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We Got To Do Better (formerly Hot Ghetto Mess) (BET)
WHAT HAPPENED Based on lawyer Jam Donaldson's controversial website Hotghettomess.com, the program mixes street reporting with video clips that, according to CNN, ''show examples of outrageous fashion and behavior, mostly in the black community.''
PUBLIC REACTION Since its inception, the show has courted a constant barrage of criticism that has led to a name change and the decision of two major sponsors, State Farm and Home Depot, to pull advertising. Critics call it a ''minstrel show'' that perpetuates stereotypes about working-class black people and contributes to racism; meanwhile, Donaldson and host Charlie Murphy argue that it instigates self-examination and improvement. But ghetto or not, We Got to Do Better will continue to be a hot mess for BET's lawyers for some time to come. — Chris Schonberger
