BET's Comicview

Comicview is a showcase for African-American comics on the Black Entertainment cable network. Some of the humor can be raunchy, but because BET is a basic cable network, the comedians can't get as raw as they did on HBO's Def Comedy Jam. Each season a new host takes over the MC duties (after having won a contest for the best Comicview comedian of that year), and usually, that person goes on to better things once their stint is over. D.L. Hughley, Steve Harvey, Bernie Mac and Cedric The Entertainer are all now famous comics who have made appearances on this show. Early on, Comicview used to also show an outrageous soap opera called "Ain't Nothin' But A Woman" about Miss Laura (Laura Haynes) who ran a hotel filled with crazy employees and guests, as well as numerous filmed skits that were shown before the commercial breaks. These days, R&B, hip-hop and rap acts appear frequently at the end of the episodes.

When Comicview first came out, about the only regular comedy show to showcase black comedians was Def Comedy Jam. Other than that, you had to settle for Evening at the Improv and the occasional Black comedian that came on. I liked the format with the celebrity judges voting on who was the funniest. Nowadays, its all about the models who are always on the front row and get the camera shots. Another thing that annoys me about the newer episodes is the way the shows are spliced together, like we are not going to notice the same old jokes. I swear the same model chick with the same dress was in 7 episodes. Don't get me wrong, I like beautiful women, but if you need models to get attention and boost ratings, you've got problems with your show.

When Comicview began, it was a wonderful showcase of up-and-coming Black comedians strutting their stuff. In the early years, they were clever, quick-witted, and tackled many different issues. It was also a competition. Celebrity judges voted for the winner and the winner had his own 1-hour special.

Nowadays, Comicview has become a display of buffoonery and sex talk in poor taste. I am sure that much of Black America is more diverse and sophisticated than this. In an article in a Black magazine, the show's co-host, Reynaldo Rey, admitted that the buffoonery even annoys him, at times. There are some Black people who wish to enjoy "intelligent" comedy. You don't get that on BET. That is because Comicview is primarily targeted for teenagers up to those in their late 20's. At this stage, the target audience welcomes talk of raunchy sex with a hip-hop appeal. That's all! I sometimes tune in hoping to get something other than the sex jokes, but that will be a topic by at least one of the comics during the hour-long program. Much of the comedy isn't funny. However, some of the audience laughs anyway, to relieve the tension of if being unfunny. Many of the comics have been on several times, probably because they are desperate for a gig to earn a buck.

Another thing I find obvious, is how the beautiful Black women are overemphasized. Granted, the Black women in the audience are beautiful. However, there is no need to always have the camera on them to draw the attention of your male viewers. A few of these beautiful women sit on benches and seats strategically placed onstage to further accentuate the appeal of the new set. They are there only to look cute. Some may call it exploiting the women in the same way they are exploited in the music videos on the same network.

One thing that is very stale is the audience. It is not necessary for the audience members to give a standing ovation to every comedian when he is introduced and another standing ovation after he completes his performance. They do this even though many of them are not familiar with the comics, and whether they were good or not. That is very tiring to have to see every time.

One bright thing about this season is the party theme music by Buckwheat Zydeco. That southern flavor is jammin'. Since this season being done in New Orleans, it is totally appropriate.

Even though buffoonery and modeling beautiful Black women are the norm, and this makes money for the network, it will continue.

When Comicview first exploded onto the scene in the fall of 1992,it was a wonderful showcase of up-and coming Black comedians strutting their stuff onto the stage with a brand of unadulterated humor that has at the time the show premiered,never before seen. During the show's early years,it was a mixture of cleverness alongside quickwitted and tackling issues that were the order of the day. During that time when Comicview first came out it was the only comedy show to showcase rising black comedians other than that was Def Comedy Jam,which was a bit raunchy and straight up adult-oriented material,and so was Comicview which at the time was very funny and very humorous,and it was always coming on cable's BET Network at 10:00 hour when most adult-oriented shows to come on. However,Comicview showcased a lot of bright and promising talent as well which brought to the stage the like of comedians who were just starting out at the time this show premiered,comedians like Bernie Mac,Martin Lawrence,Chris Tucker,Cedric The Entertainer,Monique, DL Hughley,and so much more with comedian Don "DC" Curry was not only one of the comedians,but the show's host during the first two seasons.

All that would change since there were a lot of comedians that did not become famous,but were also extremely hilarious like Simply Precious, Ricky Smiley,Bruce Bruce,J. Arnaz,and Sammora. Not to forget on that same bill Miss Laura. Not only they were comedians,but the did double duty as guest hosts. Nowadays,Comicview has become a display of outlandish buffoonery and sex jokes that are in very poor taste which most of the hour of the show is nothing but straight up humor that has gone "ghetto" to just total stupidity which network executives think that is the way viewers look at the show,in which one comment was made that Black America is way more diverse and more sophisticated than this. There is a article in Black magazine the reflected on this show in which one of the show's co-host,Reynaldo Rey,also from the 80's sitcom "227",admitted that even the buffoonery that is displayed on the show annoys him,at times. The same can said from another co-host who nowadays doesn't want nothing to do with the show. Do you blame them? Comicview has gone from brilliant to worst to pathetic to just toward the boundary of ghetto fabulous to boost ratings.

By the way,there are some individuals who like "intelligent" comedy,but you won't see any of that on BET,and let me explain why. If you want to enjoy good intelligent "black" comedy,look no further to either Bill Cosby or for than manner Dick Gregory or Sinbad,or to an extent Damon Wayans to some excellent laughs,since BET is no longer the intelligent network of choice,since most of BET's programming consists of nothing but music videos running all hours of the day and so forth. Comicview's primarily targeted audience consists of nothing of the teenagers up to there late 20's-early 30's which the target audience that welcomes nothing but raunchy talk which most of the hour consists of sex and toilet humor and the dissing of someone's parents since most of it is not funny at all period especially with the topic is nothing but gay humor and references to someone's private parts of their body. And all of this is in a hip-hop appeal setting. That's all for 60 minutes!

This was a great show in the beginning until corporate media giant Viacom brought it changing the overall landscape of BET's programming. When Viacom brought BET,the network lost its independent voice and nowadays the only independent voice out there for cable that is for Black Americans is the MBC Channel(Mutual Broadcasting Company)run by an independent black enterprise system. But getting back to Comicview on BET,the show nowadays is an excuse to showcase the same dancers in every segment and the same dancers gets tiredsome afterwhile along with the musical guests which are nothing more than rap videos and lame ass R&B singers instead of showcasing comedians and that is so sad to see. The changing of the hosts has done this show in too,since comedians Bruce-Bruce,and Ricky Smiley tried to be fair but too much of a product for a corporate image is overdoing it,and just recently the show is being hosted by radio personality J. Anthony Brown(for The Tom Joyner Morning Show)and in some segments actress Kim Coles(from the TV series Living Single)and this is why I don't watch the show anymore,period. It's gone totally ghetto from the get-go.

BET's Comicview is Horrible. It is very rare that you will see a comedian that is funny. I must admit that I don't watch it very often because it is not funny,but when I do see the show it is the same unfunny humor.Most of them do unfunny impressions or sing songs to try to get laughs. It really annoys me when they try to do an impression of a singer. How is that funny??? Tell a joke please.Then you have a lot of comedians that use the phrase "Give it up or show some love for ______". This is the only way they can get any applause, because they are not funny.I don't understand how these comics get booked on the show,but who ever does, it doesn't take much to make them laugh.