LOS ANGELES — BET's provocatively titled "Hot Ghetto Mess," which drew sharp criticism and overshadowed the rest of the cable channel's new schedule, is getting an upbeat new name.
"We Got to Do Better" is the title the series will have when it debuts Wednesday, BET spokeswoman Jeanine Liburd told The Associated Press on Monday.
"We've decided to change the name because we want to highlight the show's real intent, which is to offer social commentary in a context that sparks dialogue, debate, and most importantly, change," BET said in a statement.
The show's content remains unaltered, Liburd said.
The half-hour video clip show is based on the Web site hotghettomess.com, which shows examples of outrageous fashion and behavior, mostly in the black community. The BET show will combine viewer-submitted and BET-produced content.
BET is characterizing the show as "pure social commentary." But critics have said it risks holding blacks up to ridicule and perpetuating negative stereotypes.
The new title echoes the "we can do better" slogan of the Web site, which was founded by black lawyer Jam Donaldson of Washington, D.C., an executive producer on the BET show. On her site, she calls for a "new era of examination" by blacks.
For a sistah's perspective - you know what to do.