To whomever it may concern:
I do not expect a personalized response from Viacom, Inc. In fact, I
write this assuming that the response I receive (if I receive one at
all) will read something like "we appreciate your comment and
concern". While this may be a quick and easy way out for the fine
folks at Viacom, it is not a satisfying response for myself and for
the many other proud Black people such as myself that feel the same
way that I do. You see, this message is neither a comment nor a
concern, because for it to be a concern, first I would have to give a
damn about your company. This message instead is a rejection of the
buffoonery that has become Black Entertainment Television, and under
Viacom's watch has gotten increasingly worse.
My name is Malcolm Martin Wyley, and I am a young Black male who, like
many other Black people, is tired of seeing Black people degrading
themselves on the network that supposedly best represents us and that
you [Viacom] own and operate. There are several opportunities to show
Black people in a positive light, or in general just doing something
else other than shaking their ass, getting drunk, smoking weed, or
just being flat out ignorant. You see, unlike MTV and VH1, some people
that aren't Black, unfortunately, can watch BET for a half hour and
walk away thinking that all Black men are sex-hungry, trigger-happy
gang members and that all Black women are loud, obnoxious skanky hoes.
Now, I could very well be completely wrong. BET very well could be a
beacon, somewhat of a guiding light for the Black community, to show
people that we as a people are more than what music videos may depict
us as. I wouldn't know for sure. I haven't watched BET in forever, and
I don't plan to. Therefore, I challenge someone within the network or
within Viacom, in your anticipated response, to educate me, and show
me an example of BET original programming, a show that comes on from
Monday to Saturday, that I would feel comfortable letting a
hypothetical teenage daughter of mine watch, and something that
doesn't fall just short of a modern-day "Birth of A Nation".
Ultimately, in the end, Viacom is a business. I understand that
completely. That is why I anticipate an automated response to this
message, because Viacom doesn't care about their customers. Debra Lee
doesn't care about the fact that she is slowly destroying Black
people. Viacom's only concern is getting MTV, VH1, BET, and
Nickelodeon into as many TV screens as possible, Black people be
damned. THAT is what Viacom cares about. That explains why a wholesome
show like "The Game", a show that BET shows in reruns, wasn't picked
up for new episodes by BET but Tiny and Toya get a new show and
Mo'Nique gets a late night talk show. [Could someone also explain to
me what the hell you were thinking to give THEM a show? What could
Tiny and Toya possibly share for 22 minutes that will be of any value
to anyone?]
The bottom line is that BET is helping to destroy Black people, and as
the owner, it is Viacom's problem to fix and fix quickly, whether that
means asking for Debra Lee's letter of resignation, I don't know, but
something needs to be done. Now. M
I await your response. Black people, the people you're supposed to be
entertaining, await your response.
Sincerely, Malcolm Martin Wyley
