Satire is a tricky sword to wield, and BET's current efforts to call attention to some of the less-favorable aspects of current black culture are proof of that. First, there was We Got to Do Better (formerly Hot Ghetto Mess), a series whose pilot episode was so schizophrenic I actually developed twelve different personalities while watching it. Never have I seen a TV series struggling so hard to figure out its own identity.

All of the press that came out before it read that the series would use amateur footage of people acting untoward as a means to show how we need to improve (the clips show people of all races), but the first episode kept jumping back and forth between straight satire and host Charlie Murphy sincerely pleading to the audience to improve themselves. Imagine Stephen Colbert dropping his facade every two minutes to say, "this is a joke" -- that's what watching We Got to Do Better was like.

Ever since I first heard about Hot Ghetto Mess, I've been intrigued. The new BET series courted some controversy from folks who felt it exploited black stereotypes, and at least two sponsors, State Farm Insurance and Home Depot, have pulled their ads. Both BET entertainment chief Reginald Hudlin and Jam Donaldson (creator of the HotGhettoMess.com site on which the new series is based) say the purpose of the series is to encourage people, in a humorous manner, to take a look at themselves and their communities and try to affect positive change. The series mixes user-submitted video clips with man-on-the-street interviews.

Speaking of change, the series is now called We Got to Do Better. The actual content of the show won't change, but the new title more clearly explains the intent of the series. I discovered this last night while trying to find Hot Ghetto Mess on my Tivo with no luck. The series, hosted by Charlie Murphy (Chappelle's Show) debuts tomorrow (Wednesday) at 10:30 p.m.

Starting tomorrow evening, Bravo's Inside the Actors Studio will celebrate Black History Month with repeats of episodes featuring Eddie Murphy, Will Smith, Dave Chappelle, Jamie Foxx, Forrest Whitaker and Queen Latifah. On February 19 at 8 p.m., a new two-hour episode will feature Diana Ross in an exclusive interview with host James Lipton. Ross will also perform some of her songs during the episode. The schedule is below:

• Eddie Murphy: February 5 at 7 p.m.
• Will Smith: February 11 at 2 p.m.
• Dave Chappelle: February 12 at 6 p.m.
• Jamie Foxx: February 12 at 8 p.m.
• Diana Ross: February 19 at 8 p.m.
• Forrest Whitaker: February 20 at 4 p.m.
• Queen Latifah: February 26 at 9 a.m.

Here's another addition to my list of upcoming television programming honoring Black History Month:

According to Sitcoms Online, TV Land will be re-airing the Wayne Brady talkfest That's What I'm Talking About on February 3. The three-part series featured Brady as he conversed with big names in black entertainment and politics such as Al Sharpton, Spike Lee, D.L. Hughley, Harry Belafonte, Diahann Carrol, Wanda Sykes and many others. TV Land does not currently seem to have any information on what time the repeats will air, but you can watch clips from the shows here (I had to sneak through the back door with my Google key to find the site).

I'll be sure to post about other TV shows and specials dedicated to Black History Month as they become available. If you know of any I missed, let me know in the comments.

In honor of Black History Month, I've made a non-conclusive list of some programs and specials that are coming up to celebrate black history in America. I'll be adding more shows to future posts as information becomes available, probably as we get closer to February. If you know of any I've missed, let me know in the comments and I'll add them to my next post.

First she was furious for being snubbed, now she's furious for being accused of gross snubbery. It seems Oprah is angry a lot these days. The most recent flak was caused when a columnist for a black paper in Chicago questioned Winfrey's absence at the funeral of black businessman John H. Johnson, founder of the magazines Ebony and Jet. Oprah says she was in Hawaii when she got the news of Johnson's death, and could not return for the funeral. She plans to do a show about the media pioneer after the summer hiatus.