VH-1 Continues C-List Black Celebrity “Welfare to Work” Program

Ray J., Brandy’s less talented, Z-list, porn star humping, soulless brother, has his own Flavor of Love/I Love New York/Rock-of-whatever-the-name-is-of-that-show-with-Bret-Michaels-and-the-80-year-old-cougar-groupies reality “dating” show.

From what I can gather it’s about Ray J. and a bunch of extras left over from all the other reality shows they were rejected from. (Not pretty enough to open a suitcase on “Deal or No Deal,” ladies? Too “hood” for “The Bachelor?”) The abomination is co-produced by his mother. Sigh. Brandy, apparently, is not involved and for the love of “I Wanna Be Down” I hope she stays far, far away since she’s got issues of her own. Never mind that last part. She’s in on it too.

Christopher Chambers jumped all over this at Nat Turner’s Revenge.

I know you all have poo-pooed my calls for the President to use the “bully pulpit” to decry the turdification of our culture (JFK, HSTruman, TRoosevelt all did with stunning success in transforming the American psyche; and yeah, culture has more influence on politics than policy in America folks). Here’s the latest offense: VH-1 (yeah the execs and producers need to go to Gitmo) and For the Love of Ray-J. And who is Ray-J? Brandy’s talentless retard of a brother, famous only because he hid his braunsweiger in the bubble butt of Kim Khardashian in a sex tape. Nothing more need be said. This makes I Love New York look like Hill Street Blues and the seminal Flavor of Love like M*A*S*H (TV show AND film). And isn’t this long-minted racism: promoting a young black man purely on his hypersexuality, misguided ego and big wang? Ooops…that’s right it’s 2009, not 1909.

While I don’t expect the president to get involved as Christopher has suggested, could someone, anyone talk to Viacom about this? I mean? Why? What is WRONG with Viacom? As I commented on Christopher’s site:

Does VH-1/Viacom have some special welfare program for talentless colored people born without shame who are tangentially related to slightly more talented and/or famous black people? It’s like the Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon, only it’s more like Six Degrees of OJ Simpson.

Re: Kim K., who did the nasty with Ray J., is the daughter of the man who was one of OJ’s buddies and defenders, you know? Until the Kardashians all decided he probably did kill Nicole. So really, for Ray J., that was two degrees to OJ. It might take me a little longer to find Flavor Flav’s and New York’s connections, but I’m sure they’re there.

Surely these trainwreck shows must make the big dollars because, Sweet Jesus, capitalism is the ONLY way you can justify their mere existence.

daniellebelton

14 responses to “VH-1 Continues C-List Black Celebrity “Welfare to Work” Program”

  1. Culinary Chick Avatar
    Culinary Chick

    Seriously dude; I was just saying to my roomie, " How in the hell does he still get publicity??" He reminds me of Neneh Cherry back in the day, or Wild Orchid. It’ s like, who keeps giving these people a platform to emphasize their lack of talent ???I dunno, he like that piece of toilet paper that just won’t leave your shoe. Ok, let me stop fronting…I actually watched the last half of it today. Sigh. Same old crap, just a different wrapper. BTW Snob, Brandy is on the show. She is on an episode involving a lie detector.Ya gotta give it ti her; she’s loyal.

    Reply
  2. Chris Chambers Avatar
    Chris Chambers

    Thanks for the shout out. I’m floored that people think this crap is harmless. i was gonna comment more but I just found out (ironically on my way home from a book party here for Jabari Asim–who wrote the Obama book) that Chris Brown may have beaten the crap out of Rihanna, hence neither is at the Grammies?!

    Reply
  3. Robert M Avatar
    Robert M

    Six degress of OJ. ROTFLMAO

    Reply
  4. infojunkiegrl Avatar
    infojunkiegrl

    how sad…

    Reply
  5. rikyrah Avatar
    rikyrah

    When I read that he was getting a show, and then he described it as a ‘Black Bachelor’, I sighed and went ‘ again’?

