with friends on facebook about this travesty of a show.

I had NO idea that he had children on the stage because I did not look up after his appearance on screen and the numerous bleeping made it impossible to know what he was rapping about - the profanity made the performance a fail for me.

However, this morning it has come to my attention that the lyrics were not only filled with explicatives but were of a sexual nature - he had his child and other children on the stage during this performance!

I AM SHOCKED! Here is a link to the lyrics - http://jezebel.com/5303695/bet-awards-recap-lil-wayne-performs-inappropr...

All I can say is I was embarrassed that I watched the show and now I am horrified. I will be writing a letter to express my disgust and hope that more people do too.

Cutie Booty Cakes

Guuurrrrrl!

Nordette — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 03:25:24 -0500

I've come across lots of blogs since this topic came up with people saying they hated the show. Hmm. And I thought I was being hard. :-) Just saw tweets from one person, who also blogged her distaste. To non-tweeple reading this, start at the end of the time-stamped tweets of her relaying a tiff with a relative over the BET Awards and read up:

leave me the hell out of it. She said she didn't see what I meant and I said make a paradigm shift and move up a class tier. was i wrong?
32 minutes ago from web

then she said I was judgmental and she wanted to support our people. I said if want to identify with lower class dysfunction be my guess but
33 minutes ago from web

I said it was a display of dysfunction & coonery for the world to see.
34 minutes ago from web

my relative told me not to speak to her b/c i gave my opinion about BET Awards. I didn't make this up.
about 1 hour ago from web

Had a nightmare that BET Awards was on tv last nite
about 18 hours ago from mobile web

(HG)

And she's generally pretty low-key.

Lots of people are not happy with what they saw last night, and I think part of it was BET's build-up that it would be a tribute to MJ. People expected more for Michael Jackson, I guess, even from BET, which they otherwise don't seem to expect much from.

I didn't mention it in my post, but Lil Wayne with the girls who looked like tweens bothered me. I tweeted that much last night.

Nice round-up, Megan. No comment on white people who think only white people are online. :-/

Nordette Adams is a BlogHer CE & you can find her other stuff through Her 411.

Thank You Ladies!

Megan Smith — Sun, 28 Jun 2009 20:44:59 -0500

Hi Nordette, Suzanne and Candelaria,

I'm very glad you liked getting to know Gina better.

It was my pleasure to bring you a bit more insight about her.

Megan
BlogHer Contributing Editor, TV/Online Video

Megan's Minute

She's Something Else!

Megan Smith — Sun, 28 Jun 2009 20:08:16 -0500

She's something else, isn't she?

It was great finally meeting her in person.

Megan
BlogHer Contributing Editor, TV/Online Video

Megan's Minute