Bougie TV Side-eye: VH1, we see you

Let's set aside the fact that "music" channels don't play a whole lot of music anymore. Instead, let's discuss what has happened to VH1. VH1 was supposed to be the more mature play-cousin of MTV. It was going to be the channel for the "grown-n-sexy" (another phrase that needs to be buried). As a matter of fact, it was a standing joke among me and my friends that as each of us passed age 30 we would call and say, "Well, I guess I have to switch from MTV to VH1 now." I actually used to watch a lot of their Fabulous Life of shows, documentaries and of course, my beloved Behind the Music. I was even suckered into watching the first season of Flava of Love. I was afraid of getting my BougiePass yanked, couldn't make it past season one.

However, over the course of the last few years, a change has come to ye olde Video Hits One. And no, it's NOT necessarily a change we can believe in. In additional to being the responsible for some of the most "disgrace to any race" reality shows: Scott Baio, Flava of Love, Charm School 1&2, Rock of Love, Celebrity Rehab, all of the incomprehensible shows dedicated to "New York" … the list is endless, VH1 of late has embraced a decidedly "urban" flair. (How ya like the euphemism?) Let's just take a look at the latest Behind the Music subjects: Bobby Brown, Pink, T.I., 50 Cent and Lil Wayne. Now I will admit to having watched each of these (love BTM) but I couldn't help but notice the trend. Maybe because the Hip Hop Honors were coming on?

No, I've been checking out VH1 and growing more and more disenchanted. Am I going to have to send VH1 the way of BET? Check the latest shows: Eddie Griffin, T.O., some love show with Ray J, Real Chance of Love, Who wants to be Diddy's next slave (paraphrasing but you take my point). Am I wrong or is the programming skewing younger and more… flavorful? My Antonio, Tool Academy, Sex Rehab – I mean, none of this is trailblazing, Emmy-in-waiting must-see-TV, is it?

I settled in to watch the 2009 Hip Hop Honors last night and the show was as I expected. Old and new Def Jam acts, great live performances (Public Enemy and Mary J/Method Man), kinda sad performances (Ja Rule and Ashanti), inappropriately dressed folks (Ashanti, Rick Ross), not so amusing commentary provided by Tracy Morgan (does he just host EVERYthing black now?). At any rate, it was the commercials for all the other junk coming on VH1 that threw me for a loop. There was not a single promo where I thought – WOW, I have GOT to see that.

So I'm asking you BougieLand, any redeeming reasons to watch VH1? Take your time, I'll wait.