Since its January premiere, Fox’s Empire has emerged as a ratings juggernaut due to its theatrical portrayal of a dysfunctional family, and the entertainment industry as a dysfunctional family. Save for certain glaring errors (Taraji P. Henson’s Cookie Lyon is oddly well-versed in today’s technology despite just getting out jail after 17 years, no?), it’s dominated Nielsen numbers via seismic levels of drama. However, star Terrence Howard recently told Entertainment Weekly that the show could add another layer of realism by introducing the "N" word to the script. When prodded by TMZ, writer David Rambo acknowledged that, as a white writer, that isn’t his decision to make. Rambo's right, that isn't a white guy's call. But Howard is wrong, too. Empire doesn't need the "N" word, because authenticity isn’t its allure.
do the writers honestly want to push the boundaries of primetime television by strategically sprinkling provocative language throughout Empire to amplify the accuracy of an industry soap opera?
In Entertainment Weekly’s cover story, Howard challenged the censorship of network television. In his eyes, it’s holding Empire back. "Why is TV showing something different from the reality of the world?" he asked. "Why is there a thing called censorship that stops people from hearing everyday talk? We use n—- every day. It’s become part of a conversation—why aren’t we using it in the show?" The concise answer to his last question is the network that the show is on. Fox has a history of aggressive content (it used to air Cops), but there are still regulations it must adhere to. You can almost guarantee that if Empire were on HBO (or Starz), the word would flow freely. Would it make the show more realistic? Absolutely, but it would also introduce a new problem: the frequency of its usage.
If Empire were to truly keep it 100, it couldn’t just drop one "N" bomb and proceed like nothing happened. There would have to be consistency. Maintaining that uniformity would result in uncomfortable writer debates about whether to use it once every episode, or once every scene. No matter how you shape it, that’s an undeniably jarring approach to network television—even if it is Fox. Did Cookie use the word "faggot" in the pilot when telling Lucious Lyon (Howard) that their middle son, Jamal (Jussie Smollett), could run the family company? Yes, but do the writers honestly want to push the boundaries of primetime television by strategically sprinkling provocative language throughout Empire to amplify the accuracy of an industry soap opera? It’s deeper than keeping it real.
Rambo’s comments about white writers using the "N" word displayed a comforting awareness. "I don’t feel that I can make that call," he said. He went on to explain that, while he can write a lot about the characters, he’s more comfortable deferring to other staff members—black staff members—when it comes to racially-sensitive matters. This admission proves he’d rather be conscientious than play cowboy like Quentin Tarantino. For all of the amazing banter he pens, Tarantino can’t avoid the controversy caused by his repeated use of that big, ugly word in his films. There’s a fine line between its alleged over-use in Django Unchained—a blaxploitation-meets-slavery Western set in the 19th century South—and a white guy (played by Tarantino, a white guy) using it randomly and egregiously with the hard "er" in Pulp Fiction.
It’s critical that white writers be respectful in this scenario because they’re dealing with more than just dialogue. If mishandled, they come off like puppeteers marionetting black actors into saying words the writers themselves can’t get away with using in public. It would be like neglecting to omit the "N" word when reciting the hook for "All Day": you'd have to understand why someone might be offended, as well as prepared to face the consequences. So while there’s solace in Rambo’s recognition of this sensitivity, he needs not concern himself too much because Empire doesn’t need to use the word at all.
Let’s be honest: Empire’s ratings didn’t rise for the eighth-consecutive week because 14 million people are fascinated with its gripping realism or intricate writing. That ever-expanding audience is on board for Lucious’ ascots, Cookie’s sass, the random assortment of cameos, and all of the glorious ridiculousness in between. The show has exhibited a willingness to go where others haven’t on network television, tapping into the guilty pleasure factor buried within its audience. That's what sets Twitter off like a detonator every Wednesday night. Whether it's on Fox or a cable network, the show doesn’t have to wedge "nigga" (or "faggot") into the script to accomplish that. This is Empire we're talking about, not The Wire.
Julian Kimble is finally ready to admit he watches Empire every Wednesday night. Follow him on Twitter @JRK316.