    Reply
  6. starrie Avatar
    starrie

    viacom…i won’t watch…

    Reply
  7. Layo G Avatar
    Layo G

    Seriously, I was telling my friends, once Obama got elected, we had to get rid of all the losers holding the race back! seriously, this idiot needs to be added to the list, right along with Flavor flav and New York (who needs to come out already and admit she’s a man!)

    Reply
  8. isonprize Avatar
    isonprize

    And why, I ask, does Chris have to insult "retarded" people by using the term "retard" in describing this no-talent relative of Brandy (which ain’t saying much, when you really think about it…)People who have mental challenges or developmental disabilities sometimes can’t help what they do or say. This foolishness, however, can be stopped. REALLY, It can.Boycott the advertisers, write the sponsors. Chain yourself to the lobby doors. Cancel your cable. Do what you gotta do. just STOP THE MADNESS.

    Reply
  9. Noelani Avatar
    Noelani

    I nearly died when you wrote ‘Welfare-to-work’. It seems as though that’s exactly the type of ‘programing’ VH1 is producing.I have no words, I was done with this channel a while ago. It just gets dumber and dumber. As always, hit em in the pocketbook. My solution, contact the advertisers and let them know, it they keep aiding and abetting poor programing like this, they will feel it on their bottom … line.

    Reply
  10. dukedraven Avatar
    dukedraven

    Thanks for the tidbit about Kardashians. I was wondering why that name sounded so familiar (Not!). Kim’s bubblebutt has been saved on my favorites for some time now. Peace always

    Reply
  11. Marquetta Avatar
    Marquetta

    Snob – You’re giving him way to much credit by calling him a C-List celebrity.

    Reply
  12. CDF Avatar
    CDF

    ROFL! Closer and closer, I get to the point of cutting my cable subscription.

