I can't even get mad. I'm just sitting here laughing and reading the latest update on UnCut coming back. Really, BET? It's okay boo-boo. You don't get enough attention, except for when an awards show is on, so you had to get yours with a little trick for us all. It was a good laugh. We discussed, we tweeted, we got on our soapboxes.
A lot of people who reblogged my post on Tumblr brought up some good old shows that we haven't seen since the days of 702, 3LW, and 112. Shows that were around when many of us were shamefully wearing jeweled flare jeans and relaxing the ever-lovin' crap outta our hair (aka gettin' the buttah/s whipped). Not that I was ever above the dork level in high school, but I switched between Toonami and BET back in the day. If Erykah, Common, or India Arie were on, I'd watch. The rest of these shows were 90's gems that were wiped out to make room for....uh....other stuff we all barely remember. Dang.
Here are some of the classics people were requesting:
1. College Hill. Granted I only watched for about two seasons, it gave me a glimpse into the world of college life at historically Black colleges. Although I eventually went to school in Downtown Chicago, it was still interesting to watch the scandals, drama, and comedy of college life through people who were around my age. I especially liked Kinda and Jabari from season one. He was weird and nerdy, and she was a free spirit just as wild and breezy. Tanisha from season two got hated on a lil bit because she was a little bigger, but she was also my hero. She didn't care--she was tryin' to have fun.
It made going to college seem like a lot of fun. That is, until you realize there's more to life on campus than parties, hotties, and red Solo cups fulla stuff you know your grandma would pop you upside the head for consuming. Still, it was a detour from the usual reality TV lacking Black folks.
And, of course, the fights. Honey, the fights. (Yes I played catch up years later to watch the fights everyone else had talked about several years prior, lol....)
Side note to BET: Step your web game up and put all the seasons' stuff on there. Pics, videos, updates! This is the kind of nostalgia people live for. How many people know that was Kinda in a Swiffer commercial? EXACTLY.
3. Midnight Love. Aka "this for the grown folks!" Please. I was watching anyway, because I love that kind of music. Especially any instances of my husband-in-my- head, Prince. If I were lucky enough to catch him, songs like "Call My Name", "U Make My Sunshine", "The One", and "Most Beautiful Girl In The World" glowed and crooned in the darkness of night. All the classic love songs and newest hits were on this show. THIS would be something to bring back at night, no games attached. Help the people make some babies, doggone it!
This show was the definition of what a "stone cold groove" is....was.
Hit up YouTube for endless playlists.
4. Rap City. The end of this show wasn't so long ago. Seven years. It seems like all good things come to some kind of "too soon" end on BET, and this was one of the shows that shouldn't have gone anywhere. With so many artists trying to be seen/heard, and so many people are saturating the Internet with every doggone thing (mixtapes, site pages, soundclouds), it wouldn't have hurt to keep such a strong musical staple in rotation.
Define strong? Freestyles, interviews, sneak peeks, hottest videos, up and coming artists.....
Aren't these the kinds of things you want from the artists you love? Okay. Examples. (It's not up for debate, this is my opinion, not a fact. I write poetry, and I personally like the flows of these artists. It's appealing to my ears, 'kay? Don't like the picks, make your own list.)
Kanye. (Shut up, Chicago first on this blog always lol.)
Jay-Z (LOL I cracked up about the T-Mobile sidekick. Please send help.)
Nas. (It would be 100% wrong not to include.)
Bone Thugs N Harmony (Sista got her reasons.)
KRS-One (Do I REALLY have to explain this one?)
Redman (two words--head. bobs.)
Twista (Lyrical beauty. Pure.)
5. Video Soul. This one is so throwback, I can smell my dad's activator and Drakkar cologne. I can smell my aunt's hairspray as her ultra teased layers of flawless career hair drift by. Shoot, let's get REAL throwback--I can smell the Isoplus hair grease in my own hair, accompanied by the sound of beads. (Beads, honey. SO. MANY. BEADS.)
These were videos that were cooler than cool. Ice cold. Alright, alright alright......
Examples.
Babyface. Whitney. Sade. Patti. Janet. Ashford and Simpson, for frack's sake. Too many to count. Here's a playlist. (Which, mind you, doesn't have ALL the artists I mentioned, but you get the idea.) Donnie Simpson was the host, and he was finer than fine. I was a child, but I had a bit of a crush on him. It was his eyes, his smile, and those smooth outfits he always wore. Honey.
Obviously BET hasn't been the same network in a long time. They like to pretend like the quality is the same, despite the....changes, but people who've had cable since the 80's know the real score--the quality, the passion, and the drive are dead and buried. This little stunt with UnCut probably didn't backfire hard, but it made a few of us reflect on the content BET is currently offering.
What are they offering?
True question. I don't really stick to that station anymore. I feel bad for asking, but most of the stuff I'd find out via BET is available on like...every other website, blog, channel, or Twitter account run by other Black folks. What's left when the one station that was supposed to be "it", isn't even bringin' "it" anymore? Is that going too far? (I felt like this way before this trick came up, FYI.)
I....just don't know.
A moment of silence for shows past that we'll never see again, unless you've got the time to hit up YouTube and search n sit. BET--I thank you for not bringing back UnCut, but do something. Shoot, pick up Kenya Moore's show! It's not bad.