BET's 'Skank Robbers': Did They Step Over The Line with Black Women?

During the BET Awards, Martin Lawrence and Jamie Foxx did a skit called "Skank Robbers," which you can watch below. Some have argued that the video goes over the top, producing stereotypical images of black women to the point of being offensive. Referring to them as "skanks" was enough to draw the ire of many African Americans, but there was also a point in the video in which the narrator says, "From the producers of 'Planet of the Apes'."

This video leads to the following questions as it pertains to BET:1) Who's making the decisions? I'd love to see what thought process goes into deciding to make R. Kelly your keynote performer right after he is accused of creating child pornography, or having Lil Wayne sing about wanting to have sex with every girl in the world while underage girls are dancing on stage. I don't hate BET, and I've done a great deal of work with them in the past, but I would like very much for them to explain to the public exactly how they operate.

2) BET is pushed to a higher (and sometimes unfair) standard: There is an expectation among African Americans that BET represent the interests of the community and chooses to play an honest role in uplifting black people. Is that really their job or are we asking too much of them? Bob Johnson once said that the "E" in "BET" stands for "entertainment", not "education." Was it fair for him to say that? Additionally, if BET focused on educational and positive images, would they be able to remain in business? Does Viacom, the company that owns BET, have some accountability to the black community, or should they just be there to make a profit?

3) Are we allowed to make fun of black people or is everything off limits? I admit that the characters Martin Lawrence and Jamie Foxx (Wanda and Sheneneh) brought back in order to do the video once made me laugh. I personally find no offense with the fact that Tyler Perry puts on a dress and wig to make money, since his films usually have a wide array of African American portrayals. When white men dress in drag, there is no accusation that they are undermining the entire white race. The only problem with ridiculous portrayals in black comedy is when that portrayal is the ONLY image being presented. When BET or Vh-1 is quick to show Flavor Flav, but passes over the chance to feature black doctors, black lawyers and black professors, then we have a problem. But at the end of the day, it's OK for black people to laugh, or even for white people to laugh at us every now and then. God knows that black people laugh at white folks every day of the week and it doesn't mean we're racially biased.

4) The use of the word "apes" was off the chain and incredibly inappropriate: Whatever BET executive thought it was O.K. to note that the film was brought to you by the producers of "Planet of the Apes" needs a serious lesson in conscientious portrayals of black women. After all the craziness that has taken place in media and politics over the past year, the last thing we need is for black women to be described as apes. We have to be smarter than that and BET executives should know better.

I don't have a problem with BET's existence. I also feel that BET carries a heavier social load than other media outlets that must simply find a way to remain profitable. I do wonder what kind of culture we've created with a generation of booty-shaking kids who think that life is all about "hoes, clothes" and Lil Wayne. Comedy should push our limitations, but not to the point of being irresponsible. BET - We've got to do better.

The video of "Skank Robbers" is below if you'd like to see it.

Dr. Boyce Watkins is a Professor at Syracuse University and an African American speaker. He is also the author of the forthcoming book, "Black American Money." To have Dr. Boyce commentary delivered to your email, please click here.