Fox TV’s new musical/drama series ‘Empire’ probably lost half of its viewership last night. Viewers on social media platform Twitter.com bashed the show for promoting negative stereotypes.
‘Empire”s impressive cast includes Taraji P. Henson (Cookie), Terrence Howard (Lucious), Gabourey Sidibe (Becky), and Malik Yoba, but Gabourey and Malik’s talents are wasted in this bloated series that lacks a cohesive script and any semblance of a plot.
There are so many things wrong with ‘Empire’, it’s hard to know where to begin.
It’s hard to ignore Empire’s unspoken message that black women are loud and overbearing “hood rats” who belittle and emasculate black men, or confused lesbians who want to be men (AzMarie Livingston).
Taraji’s “Cookie” is all over the map. Cookie spends most of her screen time in an unfiltered rage. Her scenes are limited to barging into Lucious’ office, disrupting his meetings and confronting his white girlfriend. We’re reminded constantly that she gave Lucious $400K in drug money to launch his recording empire back in the day. The only time Cookie is in chill mode is when she has a drink in her hand.
Executive producer Lee Daniels‘s male characters are likewise stereotypical and one-dimensional.
Lucious, the terminally ill Berry Gordy of his generation, carries the burden of deciding who among his 3 sons will run his record label when he’s gone.
His sons include the sensitive homosexual Jamal (Jussie Smollet) who’s in a relationship with an effeminate white male. Then there’s the Chris Brown character Hakeem (Bryshere Gray) who disrespects women and can’t seem to keep his anger in check. And finally, there’s the straight-laced, well mannered heterosexual son Andre (Trai Byers) who’s Caucasian wife dominates him in and out of the bedroom. Oh, and Andre just happens to be on bipolar medications.
‘Empire’ is such a huge fail that Terrence Howard already has an out; his character’s terminal illness.
