Last Friday on National Public Radio, Keith Boykin and friends discussed the new BET television public service announcement called "Read A Book." The satirical profanity-laden PSA encourages viewers to read a book, raise your kids, buy some land, brush your teeth and engage in other socially responsible activities.
Some have described the PSA as a brilliant satirical parody that challenges pop culture by employing the same disturbing images of booty shaking video vixens and blinged out youth used to sell pop culture in the first place. Others find the language offensive and the video insulting for portraying more negative images of black culture for mass market consumption.
On his blog, Keith asks is it possible that for this PSA to do both? Could it be both brilliant satire and offensive caricature at the same time? And asks if it is both, do the ends (reaching pop culture devotees with an important message) justify the means (using the same language and images that you complain about to send the message)?
Staying with the discussion of weather or not this public service announcement aired on BET is appropriate for its audience; I would have to say that it is not.
While reading Keith's post (and before I actually watched the video) I was all for a cartoonish PSA that promoted brushing teeth, reading books and other "socially responsible" behavior. I also wondered why Keith had doubts about its appropriateness.
All of my questions were fully answered once I started to watch the video. Do not get me wrong. I like some type of rap music and adore hip-hop and R&B, but I could not stomach to watch this video in its entirety. I actually only watched about 30 seconds of it before I clicked "exit".
It would be socially irresponsible for BET to continue to air this PSA.
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