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02x14 - The Hunger Strike

Posted: 01/17/23 20:04
by bunniefuu
[♪♪♪]

WOMAN:
Welcome to BET headquarters.

I'm Deborah Leevil.
It's 2 p.m.,

so it's time for
our morning staff meeting.

Our leader, Bob Johnson,
had a dream.

A dream of creating a network
that would accomplish

what hundreds of years
of sl*very,

Jim Crow and malt liquor
couldn't.

The destruction of black people!

MAN: Yo, sister!

Is that so hard?

Mistress Leevil,
since BET came into existence,

terrible things
have happened to black people.

Dropout rates, teen pregnancy,
unemployment and incarceration

have skyrocketed
since our debut 25 years ago.

We really believe
we're making a difference--

LEEVIL:
Silence!

Agh!

MAN:
What the devil?

The destruction of black people

is not happening fast enough.

The other day I saw
three n*gg*s reading books.

One of them was smiling.

[PHONE RINGS]

Yes.

MAN: He gonna die.

No, I'll have to call them back.

Oh, and I need another math guy.

He gonna die.

You know, the dude
with the charts and shit.

He dead.

Yeah, him. I need another one.

Yeah, and a cleanup crew.
Oh, and another shoe.

Left. No, Prada.

Wedgie Rudlin,

my Harvard-educated
president of entertainment,

tell me about the evil shows
you have in development.

Um--

MAN: Tell it, brother!

--Mistress Leevil,
my Harvard education tells us

that our goal is to take
all the shitty reality shows

MTV did five years ago,
and make them black.

Anyone who wants to see a shitty
black version

of an MTV reality
show, well,

they'll have to come to us.

What else?

Next month, we're gonna
have our first awards show

honoring video hoes.

MAN: Video hoes!

Or as I like to call it,
a "Hoe-wards" show.

[COUGHS]

Right.

I don't get it.

Must be that Harvard humor.
F*gg*t-ass f*gg*t.

Personnel, how are we f*cking up
n*gg*s' money?

Well, let's see.
As you've requested,

nobody outside this room
has been paid for months.

And you fired everyone
that could read.

Mm-hm.

I love it.

Okay, and public relations?

Mistress Leevil, we got one
thing to report, a'ight?

Some little n*gga
named Huey Freeman.

He all critical
of the network and shit,

talking about
a hunger strike.

Why? What did we ever do to him

except try to destroy
black people? What?

This hunger strike
will continue

until BET is taken off the air,
the office is shut down,

and all its top executives
commit Japanese ritual su1c1de.

[CACKLES]

He's just a kid.

No one can stand in my way
of destroying black people.

Especially not

Huey Freeman.

[CACKLES]

[♪♪♪]

♪ I am the stone
The builder refused ♪

♪ I am the visual
The inspiration ♪

♪ That made lady
Sing the blues ♪

♪ I'm the spark
That makes your idea bright ♪

♪ The same spark
That lights the dark ♪

♪ So that you can know
Left from right ♪

♪ I am the ballot in your box
The b*llet in the g*n ♪

♪ The inner glow
That lets you know ♪

♪ To call your brother sun ♪

♪ The story that just begun ♪

♪ The promise
Of what's to come ♪

♪ And I'm 'a remain a soldier ♪

♪ Till the w*r is won
Won ♪

♪ Chop, chop, chop
Judo flip ♪

♪ Chop, chop, chop
Judo flip ♪

♪ Chop, chop, chop
Judo flip ♪

♪ Chop, chop, chop ♪

[♪♪♪]

GRANDDAD:
♪ Fake meat ♪

♪ Fake meat is good
Ooh-hee, hey ♪

HUEY:
It was the third day of my
hunger strike to bring an end

to the tyranny of
Black Entertainment Television.

GRANDDAD:
Mm-mm. Man, fake meat is good.

Hey, could you pass me
one of them veggie burgers?

There was someone around here
who used to love veggie burgers.

You wouldn't remember who
that was, would you, boy? Hm?

[BURPS]

[CHUCKLES]

What's with all
this hunger strike, boy?

What did food
ever do to you, hm?

[CHUCKLES]

Can I be excused, please?

No, you are gonna eat
with the family, boy.

Ain't nobody told you
to crusade against BET.

BET is out
to destroy black people.

My n*gga, I watch BET every day,
feel me?

There ain't nothing wrong
with me, feel me?

n*gga,
you just hating, feel me?

That's why you ain't never gonna
have no paper, no b*tches.

Boy, watch your mouth.

See? That's BET.

He's right though, Huey.
Women don't like hating.

You better listen
to your granddaddy. Heh.

You don't wanna be bitchless.

I know bitchless.
Look, I'm bitchless right now.

