Toon Zone Talkback - BET Courts Controversy Over "Read a Book" Cartoon

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Egyptian Kid

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This is the talkback thread for BET Courts Controversy Over "Read a Book" Cartoon.

I actually laughed at this video. It seems like something that would happen in an episode of The Boondocks more than anything.

I would have never even gave it a passing glance though without this article since I don't watch that waste of airwaves that is BET, so as the saying goes "any publicity is good publicity"
 
I'm black and it's funny. It makes a good point and anyone that gets offended is just being defensive because they feel guilty and they know he's right. It's satire at it's best. I'd say this extends to anyone who does these things but it's more apparent in black "youth" culture. You don't have to look hard to find some of the things the video mocks in real life. Thats whats really sad.

I mean real talk, none of my friends at home read books. We buy stuff, we watch BET, we go to the club, we spend money to impress women and thats pretty much it. The video is saying so something important with your time, do something to stimulate your mind and quit buy'n stupid stuff.

It's not stereotypical, it's satirical because there are a lot, an overwhelming majority I'd even say that do the stuff the video talks about or visualizes .

I'm even guilty of a lot of it. Some of it is a part of the culture. Did you know that most rap songs that talk about women booty poppin and all that is talking about strippers? Thats because most rapper congregate in strip clubs, so of course if you make the videos your going to try to recreate that atmosphere. Take a deeper look, a lot of it is right in your face.

BET isn't a waste of airwaves. It doesn't appeal to you, thats fine but don't say it's programming is waste because for some people it's a main source of entertainment. Get out your bubble.
 
I'm also black, and while BET has lost its way over the years, I agree that it did have its place with us once. They still have some poignant segments from time to time so I don't dismiss them entirely. I think people that aren't black just hate the channel either because "why can't we have White Entertainment Television?", "it's disrespectful to black people", or "I just don't like black related things."
 
Ever since Viacom owned the network since 2000, I had no reason to watch it anymore. I have some African American in me. From a network full of goodness and have christened shows that'll brighten up your day and programs like Teen Summit, and Videolink, and football programs, and nightly news, to being the black version of MTV. When the founder left, (Bob Johnson), I felt that BET was just getting anybody that's colored, (and what I mean colored is Mexican or Dominican, or Whites that are tanned). Now, I like their partnership with Film Roman, but having a show with Vin Diesel? Are they out they're minds? He's not even Black.




Currently, they have Christian shows on Sundays (3 hours, it used to be a whole day), followed by Snap Music, documentaries, and uncut movies. It that what Sunday's really about? Speaking of movies, they air movies with mostly Whites instead of Blacks.


No, I'm not racist, but that right there makes me sick. I'm flabbergasted, man.
 
Myself, I'm only part African-American (I'm also part Native American and part gypsy), and perhaps it's for that reason that happen to think that any channel that's geared to only one particular ethnic group is racist to an extent. It's an unfair and inaccurate generalization to think that all people with the same color skin want to watch the same kind of programming. People should be judged by their personal tastes, hobbies and interests, not by their skin color. However, my reason for not watching BET has nothing to do with politics. I just don't find it's programming very entertaining.
 
True enough, but there are certain issues that blacks, asians, and latinos all have to deal with regardless of how close knit they are at some point that others just don't really have any idea about. Trust me.
 
I prefer to think of it as the programming stems from the particular ethnic group's culture not that the programming is meant to only appeal to that ethnic group.
 
I can proudly or not so proudly say that one of my teachers directed the "Read a book" music video.

This is the comment I posted on his blog.

I remember you showing me this one day whe we were about to leave class.

It's very socially relevant, and unfortunately to many people especially "our" people fall into those sterotypes. I have a whole rant I could go on about people who say other people "Act white."

It's also interesting how certain commentraries can only be made by people within certain ethnicities.I mean if someone of another skin color made this (especially with right leaning political views) they'd be crucified. It also plays into the whole debate about the "N word" that seems to be going on.

You got to wonder what would happen if someone like Bill Cosby saw this. Would his head explode because of the rampant use of certain words, or would he approve of it.

Anyway, keep the updates coming Tyree.

Stephen James.

Here's his blog.

http://tyree-dillihay.blogspot.com/

P.S If any of you are really curious to see what my animation class looked like our picture is under the May 28th 07 post. I'm number 2.
 
IMO, I think this is really just along the same lines as how people talk to their relatives or friends differently than the way they talk to strangers. My brother and I often greet each other by giving each other "the finger," and we tell each other, "You suck" a whole lot. I can also tell him when I think he's being a total moron about something and why, and get into big, long shouting matches over that without causing much of a ruckus beyond the actual argument. If I do any of that to a co-worker or a friend or a stranger, I'm going to get punched, maced, or arrested.

Besides, in the large list of inequities in the world that need redressing, if I had to rank the fact that black people can use the "N" word when non-black people can't, I'd probably put it somewhere just below my concern that some Wall Street execs make only $70 million a year when other execs doing the same work make $500 million a year or more. I mean, yeah, that's not "fair," strictly speaking, but it's really not the kind of thing I can get that worked up about.

As for the merit or lack of it in programming on BET, I just find that there isn't much on the channel I like, but I could easily say the same about 90% of the channels on the dial. That may also change if the animated projects I've seen so far can deliver on their promise.

