What People Are Saying: BET founder glorifies thuggery for the youth but wanted only a gentleman to marry his daughter!

<![CDATA[ Businessman Bob Johnson and his ex-wife Sheila became billionaires after founding Black Entertainment Television.  With a life-story that’s a true blend of capitalism and the American dream, the couple went on to provide a fabulous life for themselves and their children.  And last week, the couple’s daughter Paige, an equestrian champion WHO’S been featured in Town & County, went on to marry an insurance broker with a really fancy sounding name, Dudley Payne III.  Now…we’re not saying she should have married a black man…but it’s interesting…that she didn’t. The blog beyondblackwhite.com put it nicely, 

This is the ultimate irony. Bob Johnson, co-founder of BET, a vehicle that has single-handedly tarnished the name of black American women all over the world, wants a “gentleman” for his daughter. Funny, because he’s made his fortune convincing black women that thugs, drug dealers, and gold teeth should be the standard of sexiness and allure for us mere-mortal regular black chicks.

And you’ll recall that Bob had this to say about his son-in-law.  “This guy is the perfect guy for Paige…He’s a true gentleman.” Beyondblackwhite.com went on to offer,  

Take a goooooood look at the last paragraph. Mr. Johnson said that this WHITE INSURANCE BROKER IS THE PERFECT GUY FOR HIS DAUGHTER. I’ve said this before on other issues but it bears repeating like a broken record on a Victrola: Be careful of those who advocate a lifestyle on others that they would never desire for themselves. Do you think Jay-Z is going to want his precious little Blu Ivy gallivanting with the progeny of his homeboys? Doubt it.

  Bob Johnson may very well have been “ok” with Paige marrying a Donnie Simpson type (for the older BET viewers) or perhaps a TJ Holmes type (for the younger crowd), or would he? And with all of the controversy that’s surrounded BET over the past two decades with the images and stereotypes of Black people that it’s helped perpetuate, are folks right in feeling some type of way about Bob walking his daughter down the aisle into the arms of “the perfect” white man? culled from theybf.com]]>