It's no fun.

You feel me?

[PHONE RINGS]

Hello?

MAN: Hey. Uh, good day.

I'm looking for
brother Huey Freeman please.

Speaking.

Hey, brother Huey,

my name is Reverend
Rollo Goodlove.

And it's my honor
to speak with you.

Wait, the Rollo Goodlove?

You mean,
the Rollo Goodlove

who toured with Parliament
Funkadelic in the '70s,

became a community activist
in the '80s,

ran for president
twice in the '90s,

and currently is host of the
syndicated public-access show

"What's Goin' On?" with Rollo
Goodlove, Rollo Goodlove?

ROLLO:
Mm-hm. The same. Hm. Glory.

Anyway, I had to call
and share with you my support

of your hunger strike.
How you feeling?

Hungry.

Well, you know,

you made a powerful statement,
young man.

And I'm proud
to call myself your ally.

Are you going on a hunger strike
with me?

Uh, yeah. Um...
Uh, no. No, no, no.

You see, I have to have dinner
with Puffy later on.

But don't you worry though.

Together we're gonna bring
our enemies to their knees.

Now, listen, I'm holding a rally
downtown tomorrow, brother.

And I would love for you
to come and stand with us.

[♪♪♪]

ROLLO:
Brothers and sisters.

I said, bothers and sisters.

[INDISTINCT YELLS]

I don't know what
this world is coming to.

But if you ask me
what I think about BET,

I'll tell you with no shame:

BET sucks.

MAN:
Suck that d*ck!

Suck!

Now, I say that because

when I sit and watch BET,

my dignity is sucked away.

And, uh,
my pride is sucked away.

And the progress we've made
in the freedom struggle

over the last five decades
is sucked away.

[CROWD SHOUTING]

Now, brothers and sisters,

we are here today
because we're not gonna let BET

suck anything more from us.

I say, stand up and tell 'em:

"I will not be a prisoner
to your foolishness. I am free.

"And I will not be
captured by your ignorance.

"'Cause I'm free.

"I will not be trapped

"in your negrofied matrix,
either.

Because I am free."

Uno, dos, tres, cuatro.

[BAND PLAYING FUNK MUSIC]

[CROWD CHEERING]

♪ If you're wondering
What it look like ♪

♪ Look at me ♪

♪ Ah! ♪

MAN 1:
Yeah, baby!

MAN 2:
Yeah, reverend.

Let me show you
how to do it.

♪ Yeah, yeah ♪

♪ Ah-hah, oh ♪

♪ Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah ♪

Right here, baby!
Yeah!

♪ I'm on my way ♪

♪ For most everything ♪

♪ And this is my day ♪

♪ Make me wanna say
I'm free ♪

♪ And everything
I'm allowed to see ♪

♪ Free ♪

♪ Come and see ♪

♪ No, no
Look at me ♪

♪ Ah
What you waiting on? ♪

♪ I want action, passion
Smiling ♪

♪ Laughing, yielding
Feeling ♪

♪ Helping, healing ♪

♪ Introduce your neighbor
To your savior ♪

♪ I'm free ♪

♪ Look at me ♪

♪ Freedom in high fidelity ♪

♪ Free ♪

ALL:
♪ Nah, nah, nah, nah, nah ♪

[ROLLO LAUGHS]

Yeah!

Ooh, have mercy.

Brothers and sisters,
y'all give it on up

for Otis and the Action Band.

[CROWD CHEERING]

Granddad, you should have
seen it.

Reverend Goodlove,
it was amazing.

Man, the people
were so inspired.

Oh, yeah, I saw it on the news.
Looked like American Idol to me.

I still don't know what
your problem is with BET.

I love Beyoncé. sh**t.
Little sweet thing.

♪ Oh, shake it girl
Shake it girl ♪

♪ Shake it girl
Yeah ♪

Ain't you hungry yet?

[♪♪♪]

Well, I was thinking
that tomorrow

we could reach
the people by marching

to the BET headquarters--

Now, now, we ain't
gonna do no shit like that.

Uh, now, Huey,
black people have style.

And we are attracted
to things of class.

Especially
you young people.

Ahem. Now, see,

but that's what makes BET
so dangerous now.

Excuse me.
It sells you young people

a lifestyle
that you're attracted to.

Mm, that's good-- But, uh--
But you can't afford it.

And in order to save them kids,
I gotta reach them kids. Mm.

Now, see, when I shine,

they walk toward me for
the light of them diamonds. Heh.

Ain't nothing wrong with that.
But when they walk away from me,

they got the light
of their truth.

You think I wanna
be at the VIBE awards?

Do you really
believe I want to be

ringside at the championship
fight? Mm-mm.

