Where Was The Class?

BET Awards 2009 Official Website

Before I go on, let me just say for those who might get it twisted... What I write on this blog is just my opinion and, just as the description says underneath the title, you are getting "whatever is on my mind today". So, with that said, let me get right to it.

I purposely chose not to write a big blog post on the recent death of Michael Jackson. It was hurting me... I mean, I was really hurting. He has meant too much to me over the years for me to do him any justice (or injustice, depending on how you look at it) by writing a post on him. I figured that a number of bloggers and others would do that anyway and anything I wrote just might be redundant. By the time you read me, you probably would have read the same thing somewhere else.

Most of us grew up with the man in some form or another. I was fortunate enough to be 10 years old when he was 10 years old and just starting out. The first record I ever bought with my own money was "I Want You Back" by the Jackson Five. I used to go to the 5212 Restaurant on the corner of 52nd and Haverford Avenue and play the song on the jukebox so much that the cook gave me the money to go and buy the 45rpm (Remember those? If not, I don't want to hear about it!). I know... I'm really telling my age.

However, this post is not about Michael though. It's about the so-called "tribute" that BET put together and actually aired in his honor. To say I was disappointed is an understatement. New Edition came out overweight with hoarse (or "changed") voices and simply ruined a Jackson Five classic and the other acts were weak, at best.

I love Jamie Foxx... I really do... but, his coming out on stage in tight high-water pants and attempting to be funny at Michael Jackson's expense, just didn't do anything for me. I wanted to laugh but, enough people had clowned and mocked Michael when he was alive. I felt that as black people, we could have at least given him a break in death for one day.

Ne-Yo was the only artist who did Michael any justice. I did like the New Jack Swing part with Guy, BBD, and Keith Sweat. I also thought the tribute to the O'Jays by Johnny Gill, Tyrese, and Trey Songs was great and I thought the O'Jays were great too! Then, you had Soulja Boy Tell ‘Em... What was he singing? Then, you had Lil Wayne, Drake, all of those young girls dancing during their act, all of the cursing, and the 5-second delays that were hit and miss all night long. I just felt embarrassed and sad, that's all.

You know I sat in a movie theatre in the south when I was in boot camp and just cringed while watching "Gone With The Wind" (in 1984, no doubt) and Butterfly McQueen say, "Ah-ont know nothin' 'bout birfin' no babies!" I wanted to kill the white guy sitting next to me who laughed a little too long at her every time she was on the screen. Well, Sunday night, I wanted to grab a lot of those young black people who were portraying that same "coonery" on the television screen. I was just disappointed and embarrassed. I know I might be a minority with my opinion but, I miss the "class".

Michael Jackson (and his brothers) and all of the Motown acts, Philly International acts, Atlantic acts, and Stax acts all performed with class and precision. They didn't embarrass black people and they made us proud when we saw them on TV.

Even hip-hop icons like Tupac, Biggie, Rakim, LL, etc. put on great performances that made me proud when they were in their hey day. When they cursed, at least it was to make a point. Sometimes, it seems as if a lot of these performers today are just vulgar and ignorant just for the sake of it and just because they can be... but, that's not cool and nor is it good showmanship. It's just what it is...coonery! Where was the class? Where did it go?

If I'm by myself with this... if I sound like a crotchety old man and a hater... well, I guess that's just how I sound today. I don't window-dress myself and the older I get, the more I plan to let it all hang out. One of my ex-girlfriend's mother's once told me, "You ain't no good but, you don't try to hide it. What you see with you is what you get." And, she was right. I hope what I saw on BET is not all that we are going to get from our young entertainers. If so, that betrays all of the class and professionalism that Michael Jackson was all about!