‘Empire’ Under Fire: Black Scholar on CNN Calls Show ‘Ghettofied’ ‘Coonery’

http://www.thewrap.com/empire-under-fire-black-scholar-calls-show-ghettofied-coonery/ ^ | March 18, 2015 | Debbie Emery, Anita Bennett

[MeshugeMikey]

Black actors and actresses are tired of being put in the entertainment ghetto,” Dr. Boyce D. Watkins tells host Don Lemon While viewers were burning up social media about the explosive “Empire” season finale that aired Wednesday night on Fox, a heated debate was happening over on Don Lemon’s “CNN Tonight.” After showing a clip of the knock-down, drag-out, drink-throwing, weave-pulling catfight between Cookie and Anika, the conversation turned to whether the Fox hip-hop drama negatively portrays African-American culture.

[TexasCajun]

‘Empire': Terrence Howard Thinks The ’N Word’ Should Be Used On The Show

Does that mean I can say, "Nigga Please" ...in an affectionate, endearing way, of course.

[SampleMan]

To paraphrase Dann Rather, it’s negative, but accurate.

[Rinnwald]

I’ve been going back and forth on whether I should get a ‘Coonan’ hat and t-shirt, for fear of getting negative feedback from low-information folk. The large .357 magnum, semi-automatic handgun on the shirt should be a clue, but might be taken as some sort of threat.

[fatima]

They reached 17 million last night.

[SMARTY]

Minorities ought to be offended

[MeshugeMikey]

oh my...

[MeshugeMikey]

there we go!

[MeshugeMikey]

authentic .....crap....great

[newfreep]

[M Kehoe]

‘Coonery’

I believe that is racist. Doesn't matter who said it.

But then again, there is that "pesky" First amendment.

5.56mm

[MeshugeMikey]

the party quoted is a self loathing......”thug”? “scholar”?

[Altura Ct.]

“Coonery”

Now that’s funny!

[Zeneta]

How can you coarsen and debauch hip hop?

---

It’s not about that.

Like so many other issues, it’s about “NORMALIZING” certain aspects of our culture.

To make popular through both consistent exposure and by wrapping an emotional element into the story line.

There’s an old saying in sales, “Facts tell, but stories SELL”

[MeshugeMikey]

good thing that racoon isnt wearing any “bling”

[MeshugeMikey]

get thee to the “coonery”

[Nifster]

I don’t know. It kind of looked like Dallas and Falcon Crest to me...Night time soaps (and even daytime soaps) all this type of drama.

I figure since some of the actors in Empire have thanked Fox for the show and have said they are proud of their work that it must hit home for someone.

It is silly to pretend that just because it is crazy and over the top that it must be ‘ghettoized’. Some people just are that nuts

[Sans-Culotte]

I have never seen the show and don't intend to watch it, but I read somewhere that Empire is a variation on the play/film The Lion in Winter, with Terence Howard's Hip Hop mogul standing in for Henry II, and Taraji P. Henson the ex-con wife as a sub for the recently imprisoned Eleanor of Aquitaine, and their children representing the rest of the squabbling Plantagenets. Interesting idea, I guess.

[rabidralph]

But they’re not. They seem to love the show.

[dmz]

LOL, I’m much more concerned about those watching Bachelor or Bachelorette.

[x]

Of course it's trash. Most TV is.

It's Black Dynasty thirty years later, right down to the gay son and flamboyant ex-wife and the epic cat fights.

Throw in a dash of King Lear or Macbeth and a lot of hip hop and that's the recipe.

The characters aren't much worse than Joan Collins and she's been decorated by Queen Elizabeth II for services to charity and dramatic arts.