You think I wanna be doing
Skating with the Stars,

falling down,
f*cking up my ankles?

Well, g*dd*mn it!

Waiter,
this ain't no beluga caviar.

Now, see, for example,
let's look at music.

Now, here's my rap demo.

Personally,
I like jazz and gospel.

But if I spit that hot fire,

I might be able to reach
some of them kids out there.

You see, thing with me
though is,

when I do it, I'm a gonna
do it for the people, now.

I work all day and night
to get their attention.

And it's hard.
It's hard work, Huey.

Look, I even know
all the new dances.

[HUMMING]

♪ You-- ♪

♪ You and-- ♪

[♪♪♪]

Mistress Leevil, the new slogans
are ready for your approval.

Oh.

MAN [OVER TV]:

Hm.

MAN [OVER TV]:

Uh-huh.

MAN [OVER TV]:

Hmm. I'll think about it.

[PHONE RINGS]

MAN:
Sorry to bother you,
Mistress Leevil,

but the Freeman boy is on CNN.

What's CNN?

But I submit
to you today--

LEEVIL:
Rollo Goodlove.

I know just how to deal
with the good reverend.

[CACKLING]

[♪♪♪]

HUEY:
Thanks to Goodlove
and a very slow news cycle,

the boycott became a big story
and started to take off.

Man.

f*ck BET.
I'm gonna read a book.

[♪♪♪]

HUEY:
Word got around: BET was evil.

Okay, welcome back,
little lambs.

Uh, we are sitting here
with former BET host,

sister Sherry Carter.

First things first.

You never could get
that hair right,

now could you, baby?
Oh, heh-heh.

But we was with you, baby,

because you had
the big old thighs.

And you was a red bone, mmm.

Never could understand
how a sister

that light-skinned
had bad hair, though.

Is Tigger short
for tiger and n*gg*r?

Or are you just a big old fan
of Winnie the Pooh?

We are now sitting here
with a former BET host,

Tavis Smiley. Now, Tavis,
correct me if I'm wrong,

but you had some problems over
there at BET, now, didn't you?

Well, I'm not gonna lie
and say I didn't.

Yeah, but things
went okay for you afterwards.

I mean, after all,
you do have an NPR show.

Well, yes,
I do have the NPR radio show.

And I also have
a talk show on PBS.

Oh, two shows. Hm.

I guess that beats my one, huh?
Heh-heh.

You're doing real good,
brother.

You're doing real good.

You know, I don't think
I've ever been invited

to either one of those shows,
though.

Well, then, we'll just have
to get you on, now, won't we?

I mean, heh,
I put you on my show.

You know,
I'm sharing my light.

Helping you move a book or two.

But I don't see
the favor being returned.

At all.
So I was just checking to see

if I had done
something wrong to you.

I think we're
out of time.

ROLLO:
m*therf*cker, that's my line.

See, Granddad?
That's called exposure.

And with enough of it,
we can change the world.

Mm-hm.

And finally tonight,
Reverend Rollo Goodlove,

who's been very critical
recently of BET

and their sexually-explicit
videos,

starred in a pretty explicit
video of his own.

Oh.

The video clearly shows

the, uh, good Reverend Goodlove

at the House of Cheeks
strip club.

♪ Shake that ass, girl ♪

And it doesn't look
like he was talking politics.

[CHUCKLES]

I bet you're
hungry now.

I'm saying, man,
it doesn't look good.

Jesus walked amongst the people.

Mohammad walked
amongst the people.

I am a people person, Huey.

All the great prophets
embraced the people.

You're embracing a butt,
Reverend.

Listen, child, I can speak
in colleges

and get paid
a whole heap of money.

But if you're in college
already,

you don't need
Rollo Goodlove

as much as a young brother
out there in the g*ng

or a young sister
in the strip club

needs Rollo Goodlove.

Have mercy. Now, see.
If I walk into the strip club

and start talking to a sister

about progressive politics
and all that,

bettering her life
and voter registration,

you think she gonna talk to me?

But if I grab me a handful
of that big old ass

and ask for a dance,

now, she's gonna think
I'm just another trick.

When I'm really
an instrument of her salvation.

Now, I have set
the table for change.

Yeah. She grinding on me,
trying to get that little $20.

But she gonna get
a whole lot more than that,

believe me. Oh, glory.

Now, sometimes
you'll find her an apartment.

Maybe even a job.

Yeah, but it still
looks pretty bad.

I just hope it doesn't
hurt the boycott.

I don't think I can go
without food much longer.

HUEY:
This wasn't the first blow

to Reverend Goodlove's
public image.

Do you own a car?

'Cause if you do,
you own the keys to some cash.

