Today/ Tomorrow: The BET Awards 2009

[Jon 2morrow]

Watching the BET Awards made me realize a couple of things last night. For one, Jamie Foxx did his best being the sharpest nail in the nail box. In all of his tributes to the late and great king of pop Jamie Foxx still tried to be as positive as possible, even with all of the dropped cues (the entire show), weird skits (Baby Boy skit), shameless plugs (Alicia Keys how dare you) and bad cursing habits (shout out to Lil Wanye and The O'Jays) the show had within the “jam-packed” award show.

Now this isn’t a blog rant to bad mouth BET. The award show did have its moments and we like to thank all those that gave us the music (Finally Maxwell). But what seem like a tribute to the legend to some became almost a circus to others. Regardless of who the death of a person is, you have to understand that you are broacasting live. Live like the Super Bowl on a February, which means nine times out of ten you WILL be heard no matter how much they try to censor what you say.

The O’Jays real story about the legend was just as genuine as the werid Baby Boy skit that raised a few questions during the show (is beef what’s for dinner Ving Rhames?). Lil Wanye still in all this continues to bewilder us with more of his “hip hop swag” by becoming totally unaware that this was a BET Award show tribute to a legend who practically made his career. Lil Wanye and Soulja boy told’em in ways we wish we didn’t want to see or hear. Where was Al Shapton when you need him?

By the end of the show, an already exhausted Jamie Foxx brings out the one person that DOES NOT want to be on camera, Janet Jackson. Janet Jackson spoke to the fans with great dignity and respect, having strong words that flew by many fans,

“ To you he was an icon, to us he was family”

I wanted Janet to tell the “fans” of the late legend to please not make this into a post Elvis syndrome, that the “facts” (according to the media) about his death has nothing to do with the man and his music. The various autopsies IS NOT going to bring him back from the dead; doing that will only tarnish his reputation even more so as one of the most valuable artist of our time. Do we not understand our celebrity history? The facts of this man will be buried underneath the lies the media will continue to feed us. And this time we are eating every bit of it.

Maybe the question of his death will be just as mysterious as 2pac and Biggie’s murder. I mean think about it, longevity or not, these are legends that put the world on fire when they were alive. The cycle will continue with Micheal Joesph Jackson, as record sales as we speak have gone through the roof with his many rereleases. Kinda makes you wonder where all of that money is going?

Jamie Foxx already knew where the show was going even before he put on the signature jacket for his rendition of "Beat It". Through all of his shameless plugs to the many states he will venture to, you can see the pain written all over Jamie Foxx’s face towards the end of the show. As the cameras were still rolling to the BET after party, Jamie Foxx just looked like he wanted to leave. Instead Jamie continued to be the comic relief and broke down to Drake how he listens to his music high as hell. It goes to show where Jamie Foxx’s head was at during the entire after party.

The "RIP MJ" felt like almost a slogan for the entire evening than a real message of condolence to the family. As I turned off the Idiot Box thinking to myself that my eyes won't be blessed anymore by the pitch master, Billy Mays, I realize that I expected all of what BET gave me within those three plus hours. Nothing new.