BET Testimony

Black Entertainment Television has always seemed a bit of an anachronism to me. I mean, if there were a White Entertainment Television, there’d rightly be a lot of angry folks out in TV Land. “Tune in Friday to see Trent Lott burn a cross, read the news and conjure up a great ham and egg omelet dish with Carolina grits. Mmm, good!” No, sorry, it just wouldn’t fly. But I guess BET is fly, so let’s just go with it. On this show, BET presents in-depth interviews and video clips of musical artists of the moment with a view to finding out what makes them tick. Artists such as Sade and Mariah Carey must make for good fodder, since the show was nominated for Outstanding Variety Series/Special at the 2001 Image Awards. And of course, watching big stars and waiting for a nipple slip has been a hobby of ours since Janet Jackson: Live from Hawaii.