Be Somebody... or Be Somebody's Fool!

For those of you who choose to forget, Mr. T was an icon of the 1980s--a tough guy who could act sensitive when he needed to, or when a paycheck depended on it. If you ever watched the A-Team, you'd see his character repeatedly clobbered in the head with lead pipes and he wouldn't flinch; but he also tried to branch out into a strange kind of motivational programming for children, even inspiring a tasteless breakfast cereal. "Be Somebody, or be Somebody's Fool" is one of Mr. T's bizarre efforts to teach little kids how to be better people. Either this show is incredibly bad, or it's just too deep for me to comprehend. The 80s answer to Huggy Bear leads the viewer through a long string of unrelated pearls of wisdom, the values of which are reinforced by small children who can't act. The philosophy of this show really is encapsulated in its title--the watchcries never stray beyond this level of simplicity. This show really is insane--you have to wonder who thought it would be a good idea. Mr. T is no Mr. Rogers; he presents his lessons to children without seeming to care at all. If you can find this tape, it's worth watching just to see how bad children's programming can get. Plus, the hilariously bad rap songs may inspire you to donate something to the "Blacks Without Soul" fund.