-- Ed
 
I think the fact that black people are often given a pass when using the word comes from the fact that people assume it comes from a diffrent place when a white person (especially an older one) says it.
 
Doesn't it? I think the whole thing is more or less principle. White people don't really want to say the word, they're just pissed we can and they can't.
 
Toon Zone Talkback - BET Courts Controversy Over "Read a Book" Cartoon

Well, that's not fair. He's allowed to think BET stinks. And I doubt that by calling it a "waste of airwaves" he was literally suggesting that it needs to be removed so that nobody can watch it even if they want to. I also don't see how his negative opinion of BET signifies that he's in a "bubble". Let's just get along here.



But this isn't the BET thread. It's the "Read a Book" thread. And my opinion of it is... I'm not sure. I find it somewhat confusing. There are a few ways I can think of to interpret it, and none of them seems to be what they're going for.

One interpretation is that it's a positive message presented in a way that its target audience would understand. This is the interpretation that, I assume, would anger people, because it says "black people won't listen to us unless we include booty-shaking and other hip-hop clich?s." As if this is the only way to get through to "them".

Another interpretation is that it's playing upon the idea of rappers rapping about book-reading, for comedic effect. This seems like a good enough idea for a Dave Chapelle skit, but I'm not seeing how it actually promotes any message. At the end of it the viewer says "that was funny" and doesn't re-evaluate his or her practices, because it's not actually sending a message, it's just being funny. If anything, it may send the message "it's a good thing rappers don't actually rap about this, because it would be lame."

The interpretation I assume they're going for is "don't be like these stereotypes -- rise above them by getting an education and stuff". But I've arrived at that interpretation through my own inferences and external knowledge: that there isn't actually racism going on here and that they're trying to do a public service. I'm not sure that the video, on its own, actually sends this message.



I'm saying all this not as some sort of accusation, but simply as an evaluation of the video from an artistic standpoint. Nothing's wrong with their intentions. But I don't think it really works.
 
No, that's not it at all. I don't want to say the word, and I don't care if you say it. It's just upsetting that white people get in trouble for imitating what they see on TV. I mean, I used to have a white roommate who was into rap music and he used to call his white friends the n-word. He just used the word because he was impersonating the rappers he listened to. But, if he used that word on television, all of the sudden people would think he's a racist.

For example, I was looking through videos on YouTube and I found out that a white contestant on the UK version of Big Brother was thrown out of the house for using the n-word. She wasn't trying to be offensive, she used the word the same way black people use the word. But now she's branded as a racist just because she imitated what she saw in rap videos. I just find it completely ridiculous that a single word has been given so much power in the world. Of course, maybe that's just the British who are so uptight about the n-word. After all, on the American version of Big Brother this season a white contestant used the n-word and no one seemed to care.
 


I think that's where it comes from. If a black person says it to another black person it seems almost like a term of enderment or comradere. It's ike I'm one to so I can call you that. But when a person of another ethnicity, specifically a white person says it whole centuries of bad history kind of gets dragged up. I remember in 8th grade a Mexican friend of mine called me that, and it hurt really bad. I know he didn't mean to hurt my feelings but he did.

Anyway, like I said it comes back to the whole slave master thing. When a white person calls a black person a slur like that the black person will ofter interpret it as a sign that society hasn't changed. In other words no matter how much you accomplish, no matter how much you educate yourself, no matter how much you rise above the negative stereotypes you are still just a N____.

Anyway the NAACP and Al Sharpton buried the word so it's officially dead. You can buy the T-shirts!
 
I know that's what it is, but I don't know how well it works as one. So I can see why someone might be offended. Although once they know the intentions behind it, they should really just move on and stop complaining. People who complain about this sort of thing seem to just be angry that they didn't get the joke. And so they have to prove that it's not their fault -- the joke is WRONG!
 
I love the video. It's hilarious. Isn't that what really matters?

But honestly, if you look at something like Bill Cosby's "Pound Cake" speech. This is the perfect "hard" version of it.

Instead of some "old fart" telling them that living this lifestyle of "*****es, hoes, krystal(sic), thugin and buggin, ridin spinners and diamond encrusted grills, and hopes of becomming a success by following it like many famous "rappers" (this isnt' even rap any more IMO. Rap died when Jam-Master Jay died) is wrong and that life should be spent persuing better and more worthwhile endevors.

It's telling them that all of the stereotypes that BET itself perpetuates are wrong.
 
Rap died when that group (um D5s, D4L,something), started "Snap Music" in 2005. "Laffy Taffy"? Lean Wit it, Roc Wit It? Now, non-Southern artists are doing this as well. Where's the Jamaican dances at? Sick and tired of the same old music. At least we have real artists like Talib Kweli and Common, and other positive artists to keep it alive.
 
This is a 1980's Saturday morning Message gone wrong (Some of you CATS know what i mean). I being white don;t find it offensive i just think the message is lost and is not well done. Boondocks is a perfect example of how to get the message across. Black entertainment will never be more then chucking and jiving until it's taken seriously. talk to the kids as adult, but firstly you have to act like adults. a good family is important, pride is important.


This is not rap either i mean Lil jon is unique but it gets old
Common, Kayne, Talib, Fugees, Run DMC, Krs One, they will not think this is funny


this appeals to the lowest form of entertainment and will not be on for a longtime if not ever
 
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