For those who don't know, Reed Between the Lines is a new show featured on BET. It's first season just ended and many critics (professional and otherwise) have compared its subject matter and set up to that of The Cosby Show. I have heard some of my peers describe the show as boring, slow, corny, and over the top. I personally enjoy this show and appreciate the positive image of a Black family in America being portrayed, especially on BET (otherwise expressed as Black Exploitation Television).Reed Between the Lines is not BET's typical show...there is no profanity, no nudity, and a 2 parent home featuring highly educated and professional parents encouraging education and morals in their children in every episode.
For a generation desensitized to murder, sex, death, profanity...and more, I can understand why young people may not enjoy this show. My answer to this: this show isn't meant for you. The way that I have interpreted the introduction of this series is BET's attempt to redeem itself and attract an older audience. Yes, 106 and Park, The Game, and numerous awards shows work for the younger crowd, but for a network that used to appeal to a more diverse audience, I believe that they are working to regain that image. Reed Between the Lines not only attracts the generation that was raised on The Cosby Show, but the positive, "traditional" Black family image that is lacking in today's media scene. We've seen the single parent image, we've seen the no parent image, we've seen drugs, jail, and teen pregnancy; this show sheds a light on a neglected demographic that may be accepted but isn't often portrayed.
If you feel like you don't see yourself or your definition of Black America in Reed Between the Lines, my answer is: you aren't supposed to. One problem that I've observed in every culture's search of identity/ acceptance in America is its need to be portrayed "correctly" to the rest of the world that doesn't understand the truth that they personally experience as a member of the specific culture. My response: how do you show a recovering drug addict's reality, a middle class family's reality, a privileged business owner's reality, and a pregnant teenager's reality at the same time? You don't. IT'S NOT POSSIBLE... every time someone tries, it seems to turn out as a mixed up messed up Tyler Perry movie. [Disclaimer: I enjoy a majority of Tyler Perry's movies and believe he is good at what he does... but sometimes, he does too much by trying to involve everybody... a conversation for a different day.]
As the cliché saying goes, you can't please everyone. What we need to do is stop feeling entitled to representation in everything (equal representation is necessary, not superior or exclusive representation) and work on really perceiving the reality of the world around us. The sooner we accept that our personal familiarities are not the only or the only credible experiences, the sooner we'll be able to validate the experiences of others and be supportive while creating the positive/appropriate image of our cultures that we all strive to present.
...but what do I know?
Posts
