As one of the top-rated shows on television, Fox’s Empire has become a serious popular culture phenomenon.  From its uniquely talented cast and crew to its celebration of creative expression and individuality, the success of this fresh TV sensation has much to do with the happy intersection of a number of important topics gaining representation and traction in media. 

This fast-paced musical drama focuses on protagonist and anti-hero Lucious Lyon, founder and CEO of Empire Entertainment.  Cookie Lyon, his volatile ex-wife, helped found his music business and took the fall for illegal activities the two both participated in; consequently, she spent the next 17 years, a period during which the business received intense growth and profit, behind bars.  The series begins with her release from prison and Lucious's fatal diagnosis with ALS, which forces him to start choosing a successor from among his three sons: Andre, Jamal, and Hakeem.  As the season continues, viewers get an in-depth look into the complex lives of the Lyon family and the politics behind their multimedia empire.

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The success of this TV sensation has much to do with the intersection of important topics gaining traction in media.

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What is most appealing about this show isn’t the riveting drama or the catchy music (though both help a lot)—what makes Empire so uniquely engaging is its commentary on modern day problems, from institutional issues like racism and sexism to more abstract questions like personal identity. Throughout the first season of unexpected plot twists, the characters ultimately reveal themselves to be human—morally ambiguous and often manipulative.  In the end, Empire is the collective product of talented professionals (Lee Daniels, Danny Strong, and Timbaland to name a few) and the pressing issues of today, all neatly packaged into weekly one-hour blocks of classic soap opera perfection. 

Empire + Race

This isn’t the first show to boast an all-black cast, and media representation of people of color has always been a necessary and urgent need in mainstream television. While its portrayal of blackness is stereotypical at times, Empire isn’t merely trailblazing because it dares to put a spotlight on people of color in a way that others have failed to in the past. Its presentation of race is nuanced—the characters don’t simply check their race off as a 'personality trait' but instead share complicated relationships with it. They're not three-dimensional because of their race; they’re three-dimensional because of the way experiences of race and racism play into their self-perceptions, response to challenges, and aspirations.

Empire + Gender

Whether it’s her ruthless fight to reclaim power at Empire Entertainment or her killer sense of fashion and business, Cookie Lyon is basically feminist TV royalty.  So is Anika Calhoun, Head of A&R at Empire Entertainment and Lucious Lyon’s second wife, as well as Andre’s wife Rhonda Lyon, who worked all through school to achieve her level of success.  Here is a TV show that produces three powerful, unapologetically complex, female main characters…and pits them against each other.  While Empire takes positive steps developing these characters rather than using them as plot devices or accessories, these women are rarely celebrated without being anchored to their relationships with leading male characters.  (But of course, I still get giddy that so many different kinds of interesting lady bosses are being represented on the same show.)

Empire + Sexual Identity

Sex in Empire is exciting and passionate and interesting, because no two characters choose to express their sexualities in the same way. Jamal, a publicly closeted artist whose homosexuality has always caused tension with his father, has become the show's poster boy for sexual diversity. But Empire explores and presents sexuality beyond Jamal’s heart wrenching albeit stereotypical storyline.

There are characters like Tiana Brown, an R&B pop-artist romantically paired with Hakeem who is later revealed (dramatically, shockingly so) to also have a girlfriend. Media portrayals of bisexuality are rare, and that makes Tiana a fantastic addition to Empire, despite there being much left unsaid about the circumstances and backlashes of her unwarranted outing. 

In addition to these characters, Empire also paints Cookie as someone who is capable of being a dedicated mother as well as a sexual being, making the much needed implication that these two identities are not necessarily disparate.  The show also explores the complex relationship between Rhonda and Andre, a couple that often traverses a romantic grey area in terms of exclusivity and consent.

I believe all millennials should be watching Empire, if not for the necessary and thought-provoking topics it presents to viewers then at the very least for an incredible musical experience.  It is fascinating television that's worth your time, and you'll get something from diving into the world of Empire Entertainment.

If you haven’t hopped on the Empire bandwagon yet, you have until the Season 2 premiere on Wednesday, September 23 to catch up.  Watch the official trailer here.

 

Caroline Liu is a sophomore and Quest Scholar at Wesleyan University. In addition to writing for bSmart Guide, she is a National Contributor for Spoon University and Summer Associate for The Prospect. Find her on Twitter @caroqliu.

 

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