Why I'm Not Watching Empire

“Watch your thoughts, your thoughts become words.  Your words become actions when that bullshit happens.”  This is one of my favorite quotes and it comes from the rapper Xzibit.  It is relevant here because our thoughts are influenced by our entertainment and the new thing in nigga entertainment is a show called ‘Empire’.

I watched the pilot episode and I won’t be watching any more.  I don’t want you think I’m hating on black success so here are a few reasons why I’m keeping that shit off my mental mind.

1:         This nigga was holding a press conference on a basketball court talking about how he was a great rapper that had to turn to selling drugs.  In one scene he managed to cover every black male stereotype.  He hit drugs, basketball and rap before the first commercial break.  So much for creative character development.  

2:         How is it that the only healthy relationships are the two gay guys and the White girl with the educated brother?  That’s right, no healthy black male/female relationships.  Hell, even the gay couple is interracial.

3:         The youngest son is supposed to be one of the hottest rappers in the game and that nigga is super wack.  Wait, how do the kids say “that nigga can’t rap” these days?  That nigga sounds like one of the Migos.  Also, he dresses like one of the models at a Paris fashion show and I don’t mean the male models either. 

4:         Willie Lynch anyone?  How is it that the only parenting going on in the show is the mom and dad pitting the boys against one another?  That’s the only thing that they have to tell blood brothers is to screw each other for money and power.  Nice

Last but not least, who the fuck put this shit on during ABC’s ‘Black-ish’?  One other Black show on network TV and you put your bullshit on at the same time?  This ain’t UPN vs. WB (that was horrible.  Fuck you Frazier), you have to take crabs in a barrel as a life goal to pull some shit like that.

If some of you enjoy the show, watch it.  Enjoy it but please remember that representation of Black culture shapes not only how White people see us but how we see ourselves.  Those thoughts of how we act will transform to action because face it, that bullshit is always happening.