Wow. You know what upsets me more than bad television? Bad television on BET. (MTV and VH1 are equally guilty, mind you, every minute you watch kills brain cells) But I digress.

Background info before I begin this evening's rant: I did a term paper sophomore year about the evolution of the Black image on television. People who really know me know that this is something I have every right to be interested in and passionate about. And it's a subject that I could devote a semester's worth of research to without going insane. That being said, onward we go.

OK. So there's this tv show on BET called "College Hill," which the network is proudly heralding as the "first black reality series." Well, thanks to the craptacular-ness of the show, it might be the last. From what I've gathered from the website and seeing 3 episodes of the show, this is what I think the show is supposed to be about. It's apparently supposed to follow 8 dramatically different black college students as they live in a suite together at Southern University. (Don't worry, I didn't know about Southern University either. You'll find out why in a second.) The show's aim (and i'm guessing here) is to show the world what life is like for the average student going to a HBCU (translation: Historically Black College/University).

Now, what pisses me off about this show is that it, like so many other shows out there, has done nothing but perpetuate the stereotypes that BET has been so good at providing us with all these years. There's the football player who can't keep his pants on, the wannabe freestyle rapper, the pretty boy playa, and the geek (seriously, he's like the 21st century Urkel) on the guys' side. The girls aren't any better. We've got the Freak (as in, doesn't wear panties...the campus slut), the overachieving cheerleader, the light-skinned snotty rich girl, and, my favorite, the girl who's 8 months pregnant and still doesn't know who the baby daddy is.

Feel free to take the moment to step away from the computer, rip out your hair, and scream as BET takes us all back to the 1970's (when stereotyping was at its worst and most rampant). I've already done so, so I'll just wait for you.

Feeling better? Neither am I.

Why, why, why is this crap allowed to air on tv? The production is poor, the cast is abominable, and the storylines are non-existant. HBCU's have never been viewed as having the same educational value as most universities in America. Now they're a big joke. (Well, they've always been a joke to me, but that's besides the point.) I mean, mis-informed people are going to watch this show and draw the conclusion that students at these schools don't know how to act. We never see them do homework or go to class (at least, not in any of the episodes that I've seen). Honestly: what is it going to take for BET to just fall apart and go off the air so it can regroup and give us some real television for a change?

If I ever win enough money in the lottery, I'll buy out the network and re-vamp it my own damn self.

(triflin', ghetto, country-ass television. that's what it all is now)

Did I say that out loud?

Anyway, so my rant was not as focused as my other rants usually are, but I just needed to yell about stuff and I'm killing time until SNL comes on. Soon to follow will be more exploration into what I plan to do with my life as the countdown to May 20th (hey, that's my best IL friend's birthday!) keeps ticking away...

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