The following article was written by William Garrett, a student from the University of Alabama.  This piece was posted on Monday, June 29, 2009, one day after the BET Awards ‘09 took place.

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Dear BET,

I’m offended.

The 3 and half hour debauchery that you broadcast last night, also known as the BET Awards, was quite possibly the worst television broadcast that I’ve ever seen, hands down (and yes I watched O-Town’s first live performance back in 2000). There was no cohesion, no central theme, a lack of comprehensive transitions, and as one of my friends pointed out: it definitely lacked a “Wow” moment.

The show began with some promise.  We all knew Jamie Foxx would bring some spark to the show; however, that spark never exploded but rather fizzled, quickly. There were positive moments in the show (Beyonce, Jay-Z, and Maxwell’s performances) which were almost over shadowed by head scratching ones: Ciara singing, of all things, a ballad; Eddie Levert saying the “s-word” on live television; Ving Rhames’ “guns and butter” soliloquy…I could go on.  I think I will: Soulja Boy’s anti-climatic, mediocre, karaoke performance; T-Pain bringing a plastic cup on stage; pre-teens on stage for Young Money’s “Every Girl” (Filet Mignon) performance; Drake’s first chance to solidify his star power in front of a massive television audience and sitting down on the opportunity, literally (yes I know about the ACL, but still); Kerri Hilson not ending her performance soon enough…did I mention they let Ciara, of all people, sing a ballad?

Besides these in-show flubs, the production of the show was horrific. A few people should lose their job after last night: the person working the censor button, the person running the teleprompter, the person who gave all those people new shows on BET, and the person who let Ciara sing a ballad. All of those people are responsible for the show’s lack of flow, for embarrassing the African American community, and offending me (although I was laughing 90% of the show, at things that I’m sure weren’t supposed to be funny).

And the biggest question of the night has to be: where was the Michael Jackson tribute? Yes, I know Ne-Yo, Jamie Foxx, and (wait for it, wait for it…) Ciara offered tributes to the King of Pop. And yes I know they had people giving their personal testimonies about MJ right before commercial breaks.  Yes, I know several people channeled Mike with their outfits and shouted him out in their acceptance speeches and performances.  Yes, I know Janet came and made a very heartfelt statement, but once the show was over it just felt like the tribute fell flat. It missed, bad. After all Michael Jackson was, scratch that IS, the most influential music icon ever. Grant it, he passed four days before the show was set to broadcast, but BET could have done something more! How hard would it have been to do something as simple as show “Thriller”? Where was the video time line of his career? Where was the re-broadcast of the night he solidified his musical sainthood by seemingly defying the laws of physics and doing the moonwalk? The show was in Los Angeles.  How hard would it have been to get Magic Johnson on stage and talk about one of the greatest music videos ever: “Do You Remember the Time”? Of all the MJ songs they sang last night, wouldn’t the most appropriate one have been “Never Can Say Goodbye”? And I know he just pleaded guilty just days ago, and I know he now has a criminal record, but couldn’t they have let Chris Brown do his best Mike Jackson impression? He didn’t have to have a speaking part; he could have just danced…Where was Barry Gordy? Diana Ross? Quincy Jones?! BET could have done something more, anything to try and commemorate the immortal career of a musical god.

So BET, I’m offended. I’m offended that your moniker, Black Star Power, looked a lot like Black Power Hour, or the MTV2 Ozone Awards for that matter. I’m offended that you didn’t give the greatest entertainer ever an appropriate tribute. Oh yeah, and I’m offended that someone let Ciara sang a ballad.

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William Garrett, University of Alabama

wdgarrett@crimson.ua.edu