Maybe it’s just me, but the BET Awards red carpet reminded me of a rundown motel parking lot with a gaudy billboard out front. It’s one of those cheap, tasteless sights that you can’t avoid seeing. I don’t know when the red carpet changed to the blue carpet, but whoever made the choice of that shaggy blue carpet has probably never been in a motel and should be fired. I will refrain from commenting on the white trashcan liners that accessorized the walls, nor will I comment on the fashion because I am old, and I realize my attire is outdated and very old school. Just wearing a dress with a slip is out of style and old-fashioned, and that was obvious from the various photos I happened to see.

Now, to be truthful, I did not watch the BET Awards. As a matter of fact, I haven’t watched that awards show in years. But now, I am a feign for social media and will gladly watch shorts of supposed cultural events that align with my profile. It’s just unfortunate that my algorithms include the likes of Miss. Netta and Charles, hairy underarm pit, Shonda and a a host of fat chicks eating food and modeling cheap cloths that cover horse asses. Mixed in between those shorts are more shorts of events like the BET Awards. My algorithm is twisted.

When an image of Will Smith appeared, I felt compelled to search for and watch the video of his great performance. The darkness, fire, and red hues throughout the video were particularly captivating. Considering Will Smith's public humiliations and embarrassments, one can say so much about this performance. Adding Kirk Franklin, a proclaimed gospel singer, choir director, record producer and rapper, who has similarly faced public scrutiny, further completes a narrative of public redemption. They appear to be employing the strategy Manipulation 101-B: (I made this up) using a song complete with a church choir to regain public favor after their falls from grace. There is no better way to claim redemption than to visible align oneself with Jesus Christ and add a nice, somber, melodic beat complete with a flaming fire and a mass choir to a public performance.

Will Smith, has portrayed the image of a great father figure for years. He has been playing this role of a respected and loving father and husband for so long that he forgot it was just a character. His image as an ideal family man was shattered when his wife, Jada Pinkett Smith, used her 'Red Table Talk' as a platform to confess everything that was wrong in their marriage. Affairs, misbehavior, and a multitude of personal issues were aired publicly. The world discovered that one of the couples we admired, especially in the Black community, was not what they seemed. Then came that slap. Will Smith, apparently so enraged probably with his wife, smacked Chris Rock during the Academy Awards after Chris Rock made a crack on Jada—no better place to display pent-up rage. Will Smith's movies, once symbols of his profound and loving persona, now seem to be extensions of his charade. His slap at Chris Rock and the ongoing revelations from his wife have destroyed this image and made his true self clear: a caricature rather than a genuine individual.

His recent performance at the BET Awards seemed like another desperate attempt at redemption. The dark, fiery stage setting, meant to symbolize his journey from hell to redemption, was featured with a powerful gospel choir. The choir was the only authentic part of the performance, stirring emotions and masking the underlying insincerity of Smith's plea for forgiveness.

Adding Kirk Franklin into the mix only compounded the spectacle. Franklin, with his public battles and questions about his spirituality, tried to leverage the same gospel choir to cleanse his tarnished image. His recent controversies, especially involving his son, have left many questioning his authenticity as a representative of Christ. This performance at the BET Awards seemed like a last-ditch effort to manipulate public perception, a façade of repentance wrapped in gospel music. He is saved! He is saved!

Despite these overt displays of redemption, the underlying motives are hard to ignore. Chants of 'He is saved! He is saved!' may resonate in the background, but they do nothing to mask the strategic intent behind these public acts. In fact, their performance only adds another layer to the reality that both men will do anything to remain on top, including masquerading a lie.

DAHTRUTH

Will Smith and Kirk Franklin's performance at the BET Awards was nothing more than Manipulation 101. It was a spectacle where two grown men, publicly pleading for redemption, seemed more focused on appealing to the audience than to God. They seek to reclaim their reputations by masquerading as something they are not—redeemed by God. Their attempts to gain approval from the masses for their past misdeeds are transparent and ultimately unconvincing. The façade of the true family man and the devoted spiritual leader has been shattered, leaving only the hollow remnants of their former images.