Here we have the "BET Awards 2019" and this title is fairly telling because there you see three major factors: This is from the television station BET. It is an awards show (barely, I swill get to that later) and it aired in 2019. In summer 2019, to be more precise, so this is from last year when it was still possible to have these ceremonies with big crowds as there was not an apparent global pandemic going on. Forst things first: This ran for three hours and thirty minutes (including commerccials), so it was like approximately Oscar running time. Extremely long. And extremely bland. With out commercials, it ran for "only" two hours and fourty minutes, but still incredibly long nonetheless. One of the directors is the eternal Glenn Weiss (so many Emmy wins) and he seems to be a regular with this show too despite his name and color. I guess this is the one area where they are making an exception. It's not as if anybody sees him anyway. I will spare you the names of the other directors and also those of the writers. So many here. But this is also nothing new. This awards show in particular has always had tons of writers really. So it is even more disappointing, maybe even pathetic, that the outcome is so weak. I will give you examples later on. But one right away. This barely feels like an awards show anymore and this is a problem that many awards shows have these days, actually have had for quite some time. I have seen a lot where the awards element has really vanished from the center of the show where it always should be at. Instead we get one music performance after the next and in-between some political videos even. This has been especially bad for the 2020 BET Awards and admittedly way worse than here for 2019, but this does not mean the 2019 edition was a good show. The opposite is the case as you can see from my rating. It already starts with the host. That one would be Regina Hall and apparently she is much more famous in the United States than she is here because I think i heard the name before, but that is all I can say really about her. And after watching this show, it is certainly not my loss, even if she looks okay for her age. She had more screen time than these hosts usually do, but the only sequence where she was mildly funny was when she lost a category minutes earlier and acted outraged about it. Regina King won the category by the way. But this approach has been done so many times by other hosts who lost categories (especially at the Emmys) that it was neither new nor fresh anymore. And most of the time, these other hosts also did it better. So Hall is close to failure territory just like this show as a whole. One of the better moments included the Mary J. Blige tribute. She is deserving, no doubt about it and I am not only saying this becausse I love her duet with George Michael. Her blonde hair though is definitely something to get used to. But yeah, she was one of really not too many highlights at all that night. Another lifetime achievement awards (or whatever it is called) went to Tyler Perry. There is nothing positive I can say about his movies to be honest. At least from what I have seen and heard and how he praised himself that he picked many really famous actors for his films before they were famous was cringeworthy to say the least. Oh yeah, briefly back to Hall: In one of her comedy routines she talks about how her boyfriend had to go to jail. I also don't remember if she said she was pregnant, but it's not important anyway because it was fiction and not her real life, but the one thing I found really questionable is how the room was in stitches and applauded and laughed when she said police sent her boyfriend to jail. That was the joke. Nothing else. Shame my head. Not funny. Leaving your partner on her own out there, maybe when she is pregnant. And besides, if White people joke about Blacks going to jail, then it would be racial prejudice or something? This moment was so wrong for all kinds of reasons honestly. Worst of the show probably, even if it was over so briefly, but it was in a nutshell what is wrong with American society. And not what "This is America" is trying to tell us. That one was also nominated, but lost. At least on one occasion that I remember.
