Karma
Heart Attack
This year, perhaps more than any other, by an UNFORTUNATE turn of events, the BET awards scrambled to make itself the "definative" tribute to fallen pop icon Michael Jackson. What proceeded that evening was nothing short of a TRAINWRECK (imo).
For starters, there was Jamie Foxx, a man whose ego enters the room five minutes before he does a'la Kanye West. He paid homage to MJ with a "beat it" dance routine and dressed accordingly. His opening monologue was at times tender at other times very abrasive and racist.
MANY of the acts that evening (Keri Hilson, Soulja Boy, Lil Wayne) were sub par and downright shoddy in their performance and they seemed to think that wearing a jacket or copying a dance move (or two) from MJ into their own craptacular song was a "tribute" to Michael Jackson.
You had "performers" on stage unleashing tyrades of broken english and profanity...while telling YOUNG kids (who inexplicably admire these people) to "stay in school and be successfull), standing their with their pants half way off their ass or wearing gaudy pieces of jewelry with pendants that literally spelled out "BIG ASS CHAIN"
Beyonce, once again thinking she can do no wrong and/or thinking she was the Diana Ross of today's generation, appeared on stage butchering a Sarah Mclachlan song....singing "Ave' Maria" while half naked....in what was surely a tastless and inappropriate moment...one among many.
The young actress who played Lt. Uhura on the Star Trek film walked on stage and announced (on live tv in front of millions of viewers) that Nichelle Nichols (the actress who ORIGINATED the role of Lt. Uhura) was "in the bathroom" not once...but TWICE during her awkward monologue.
Several performers (like Eddie Levert) were rambling on camera DRUNK and half the people who were "paying tribute" to MJ didnt even KNOW him personally. I DON'T think that the doors he did indeed open for black performers and the standard he set for ALL performers was at all justified by the SHIT that passed on that stage on this show.
If they had WANTED it to be a "tribute" then where were MJ's FRIENDS...the people who he was CLOSE to? People such as: Diana Ross, Quincy Jones, Cher, Liza Minelli, Celine Dion (who was also a fellow lable mate with him as well as a friend) and of course LIZ TAYLOR? THESE people themselves are LEGENDS and THEY were FRIENDS with "The King of Pop" even their press statements were more classy then the MESS that was said on this show.
The only moments that seemed appropriate for the theme they were ATTEMPTING to convey? New Edition's ernest and affectionate homage to the Jackson 5 during a song/dance medley and Janet Jackson's brief but heart rendering appearence near the end of the show as she addressed the audience on behalf of herself and the Jackson Family about Michael.
I watched this show and was immediately reminded why i usually PASS on this particular award show any other year. It's no WORSE than the state of most OTHER award shows these days (especially the MTV VMAs) and considering that nearly EVERY channel has an award show of some kind now...the whole idea of an award show has become rather lackluster.
BUT because THIS particular chapter of the BET awards was supposed to focus on Michael, i tuned in and was HORRIBLY disappointed. I feel like they were a disgrace and disrespected Michael's efforts and legacy. What else would you expect from someone like Soulja Boy?
First the media abadons Farrah Fawcett (and are slowly but surely turning the aftermath of Michael Jackson's death into a media circus...with the unwitting HELP of Joe Jackson who also appeared at the awards and was a babbling idiot) and BET unleashed THIS mess on the viewing public? I will NOT be tuning in for this show again any time soon.
DId anyone else watch it? Did anyone beside ME think it was more than a little tastelss?
For starters, there was Jamie Foxx, a man whose ego enters the room five minutes before he does a'la Kanye West. He paid homage to MJ with a "beat it" dance routine and dressed accordingly. His opening monologue was at times tender at other times very abrasive and racist.
MANY of the acts that evening (Keri Hilson, Soulja Boy, Lil Wayne) were sub par and downright shoddy in their performance and they seemed to think that wearing a jacket or copying a dance move (or two) from MJ into their own craptacular song was a "tribute" to Michael Jackson.
You had "performers" on stage unleashing tyrades of broken english and profanity...while telling YOUNG kids (who inexplicably admire these people) to "stay in school and be successfull), standing their with their pants half way off their ass or wearing gaudy pieces of jewelry with pendants that literally spelled out "BIG ASS CHAIN"
Beyonce, once again thinking she can do no wrong and/or thinking she was the Diana Ross of today's generation, appeared on stage butchering a Sarah Mclachlan song....singing "Ave' Maria" while half naked....in what was surely a tastless and inappropriate moment...one among many.
The young actress who played Lt. Uhura on the Star Trek film walked on stage and announced (on live tv in front of millions of viewers) that Nichelle Nichols (the actress who ORIGINATED the role of Lt. Uhura) was "in the bathroom" not once...but TWICE during her awkward monologue.
Several performers (like Eddie Levert) were rambling on camera DRUNK and half the people who were "paying tribute" to MJ didnt even KNOW him personally. I DON'T think that the doors he did indeed open for black performers and the standard he set for ALL performers was at all justified by the SHIT that passed on that stage on this show.
If they had WANTED it to be a "tribute" then where were MJ's FRIENDS...the people who he was CLOSE to? People such as: Diana Ross, Quincy Jones, Cher, Liza Minelli, Celine Dion (who was also a fellow lable mate with him as well as a friend) and of course LIZ TAYLOR? THESE people themselves are LEGENDS and THEY were FRIENDS with "The King of Pop" even their press statements were more classy then the MESS that was said on this show.
The only moments that seemed appropriate for the theme they were ATTEMPTING to convey? New Edition's ernest and affectionate homage to the Jackson 5 during a song/dance medley and Janet Jackson's brief but heart rendering appearence near the end of the show as she addressed the audience on behalf of herself and the Jackson Family about Michael.
I watched this show and was immediately reminded why i usually PASS on this particular award show any other year. It's no WORSE than the state of most OTHER award shows these days (especially the MTV VMAs) and considering that nearly EVERY channel has an award show of some kind now...the whole idea of an award show has become rather lackluster.
BUT because THIS particular chapter of the BET awards was supposed to focus on Michael, i tuned in and was HORRIBLY disappointed. I feel like they were a disgrace and disrespected Michael's efforts and legacy. What else would you expect from someone like Soulja Boy?
First the media abadons Farrah Fawcett (and are slowly but surely turning the aftermath of Michael Jackson's death into a media circus...with the unwitting HELP of Joe Jackson who also appeared at the awards and was a babbling idiot) and BET unleashed THIS mess on the viewing public? I will NOT be tuning in for this show again any time soon.
DId anyone else watch it? Did anyone beside ME think it was more than a little tastelss?
