Tyler Perry Now Owns BET and VH1, and the Black Delegation has Mixed Opinions about it.
Tyler Perry recently acquired majority ownership of BET and VH1. Which could be either be extremely revolutionary or a hot-ass mess.
There are but a few names in Black culture that elicit such strong and polarizing opinions as Tyler Perry.
Depending on who you ask, the man behind “Madea” is thought of as either a revolutionary business mind, entertainment guru, and model example of Black ownership, OR as someone responsible for bankrolling (and writing and executive producing) an insufferable amount of low-quality Black films and television shows, stifling the potential/opportunity of other Black creatives, and profiting immensely off of hyper caricaturing Black folks on screen, all while dismissing any criticism his offerings have evoked by claiming that his characters/content are authentic representations of Blackness.
Tyler’s rise from homelessness and touring the Chitlin Circuit with his original stage plays to becoming one of only a handful of Black billionaires on the planet, is one of the most touted examples of “Black excellence” when conversations around mastering the game of American capitalism are brought up. He has been lauded for his philanthropy and for extending the lifespan of Black performance luminaries. He has also been castigated by many who feel that his productions are solely responsible for lowering the cultural/creative bar of Black media and arts, and lambasted for hoarding creative resources that could propel the next Tyler Perry into a similar space that he’s ascended to.
But whether one views him as the visionary proprietor of Tyler Perry Studios or as a key player in the “dumbing down” of Black creativity, Tyler Perry is ubiquitous in Black culture, and with his recent acquisition of BET and VH1, he has, at least for now, cemented his vision for cultural programming into the homes, tablets, and smartphones of millions who consume the content of those channels.
And as with most things the TP brand is associated with, the announcement of him becoming the majority owner of these iconic outlets has been met with a mixed bag of praise and/or skepticism/outright derision.
Donnie Simpson, host of one of BET’s most beloved landmark shows, “Video Soul” posted on Instagram about Tyler’s acquisition and the comments under his post reflected the deep divide in public opinion. Several comments celebrated BET being once again under Black ownership, and VH1 being Black-owned for the first time in its history. A lot of these opinions were coupled with digital applause of reality shows such as “Love and Hip Hop” being moved to MTV, and the hopes of iconic BET programming such as “Comic View”, “Rap City” and “Bobby Jones Gospel Hour” being restored.
Other comments expressed concern that BET, which is already over-saturated with Tyler Perry content, would essentially become the “Madea channel”, and be inundated with mediocre programming that won’t enhance quality control any more than when the network was under Viacom’s ownership. And seeing that Tyler has garnered a reputation for being somewhat of a dictator when it comes to the creative direction of his brand’s offerings, there is reason to be leery about what type of content BET and VH1 will generate under his ownership.
Personally, I can understand the excitement from the historical aspect of his acquiring these networks from Viacom, AND withhold any expectations of higher-quality programming. Black ownership is not automatically synonymous with heightened quality especially when dealing with an owner with a history of generating low to mid-level products. Or to put it plainly in this case, it will take a helluva lot more than an increase in original programming featuring Black actors in bad wigs and poorly written scripts to prove that this acquisition will yield higher quality.
I actually hope that for his sake Tyler, as the majority owner of two major networks, abandons a good bit of the DIY model he used to build his empire, and employs a robust amount of talented and innovative writers, showrunners, directors, producers, etc. to steer the ship, as this is a move that has the potential to revolutionize Black art, media, and entertainment on a mass scale.
And should that happen, I might take it as Tyler apologizing for all the times a [predictably] light-skinned hero showed up in one of his movies or tv shows in a brushed-down braid wig to save the day/rescue tha chirren from a [predictably] dark-complected villain.
We shall see Ma-to-the-damn-Dea.
We shall see.
So many do not like Mr. Perry. Many do. I hope he can actually bring higher quality content to BET and VH1. I pray that if he does, he will be supported. One of the biggest complaints I have is when high quality films are made, we do not support them. I have a “wait and see” attitude. In this age of streaming, one can build a powerful platform if one has the resources and the courage necessary to do it. I would really like to see that.