(ThyBlackMan.com) One of the most interesting topics of conversation in my life over the last few days has been the hit Fox show, “Empire.” I confess that I haven’t been comfortable with the show from its inception, and I’m extremely uncomfortable with its director, Lee Daniels. Anyone who does some research into Daniels’ background of abuse and trauma might suspect that his odd, disturbing films are a reflection of some very deep and serious internal issues that he has yet to resolve.
With all that being said, it should be reiterated that I hold no ill will toward fans of Empire. In fact, I fully understand why people love the show so much. During the two episodes I watched during my recent trip to Africa (for research purposes wink-wink), I was highly impressed with the cinematography and intriguing story lines. I felt a little bit like the fitness instructor in the icecream parlor. I understand why people like icecream, and sometimes, I really like it too.
But after realizing why I enjoyed Empire so much, that of course reminded me why I needed to turn the show off.
The important point to remember is that everything that is good to us isn’t good for us. Crack cocaine, heroin and greasy fried chicken might all be enjoyable, but there is also a long-term cost. Empire goes a bit deeper because my concern is not as much about black people watching the show as it is about white people watching black people watching the show. By seeing us applaud this kind of imagery of our people, they are likely to interpret this as confirmation that their pre-existing racial biases are indeed correct.
Also, as we progress in our struggle for equal rights in a society that hates us, we must be fully aware of any contradictions in our behavior that might lead others to accuse the black community of awkward moral hypocrisy. For example, everyone gets upset when a black man is killed and whites are quick to believe that he was a thug. Well, we must remember that this thug image didn’t come from nowhere: Much of it came from what people see on TV.
Screaming “black lives matter” and “black men aren’t thugs” but to simultaneously support the consistent media portrayal of black men as thugs is like a student saying, “treat me like a scholar,” while refusing to do his homework. Media has long been used as a tool for spreading propaganda and perceptions of minority groups to make them easier to exterminate, persecute and oppress. People are going to assume that you are what you say you are, and if we applaud the image of black people as criminal and violent, we are sending the implicit signal that a large percentage of us are menaces to society that need to be put down or put away.
With that being said, here’s a link to an interview I did on the topic with Michael Imhotep from the African History Network. Our conversation on Empire pops in at the 30 minute mark. If you want to hear more of my thoughts on this issue, Michael really gives us a chance to flesh out the topic a bit, and Dr Umar Johnson’s clip about the use of propaganda is powerful and helpful as well.
Enjoy.
Staff Writer; Dr. Boyce Watkins
Dr. Boyce Watkins is the founder of the Your Black World Coalition. For more information, please visit http://BoyceWatkins.com.