Hot Ghetto Mess Losing Sponsors

James Joyner @ Gone Hollywood | Wednesday, July 11, 2007

The first show hasn’t aired yet but “Hot Ghetto Mess” is already making advertisers leery.

At least two companies have pulled ads from the debut of BET’s “Hot Ghetto Mess,” a series that critics say puts black stereotypes on display but the channel calls “a blend of tough love and social commentary.”

State Farm Insurance Cos. and Home Depot asked BET to drop their ads from the series debuting July 25, trade paper The Hollywood Reporter said Tuesday. Viacom Corp.-owned BET confirmed that sponsors asked to be removed from the show but declined to specify the companies involved. Other advertisers remain in place and there are no plans to change the series at this point, the channel said Tuesday.

“Hot Ghetto Mess,” also called “HGM,” combines viewer-submitted home videos and BET-produced man-on-the-street interviews that the channel said in a release are intended to challenge and inspire “viewers to improve themselves and their communities.”

“Is my goal to discuss these issues in a format and context that makes people who don’t watch the channel comfortable or do it in a way that engages the 18- to 34-year-old viewer and makes them really think about these things?” Reginald Hudlin, BET entertainment president, told the Hollywood Reporter.

The six-episode series is hosted by comedian Charlie Murphy (”Chappelle’s Show“). It’s based on a Web site that features photos of men and women, mostly black, with extreme hairstyles and clothing typically linked to hip-hop fashion.