Fox premiered its new TV series, Empire, on Wednesday. More people watched it than watched either ABC’s Modern Family or the return of American Idol on NBC. The nighttime drama Empire has a lot going for it. Director Lee Daniels (The Butler) is working with Oscar nominated actors Terrence Howard (Hustle and Flow) and Taraji P. Henson (The Curious Case of Benjamin Button), for starters. They play the no-longer-together parents and still-together business partners of the hip hop music company, Empire Entertainment. The father, Luscious, is mentoring his son Hakeem (Bryshere Y. Gray) as a rapper while the mother, Cookie, is mentoring Jamal (Jussie Smollett) as a singer/songwriter. Jamal is gay and Luscious doesn’t hide the shame he feels regarding his son’s sexuality.
There are several fascinating aspects to the show including the rich art hanging on the walls (check out artist Kehinde Wiley’s massive oil portrait in the den). In the premiere, Cookie tells Luscious emphatically that she’s “going to prove that a faggot [Jamal] can run this company [Empire].” With that language choice she takes the show to a place Fox hasn’t gone before. Cookie uses the word as a badge of honor.