HUEY:
Last year,
Reverend Goodlove signed on

to pitch high-interest loans

that exploit
the poor and desperate.

Call the Loan Ranger.

I feareth not your scandals.
My name is Rollo Goodlove.

You can't sully my reputation.

I take your att*cks
as a badge of honor.

They called Martin Luther King
an adulterer.

They called
Muhammad Ali a communist.

And for 2000 years, they called
Mary Magdalene a prost*tute.

Come to find out
that's Jesus' baby mama.

Y'all saw The Da Vinci Code.

HUEY:
I don't know, maybe Rollo
just knew how to spin.

I don't think
there's anything wrong

with a stripper's ass
in a grown man's face.

But I do have a problem
with BET

putting strippers' asses
in the faces of our children.

HUEY:
Or maybe by now his followers

just weren't surprised
by anything he did anymore.

Well, of course it was a setup.

I believe the release
of this video

was engineered
by BET themselves,

working in conjunction
with the Republican Party

and-- And the FBI thing.

HUEY:
Goodlove escalated
the attack on BET

by producing a DVD called BET:
The High Cost of Low Standards.

ROLLO:
These are the poor.
These are the forgotten.

The victims of
black-on-black crime.

These are the employees

of Black Entertainment
Television.

Now, these two comedy writers

were only offered two dollars
for a pilot script.

When will this tragedy end?

The situation's gotten so bad

that workers
at this Wal-Mart store

took up a collection
for BET employees. Wow.

I don't know, just seemed
like the right thing to do,

helping people
less fortunate, you know.

ROLLO:
But, as a Wal-Mart employee,

isn't it true
that you were forced

to work overtime hours
off the books,

and you had to get on
food stamps?

Yeah, they forced me
to work overtime

and get on the food stamps.

But at least
I ain't workin' at BET.

So thank you, Lord.
Thank you, Jesus.

ROLLO:
Even this non-legal
immigrant worker

donates money to BET employees
every month. Wow.

Me and my family,
we don't have much,

but we give everything we have

to the poor BET workers.

This is not
what America is about.

[♪♪♪]

REPORTER [ON TV]:
And Black Entertainment
Television

is really feeling the heat now

from this nationwide boycott,
started a week ago

by a 10-year-old boy
on a hunger strike.

The NAACP
announced this morning

that it is asking its members
to join the boycott

to make the network
more socially responsible.

Master. Oh, this is
an unexpected pleasure.

We are honored by your presence.

Ah.

Okay, first of all,

why do you always kneel when
I walk in? That's just so weird.

Second, we've got to
figure out this boycott thing.

It's k*lling us.

Ah, but it is Huey Freeman

and Reverend Goodlove
who'll soon be doing the dying.

But we're looking
at getting some ninjas in

for a cheap price.

Yeah, look,
just talk to 'em.

Give 'em whatever they want,
okay? Just handle it.

Not everyone is in support
of the boycott.

Listen to what this BET
supporter had to say.

Every time
a black baby is born,

I'd give 'em a plasma TV
and one channel: BET.

Slap it right on the ceiling
over the crib.

By the time that n*gga's 12,
he'll be watching it in jail.

Ha-ha-ha-ha! BET forever!

BET! Boom-bye-ya!

BET! Boom-bye-ya.

That's the kind
of language they understand.

Huh. Surprised you guys
haven't given him a show.

Call Goodlove. Set up a meeting!

[♪♪♪]

HUEY:
It was in the news that I first
heard the boycott had ended.

The details were sketchy,
but there was no mention

of the network shutting down,
nor of ritual su1c1de.

So I feared I had been had.

A show?
You sold me out for a show?

Damn it, Huey, you can't
change BET from the outside.

You got to change it
from the inside.

This is victory,
brother.

Now, my message--

Our message
will get to the people.

It's a sitcom called
My Dad, Rollo.

Do you have any idea
how hungry I am?

You think I want my own sitcom,
Huey?

No, I really don't.

But you can catch
more flies with honey

than you ever gonna
catch with vinegar.

And, brother Huey, laughter
is that sweet, sweet honey.

Oh, Lord, child.

Have mercy.

n*gg*s is just gonna be n*gg*s.

So you might as well get that
money while you bullshit.

Why starve?
Why just starve?

Then go get
something to eat.

Me and Puffy having dinner
at the Chateau.

You know you're welcome
to come, don't you?

[♪♪♪]

Thanks, Granddad.

Granddad, what do you do
when you can't do nothing,

but there's nothing
you can do?

You do what you can.

By the way, did you hear they're
giving Ruckus a job at BET?

Can you believe that?

What the hell's wrong
with those people over there?

Damn, they'll give anybody
a job at BET.

I don't
want one. sh**t.

[♪♪♪]