As for the winners and celebrities there, I cannot say too much positive. It was nice to see P. Diddy, also in the Blige tribute video, but next to Rihanna (her telling everybody to stand up after the Blige introduction was a no-go), this is made up for in a negative way immediately afterwards. 50 Cent had a fun little video for sure. Cardi B, who took home one big awards of the night, I have never been a fan of one bit. Admittedly she is not as unbearable as Nicki Minaj, but comes fairly close in her worst moments. Johnny Legend is always nice, but shame he did not have a big performance on his own this time. He was basically wasted. Oh yes, of course they threw R. Kelly under the bus. And probably a long time before that. As despicable it may be what he has done in his personal life and there is really no discussion about that at all, but I will always love his voice and admire him as an artist. One thing that was alright was the in memoriam tribute, also the longer John Singleton tribute was appropriate. As for Nipsey Hussle, who got an even longer tribute, I cannot say too much. Of course, his life (and death) matters as much as everybody else's, especially if he tried to help less lucky people through his popularity and it's a shame he got murdered. That's all I can say. With his art I am not familiar at all. I barely heard the name before, but it's a catchy name. Oh and Al Sharpton was around too, probably the only awards show where they want him and where he wants to be too. But this is politics, let's not get into detail there. I still liked his little cameo on Boston Legal. Even after all these years. Still crazy after all these years. Snoop Dogg is still winning awards in 2019 by the way. Probably will be in 2025 too, maybe 2030 even. We'll see. I won't complain. Other than his stoner baclground, I think he is one truly funny dude. How can you not like him. And the best about him is that he really has character and stands out. He may not be the best musician out there compared to everybody else, maybe not even among the better half compared to everybody else that performed that night, but one thing he is not luckily and sadly almost everybody else is is bland. He is as charismatic as they come. But yeah well, he is one exception. The majority is different in a negative way and that is one reason why this show felt so boring for the most part. It should have been half as long and focused on the awards instead. It's okay the crowd there gets to see all these performance, especially because they probably really care about those and are fans, but for those hundreds of thousands watching at home, maybe millions even, it felt like a never-ending story. I was glad when it did end eventually. Oh wait, "Old Town Road" was on too, can't deny thatg song is truly catchy and maybe my favorite number. Also Miley's dad was one of really not too many White people who got to be a part of the show, especially if we are restricting it to those in front to the camera. This was of course only because the song is a duet between him and Lil Nas X. So Billy Ray was kinda the latter's +1. The person I liked the least during the broadcast was probably Lena Waithe, an Emmy winner back then already. With this I am referring to the occasions when she went really ham and over the top when we saw her in the audience (and those were quite a few), but also during the announcement of the trailer or scenes from the movie "Queen & Slim". Felt very unlikable to me, but that is just my opinion of course. I also find it totally off when people get to use this awards show to promote thier movie to the masses. What's up with that? This does not belong there at all. I mean I am okay with the show being interrupted by commercials, but this is just too much. Also when certain awards are named after certain brands of globally successful beverage production. I will spare you the name. You probably know what I am talking about anyway, even if you have not watched the show. Okay, that is pretty much it. However, two more general things here, also both negative criticisms. Where are the Drakes, Denzel Washingtons, Idris Elbas, Morgan Freemans, Sidney Poitiers etc. Where are the really, really big stars from Black America to be a part of this show? Too old? Not cool enough? I don't know. But this show could be so much better and more interesting with some of those on board. Many more examples actually out there. And the seccond would be my personal struggle with awards show like this. I don't like the idea at all to have an awards show that deliberately shuts out non-Black artists, performers etc. because of their ethnicity and skin color. This is the exact opposite of tolerance on my opinion and as hard as I have tried, I cannot come up with any justification for this show and it was already the 19th edition back then I believe. Fairly shameful. Of course, this also applies from my perspective to stuff like the ALMA Awards or if there is an Asian American awards show that does the same (cannot think of any right now), I would be equally against it. Of course, there is no similar awards show for Whites only and please don't say the Oscars are. So many Blacks have won big there in the last 20 years, especially in the supporting categories. But let's not go any further into detail about (alleged) racism here. They are many other, highly harmless reasons why this show is one you will not like and, as a consequence, should definitely skip. Major thumbs-down. Highly not recommended.
