Satire is a tricky sword to wield, and BET's current efforts to call attention to some of the less-favorable aspects of current black culture are proof of that. First, there was We Got to Do Better (formerly Hot Ghetto Mess), a series whose pilot episode was so schizophrenic I actually developed twelve different personalities while watching it. Never have I seen a TV series struggling so hard to figure out its own identity.
All of the press that came out before it read that the series would use amateur footage of people acting untoward as a means to show how we need to improve (the clips show people of all races), but the first episode kept jumping back and forth between straight satire and host Charlie Murphy sincerely pleading to the audience to improve themselves. Imagine Stephen Colbert dropping his facade every two minutes to say, "this is a joke" -- that's what watching We Got to Do Better was like.
Ever since I first 
Starting tomorrow evening, Bravo's Inside the Actors Studio will celebrate Black History Month with repeats of episodes featuring Eddie Murphy, Will Smith, Dave Chappelle, Jamie Foxx, Forrest Whitaker and Queen Latifah. On February 19 at 8 p.m., a new two-hour episode will feature Diana Ross in an exclusive interview with host James Lipton. Ross will also perform some of her songs during the episode. The schedule is below:
Here's another addition to my 
In honor of Black History Month, I've made a non-conclusive list of some programs and specials that are coming up to celebrate black history in America. I'll be adding more shows to future posts as information becomes available, probably as we get closer to February. If you know of any I've missed, let me know in the comments and I'll add them to my next post. 
Last year, shortly before being diagnosed with lung cancer, Peter Jennings was part of a documentary being taped for ABC News called Out of Control: AIDS in Black America. Jennings passed away in the midst of the documentary filming, and despite him appearing on screen over a year after his death possibly being disconcerting to some viewers, the network has decided to keep his segment intact. Jennings, who is not anchoring the program, will be seen interviewing a group of black men with HIV. Jennings became interested when a producer informed him of the current AIDS crisis in the black community. I can't imagine anyone would have issues with this, but who knows? It seems the makers of the documentary felt Jennings' contribution was vital to the story, and that seems like reason enough to keep his segment in. What do you guys think? The episode airs next Thursday at 10 pm.
Queen Latifah has signed on to play an AIDS activist and former crack addict in an upcoming HBO made-for-TV movie called Life Support. The movie, based on the life and family of writer Nelson George's sister, will focus on the AIDS and HIV crisis within the black community. Nelson George, who worked as a producer on The Chris Rock Show, penned the script and will also direct. Latifah, along with Jamie Foxx, will also serve as a producer on the film.
First she was furious for 
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