''We Got to Do Better'', originally titled ''Hot Ghetto Mess'', is an American

television series A television show – or simply TV show – is any content produced for viewing on a television set which can be broadcast via over-the-air, satellite, or cable, excluding breaking news, advertisements, or trailers that are typically placed be ...

on Black Entertainment Television. The show is based on the cult website hotghettomess.com, which satirizes aspects of the

African-American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ensl ...

working class The working class (or labouring class) comprises those engaged in manual-labour occupations or industrial work, who are remunerated via waged or salaried contracts. Working-class occupations (see also " Designation of workers by collar colo ...

. Jam Donaldson, creator of the website and lawyer, is the show's executive producer. Charlie Murphy, known for his role on ''

Chappelle's Show ''Chappelle's Show'' is an American sketch comedy television series created by comedians Dave Chappelle and Neal Brennan, with Chappelle hosting the show and starring in the majority of its sketches. Chappelle, Brennan, and Michele Armour were ...

'', is the show's host. The show's content has been described as "combin ngviewer-submitted home videos and BET-produced man-on-the-street interviews that the channel said are intended to challenge and inspire 'viewers to improve themselves and their communities.'" Although Donaldson has said of Hotghettomess.com that "My mission with this site is to usher in a new era of self-examination", the site has been described as merely an expansive gallery of the worst of

hip hop culture Hip hop or hip-hop is a culture and art movement that was created by African Americans, Latino Americans and Caribbean Americans in the Bronx, New York City. Hip hop culture is characterized by four key elements: rapping, DJing and turntablis ...

. However, BET programming director

Reginald Hudlin Reginald Alan Hudlin (born December 15, 1961) is an American film screenwriter, director, producer, and comic-book writer. Along with his older brother Warrington Hudlin, he is known as one of the Hudlin Brothers. From 2005 to 2008, Hudlin was P ...

insisted that the show was not a direct translation of the website, and the show was billed by BET as a

tongue-in-cheek The idiom tongue-in-cheek refers to a humorous or sarcastic statement expressed in a serious manner. History The phrase originally expressed contempt, but by 1842 had acquired its modern meaning. Early users of the phrase include Sir Walter Scot ...

social examination of black culture. The show has experienced controversy due to its negative portrayals of African Americans, causing a name change. Despite the name change, it was reported that at least two sponsors withdrew from the show as a result of the surrounding controversy.

Controversy

The show had become controversial, even before its release, for its stereotypical portrayal of African Americans. In this context, it has been unfavorably compared to

minstrel show The minstrel show, also called minstrelsy, was an American form of racist theatrical entertainment developed in the early 19th century. Each show consisted of comic skits, variety acts, dancing, and music performances that depicted people spec ...

s and the VH1 reality show ''

Flavor of Love ''Flavor of Love'' is an American reality television dating game show starring Flavor Flav of the rap group Public Enemy. While not a direct spin-off, the show was a result of Brigitte Nielsen and Flavor Flav's failed relationship on ''Strange ...

''. The website on which the show was based has suffered from much of the same controversy, and has resulted in at least one attempted lawsuit.Alston, Joshua. "Too Hot to Handle". ''Newsweek'', July 20, 2007. Due to the unreleased show's perceived racial degradation, many

blog A blog (a truncation of "weblog") is a discussion or informational website published on the World Wide Web consisting of discrete, often informal diary-style text entries (posts). Posts are typically displayed in reverse chronological order s ...

s and internet petitions called for a boycott of the show. It was reported that, as a result of the controversy, State Farm Insurance and

Home Depot The Home Depot, Inc., is an American multinational home improvement retail corporation that sells tools, construction products, appliances, and services, including fuel and transportation rentals. Home Depot is the largest home improvement r ...

pulled their

sponsorship Sponsoring something (or someone) is the act of supporting an event, activity, person, or organization financially or through the provision of products or services. The individual or group that provides the support, similar to a benefactor, is k ...

from the show. In truth, neither company ever had intent to purchase advertisements for the show, but did withdraw advertisements from BET.com because of the show. Though BET has defended the show, it decided to change the show's name ''Hot Ghetto Mess'' to ''We Got to Do Better'', the

tagline In entertainment, a tagline (alternatively spelled tag line) is a short text which serves to clarify a thought for, or is designed with a form of, dramatic effect. Many tagline slogans are reiterated phrases associated with an individual, s ...

of the original website, to clarify the show's intentions. However, the show was still referred to as ''Hot Ghetto Mess'' for the first six episodes, which were filmed before the name was changed.

Response

Despite a stronger than expected viewership of 800,000 on the first episode, ''We Got to Do Better'' has received generally negative reviews, with most critics complaining that the show is too bland and unfunny, and has a muddled message. The show was described as "racially balanced - and equally unfunny - on all levels" by

Nekesa Mumbi Moody Nekesa Mumbi Moody is an American journalist and editor. She is currently the editorial director of ''The Hollywood Reporter''. Biography Moody is a native of New York. She received her B.A. from Barnard College of Columbia University in 1992 ...

of the ''

Associated Press The Associated Press (AP) is an American non-profit news agency headquartered in New York City. Founded in 1846, it operates as a cooperative, unincorporated association. It produces news reports that are distributed to its members, U.S. ne ...

'', who also criticized the show's man-on-the-street interviews as inferior to the similar feature on ''

The Tonight Show with Jay Leno ''The Tonight Show with Jay Leno'' is an American late-night talk show hosted by Jay Leno that first aired from May 25, 1992, to May 29, 2009. It resumed production on March 1, 2010 and ended on February 6, 2014. The fourth incarnation of the ...

''. An article in ''

Newsweek ''Newsweek'' is an American weekly online news magazine co-owned 50 percent each by Dev Pragad, its president and CEO, and Johnathan Davis, who has no operational role at ''Newsweek''. Founded as a weekly print magazine in 1933, it was widely ...

'' called the show a "

classist Class discrimination, also known as classism, is prejudice or discrimination on the basis of social class. It includes individual attitudes, behaviors, systems of policies and practices that are set up to benefit the upper class at the expense ...

sideshow" and said "Gold teeth, neon wigs and oversize thongs—you call that 'social commentary'?" although it admitted that BET had not screened the show for them. Later, after watching the show, another ''Newsweek'' article said "The show is indeed a spectacle, but not quite in the way anyone was expecting. It wasn’t very controversial, funny or interesting." Critic Joanna Weiss described the show as "deathly boring" and stated that "even if you accept the producers’ intentions as sincere, the show suffers in translation from the Internet to TV." Notwithstanding, at least one review was positive, calling ''We Got to Do Better'' "a show that was actually teaching something through a little social commentary." As a response to the controversy surrounding ''We Got to Do Better'', BET plans to add 16 "balanced" shows to the channel by the end of the year.

References

External links

HotGhettoMess.com
* {{IMDb title, id=1013100, title=We Got to Do Better
''We Got to Do Better'' at Yahoo! TV

''We Got to Do Better'' at MySpace

''We Got to Do Better Blog''
African-American working class BET original programming Working-class culture in the United States 2000s American television series 2007 American television series debuts 2007 American television series endings