As for the winners and celebrities there, I cannot say too much positive. It was nice to see P. Diddy, also in the Blige tribute video, but next to Rihanna (her telling everybody to stand up after the Blige introduction was a no-go), this is made up for in a negative way immediately afterwards. 50 Cent had a fun little video for sure. Cardi B, who took home one big awards of the night, I have never been a fan of one bit. Admittedly she is not as unbearable as Nicki Minaj, but comes fairly close in her worst moments. Johnny Legend is always nice, but shame he did not have a big performance on his own this time. He was basically wasted. Oh yes, of course they threw R. Kelly under the bus. And probably a long time before that. As despicable it may be what he has done in his personal life and there is really no discussion about that at all, but I will always love his voice and admire him as an artist. One thing that was alright was the in memoriam tribute, also the longer John Singleton tribute was appropriate. As for Nipsey Hussle, who got an even longer tribute, I cannot say too much. Of course, his life (and death) matters as much as everybody else's, especially if he tried to help less lucky people through his popularity and it's a shame he got murdered. That's all I can say. With his art I am not familiar at all. I barely heard the name before, but it's a catchy name. Oh and Al Sharpton was around too, probably the only awards show where they want him and where he wants to be too. But this is politics, let's not get into detail there. I still liked his little cameo on Boston Legal. Even after all these years. Still crazy after all these years. Snoop Dogg is still winning awards in 2019 by the way. Probably will be in 2025 too, maybe 2030 even. We'll see. I won't complain. Other than his stoner baclground, I think he is one truly funny dude. How can you not like him. And the best about him is that he really has character and stands out. He may not be the best musician out there compared to everybody else, maybe not even among the better half compared to everybody else that performed that night, but one thing he is not luckily and sadly almost everybody else is is bland. He is as charismatic as they come. But yeah well, he is one exception. The majority is different in a negative way and that is one reason why this show felt so boring for the most part. It should have been half as long and focused on the awards instead. It's okay the crowd there gets to see all these performance, especially because they probably really care about those and are fans, but for those hundreds of thousands watching at home, maybe millions even, it felt like a never-ending story. I was glad when it did end eventually. Oh wait, "Old Town Road" was on too, can't deny thatg song is truly catchy and maybe my favorite number. Also Miley's dad was one of really not too many White people who got to be a part of the show, especially if we are restricting it to those in front to the camera. This was of course only because the song is a duet between him and Lil Nas X. So Billy Ray was kinda the latter's +1. The person I liked the least during the broadcast was probably Lena Waithe, an Emmy winner back then already. With this I am referring to the occasions when she went really ham and over the top when we saw her in the audience (and those were quite a few), but also during the announcement of the trailer or scenes from the movie "Queen & Slim". Felt very unlikable to me, but that is just my opinion of course. I also find it totally off when people get to use this awards show to promote thier movie to the masses. What's up with that? This does not belong there at all. I mean I am okay with the show being interrupted by commercials, but this is just too much. Also when certain awards are named after certain brands of globally successful beverage production. I will spare you the name. You probably know what I am talking about anyway, even if you have not watched the show. Okay, that is pretty much it. However, two more general things here, also both negative criticisms. Where are the Drakes, Denzel Washingtons, Idris Elbas, Morgan Freemans, Sidney Poitiers etc. Where are the really, really big stars from Black America to be a part of this show? Too old? Not cool enough? I don't know. But this show could be so much better and more interesting with some of those on board. Many more examples actually out there. And the seccond would be my personal struggle with awards show like this. I don't like the idea at all to have an awards show that deliberately shuts out non-Black artists, performers etc. because of their ethnicity and skin color. This is the exact opposite of tolerance on my opinion and as hard as I have tried, I cannot come up with any justification for this show and it was already the 19th edition back then I believe. Fairly shameful. Of course, this also applies from my perspective to stuff like the ALMA Awards or if there is an Asian American awards show that does the same (cannot think of any right now), I would be equally against it. Of course, there is no similar awards show for Whites only and please don't say the Oscars are. So many Blacks have won big there in the last 20 years, especially in the supporting categories. But let's not go any further into detail about (alleged) racism here. They are many other, highly harmless reasons why this show is one you will not like and, as a consequence, should definitely skip. Major thumbs-down. Highly not recommended.
