Black people Quote by Baratunde Thurston
““Never mind that it's not owned by a black person anymore. You can still learn a lot from BET. Primarily, you will learn that black people love reruns, and if you're lucky, you'll catch the Tyler Perry movie! I know the Internet Movie Database says Perry has written over ten films, and there may be several titles and even different casts, but if you've seen one Tyler Perry movie, you've experienced the entire cannon. The man has only made one film, and you can catch it on BET, repeatedly.””
About This Quote
Source Speech: Interview on cultural commentary, 2015
The speaker critiques how BET oversimplifies Black culture, reducing it to reruns and a single Tyler Perry film, highlighting media stereotypes and lack of diversity.
In simple terms: BET reduces Black culture to repetitive content and a single filmmaker.
Recognize and seek diverse Black media beyond stereotypes.
Themes
Mood
Type
When to use this quote
- TV viewing habits
- media literacy workshops
- film studies curricula
- personal media consumption
- community discussions
Key Concepts
Questions to Reflect On
- How does media oversimplification affect cultural perception?
- What steps can you take to explore broader Black media?
The claim may overgeneralize BET’s programming and ignore its varied content.