    Reply
  13. Andrea Avatar
    Andrea

    Viacom gives the people what they want. They choose the greatest common denominator of our people who are unlearned about self, their addictions to propensities, and bastardized that desire. Blacks want to see themselves on television. It has always been an affirmation we sought. Before we saw ourselves on television we just wanted to be seen by our slave masters. We don’t know who we are until we see a projected image. But what bugs the hell out of me more is that we seem to know and will bemoan neverending. We want to be redeemed and we want it to be constantly affirmed by all of society. This is intense. We seem to still need reflective images to tell us who we are. This is a severed handicap and retardation in us. Are we not capable of being manificent without the handholding and backstroking? We need to toughen up and simply know who we are and dictate that to our communities first and foremost. Social deviancy (Ray J. and the other prostitutes) will always finds it’s way to promote themselves as legitimate artists. And people have to be stronger than needing social service (groups feeling pity) to placate our weak knees. We have to know who we are without needing anyone’s affirmation. That is what wastes our time from being enterprising as an evolutionary group. We stay stuck in longing but not in doing.I never needed television to tell me who I was. And yes, I used to put a towel on my head to sing along with Sonny and Cher but I loved my afro puffs as well because I saw how my daddy loved them. He affirmed me. I never needed to see figures on television to affirm anything. I had the images live in my community. It’s the way you are taught and taught to see. I never needed White People to see me in pageantry for their approval but I did get caught up in the need for having other Blacks see me a certain way. I realized after awhile it was my weakness in falling prey to the obsessions that take up so much time and creates doubt in yourself. I did start to think the European looking Blacks were pretty but I still thought I was too with my broad nose and full lips because everyone in my family looked the same and I refused to think they were ugly. That MLK plaque on the wall affirmed my nose and lips. So did the Essence magazine covers with women that looked like me. I always knew something about television was not real and engineered.I am sick of television using us because we are desperate and desire to see ourselves be seen. It does not even matter if we are not glorified, we just want the recognition. But whose to blame besides the desperate fools who will hawk their souls for money, fame, and salvation (as to how they see it). But people really don’t realize a lot of the people in front of the camera and behind are nothing but prostitiutes. L. Londell McMillan has been the only person of my generation who is a part of the Black Establishment and the entertainment establishment to put our peers on blast that we sell our people out to the industry. I did a film and it aired on BET and the Independent Channel. And yeah, people would tell me they saw me but it did nothing for me after the moment because I had to come to terms with what I was going to sacrifice in my future to wager material success in the entertainment industry and why for an industry saturated with prostitutes and pimps not really caring about artistry. I had studied theatre history to know that the younger generation who were my peers and even a little older were chasing redemption instead of plain artistry. My experience filming was great but I knew I had to be real about an industry saturated with people who all wanted to fill in a few slots. I really had to think if I would take the chance to maybe squander my life just to maybe get another role to be seen and for how much more would I be in that hamster wheel.George Michael has a song, Star People, that explains this insatiable need people have to be in the industry. People will use the excuse of the defacto form of redemption-seeking in chasing The American Dream as a reason to chase stardom and wealth. I have watched for years that rappers hijacked the identity claims that are artists as lobby for people to keep them taken care of. I would here they shame people into buying their record over the airwaves in interviews or on television. They would try to exploit their work as artistry that was supposed to be supported as even it was curing cancer. I have learned that my peers with a pretty face think they are supposed to marveled at. I watch young women and men with no skills not know anything else they can do but think they should make money off of their looks since they have no other capital to wager in life. I have watched and listened to people testify how they write scripts and get mad that their no place for their work. But people don’t realize if it is art you want to do, you will do it for free and there is always a space for your stuff. It may just not be the glossy, adoring public redeeming you. I had to realize what was my motivation and when I figured out that I wanted attention and affirmation, I transcended. I realized the public was not supposed to give me that fulfilment–my family and my community was. I started to learn that if I really wanted to do art, I may never get paid for it. I knew I could be one of the lucky chosen one to keep getting work but as well I knew I could pop and deflate. But if I wanted to make money in the field, I should expect to not be able to really know I will be my own person ever again. I knew that to really be able to eat and be successful might come at a cost I was not willing to pay. I knew that dividend could not only hurt me but hurt my people.Life is not fair. We all dream for chances and spots everyone else is dreaming for too.People need to be taught a transparency lesson about the business. Most people in Hollywood are broke. They try to go to events to get their pictures taken to keep their name and face out there while they are on unemployment. They take photoshoots to sell themselves–a projected image to seduce, appeal, or intrigue. Hair stylists, weavologists, dentists, trainers, agents, managers, and papparazi keep the people dizzy and broke. They give them hope for the next ‘okee-doke’ because they are sending a bill. And yet, a little bit of buzz can keep them high and invested in the chase that usually serves them at a disadvantage. Blacks in the entertainment industry keep telling themselves they have a dream and that dream is to "make it". No matter the odds against them, the dream is what they chase along with running from their demons of a need to be affirmed.People won’t come clean and just admit that a lot of people are in the industry because they don’t have the social capital or human capital to compete anywhere else. Entertainment is easy to get into. All you have to do is market that you have talent even if you don’t. The talentless compete with the talented and the smarter people get jobs and pursue their artistic dreams on the side.Someone may say that it is natural to want to be affirmed and it is. It’s just a nuance issue that like most things in the Black Community is never really tackled of our evolutionary make-up. We are a people that are so damn needy who seem to like to elongate the torture, the drama, and the tragedy of our own narrative. We could flip the script and just say "fuck it". Maybe then, people would then chase us instead of making us think they are only to exploit us.

    Reply
  14. Spinster Avatar
    Spinster

    The title of this entry is straight comedy! Yet it describes that show, and other shows like it, perfectly. The fact that Ray J.’s name is in the title turned me off anyway. I don’t watch most of those garbage reality shows. Buffoonery at its best.

    Reply

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