BET Defends "Hot Ghetto Mess"

"Hot Ghetto Mess," a BET series that has provoked criticism and sent advertisers fleeing before it has even aired, will prove detractors wrong, BET entertainment head Reginald Hudlin said.

"It's unfortunate that people are making an erroneous presumption based on absolutely zero information," Hudlin told a meeting Sunday of the Television Critics Association.

"Hot Ghetto Mess," making its debut July 25, combines viewer-submitted home videos and BET-produced man-on-the-street interviews that the channel said are intended to challenge and inspire "viewers to improve themselves and their communities."

The six-episode series is hosted by comedian Charlie Murphy ("Chappelle's Show"). It is based on a Web site that features photos of men and women, mostly black, with extreme hairstyles and clothing typically linked to hip-hop fashion.

At least two companies, State Farm Insurance Cos. and Home Depot, asked BET to drop their ads from the series' debut. Sponsors had yet to see the show, Hudlin said Sunday.

Observers including What About Our Daughters, a blog and audio podcast that focuses on how black women are depicted in popular culture, have accused the site and the show of demeaning blacks.

Hotghettomess.com was created by Jam Donaldson, 34, a black lawyer from Washington, D.C., who is an executive producer on the BET program. On her site, Donaldson calls for a "new era of self-examination."

The show builds on the Web site's effort to take "a hard look at some dysfunctional elements of our community," Hudlin said.

"The intent of the show is no different than what Bill Cosby is doing as he's going across the country and lecturing as he talks about the problems of the (black) community that we need to address," he said.

"Hot Ghetto Mess" approaches its goal in a lively way that will engage BET's young audience, Hudlin said.

Donaldson told reporters that the series has "exceeded my expectations."

"Everyone that sees the show will be pleasantly surprised. ... I think they will learn something. There's black history. We go to the community and ask what their opinion of some of these images are," she said.

"The show is so much more than the name," Donaldson said. She started the site because of "images of black dysfunction" that were being distributed on the Internet without discussion of the need for change.

With shows such as "Hot Ghetto Mess" and "Hip-Hop vs. America," Hudlin said, BET is trying to be part of the solution.

"At the end of the day, the most responsible thing we can do is create a dialogue about those things," he told The Associated Press.

[leolady81]

I agree with bogusbones. A lot of our black leaders are jumping on the bandwagon of 'pop-culture' issues rather than what is going on within our own community. I recently saw Al Sharpton on Hanity and Combs (Fox News) arguing about the use of the phrase 'robo-ho' used by TMZ.com to describe the OUTFIT Beyonce was wearing at the BET awards. It was a joke! And if our black leaders are wasting their time fussing over nonsense like this, then it's high time we find, or better yet, BECOME new leaders for our community.

[jinxkity]

bogusbones I agree with you, but let's go one step further in your analysis. The healing of the getto MUST start from the inside. Parents must hold themselves and their children to a high standard of character. This includes morals and, even if the schools aren't up to par, staying in school and making decent grades. It's time for the black community to stop whining about how the whole world is against them and start using all the resources available to break the cycle of welfare.

[bogusbones]

Over 50% of families are headed by single-mothers, and the AIDS rate among young black women between the ages of 13-24 has risen to 66%, yes there is a huge problem.

Black on black crime continues to be a serious epidemic, while so-called black leaders spend precious, critical time critizing LOUD MOUTHED SHOCK JOCKS like IMUS.

These stats along with high unemployment and lack of quality education are a recipe for inner city disaster. I say the riots of the '60's will pale in comparison unless we as a country face up to the fact that living in the ghetto is an extremely harsh life and there are ways, primarily through education and jobs, to avoid what will someday be a violent explosion of hatred and destruction.

[acctriangle]

Once again, BET execs always have a way of "attempting" to justify a way of keeping people employed and making money.

[mitch0927]

It's amazing how one man with very little education sort of coined it by saying, "Can't we all get along?" The few words he spoke sure makes sense today, because propagating the racism is being done by everyone. I was brought up by just my mother and it was hard lined in my household. She taught my sister and I that no matter what someone%u2019s ethnic background is we are all the same inside.

[kailumego1]

texas468 you are absolutely correct all RACES are in desparate need of introspection, however, focusing on those blacks that encourage, magnify, and support the degradation within the black communities is not making fun, but forcing those to LOOK at themselves.

It's called TOUGH LOVE....

This is not about singling out blacks, but trying to correct a deficiency within the black community, which is self-degradation.

Fifthy-percent of households are headed by single-black women, and approxmately 60% of prisons are disproportionately represented with blacks and Hispanics, whom make up together around 25% of the population.

[texas468]

I'm with NavyRetired2 - I don't necessarily think this should be JUST focused on one race. There is "ugliness" everywhere, and we need to look within ourselves to clean up our image, not make fun of others.

[dgshiner]

Let us see if it will shock viewers into change?
I think at this point Change is very needed badly how we go about it we have to try. In saying that Just say No does not work anymore with this generation, As a black person I hope that this will get some attention on some of the things that is going on in our communities and also will change behavior! So I will not point my thumbs down to it. But I hope that Hot Ghetto mess can also offer some positive answers to change. Behavior as well.

[navyretired2]

I can't wait to see it. ALL races could use some self-policing. I applaud the people who are behind this and what they have stated they're trying to do, which is to help and improve their race and community.

If all races improved, the overall America would improve. Good thing.

[kailumego1]

Let the show go on, some blacks need to take a loonngg look at themselves.

And black communities are going straight to HELL, which there needs to be some intervention.

As far as this show demeaning of debasing black women, or blacks, some young black woman have done enough debasing of themselves by allowing rap artiist to label them in derogatory terms.

Some young black males of this generation have absolutely no respect for themselves, the family, or women, which this should have been addressed a long time ago.

I hope this show strongly addresses this issue of black self-degradation.

Over 50% of families are headed by single-mothers, and the AIDS rate among young black women between the ages of 13-24 has risen to 66%, yes there is a huge problem.

Black on black crime continues to be a serious epidemic, while so-called black leaders spend precious, critical time critizing LOUD MOUTHED SHOCK JOCKS like IMUS.