Response to Dr. Boyce Watkins Essay ‘Why I refuse to support the coonery of the show Empire’

Million Man March 2015
In 1995, Minister Louis Farrakhan called for African American men to come to Washington, D.C. and pledge to be better leaders in their communities.  Men and women of all races were invited back to Washington, D.C. this year for the ‘Justice or Equal!’ 20th anniversary of the Million Man March 2015.

Prior to the 1995 Million Man March, some black leaders sent contradicting messages by condemning Farrakhan’s messages yet praising his leadership.  Contracting messages can be confusing and detrimental.  Inconsistencies in men are testimony to their immaturity.

Empire TV Show Debate

As Farrakhan states, “There’s no one who has the right to judge you.” There’s a story behind every person, a reason why they are the way they are, so think before you judge someone.  Moreover, if you insist on judging someone make sure you’re perfect.

Empire TV Show Debate

“I didn’t know”
Dr. Boyce Watkins’ sent inconsistent messages by promoting the #BlackWealthMatters forum that was scheduled to be held at Howard University yesterday.  According to Watkins the event was cancelled at the last minute yet the excuse he provides is sad.  Watkins often advises people to plan strategically and hold yourself accountable for the choices you make but yesterday’s event show that he does not practice what preaches.

In the video above, Watkins states, “I didn’t know anything about the details” as justification for his event at Howard University being cancelled.  The remarks that Watkins has made about Empire should include the same disclaimer considering the contradictions he makes regarding “coonery” and the portrayal of African Americans in the media.

Watkins’ essay, Why I refuse to support the coonery of the show, “Empire” may be the reason that the black community is turning their backs on the author, economist and political analyst as he continues to spread inconsistent messages to the black community.

So did Watkins’ event being cancelled at one of the top colleges for African Americans have anything to do with his remarks about one of the top black TV shows of all-time? In a CNN interview Watkins called the Empire TV show “coonery” and a “ghettofied hood drama.”

Predisposition Against Fox
Dr. Boyce Watkins’ predisposition against the Fox television network led him to make andue to an argument he had with Bill O’Reilly.  Watkins referred to O’Reilly and Sean Hannity as “UnAmerican borderline Klansmen who graduated from the Rush Limbaugh School of Arrogant Self-righteousness.”

During a CNN episode after O’Reilly made controversial statements regarding African Americans during his visit to Sylvia’s Restaurant in Harlem, Watkins called Juan Williams “Bill O’Reilly’s happy little Negro” in reference to the way in which Williams’ insisted that O’Reilly did nothing wrong.

In response, Juan Williams wrote an article about Watkins in Time Magazine and Bill O’Reilly attempted to get Watkins terminated from his position at Syracuse University.

In 2008 Watkins formed a protest via his website YourBlackWorld.com in response to Fox News’ criticism of President Barack Obama.  Watkins asked his followers to send letter to Bill O’Reilly’s corporate sponsor and complain about O’Reilly’s behavior.

Watkins has a history with Fox that is filled with turmoil.  As opposed to analyzing the Empire TV show in a reasonable manner, Watkins jumped to the conclusion that because the show is on Fox, the show has to be “coonery.”

Predisposition Against Homosexuality

In the video above Watkins discusses his homosexual cousin Monte Smock.  Watkins is traumatized by the past experiences he has with his cousin: “We’d play football and he didn’t play football like the rest of us played football.” Watkins says that Lee Daniels, the creator of Empire, has a mental illness and he needs therapy.

Smock was rejected by Watkins’ family, mistreated and abused.  Watkins grew up in a Southern Baptist family where homosexuality is unacceptable.  Lee Daniels, the creator, director, writer and producer of the Empire TV show, is openly gay therefore he has no chance with Watkins.

The Great Contradiction

In the video above Watkins states, “People love to see us portray butlers and maids and coons and rappers and thugs and killers and gangstas and morons and idiots and that’s the problem that we have right now.”

In the video below Watkins explains how much he loved the movie Straight Outta Compton.  Following Watkins logic, Straight Outta Compton is a movie that also portrays “coons and rappers and thugs and killers and gangstas and morons and idiots.”

Straight Outta Compton is a movie about the Compton rap group.  The movie portrays the way in which the group endured controversy due to their music’s explicit lyrics that disrespected women and glorified crime and drugs.  Straight Outta Compton was directed by F. Gary Gray, a heterosexual, unlike Lee Daniels.

In the video above Watkins explains that he enjoyed Straight Outta Compton’s lessons about money, business and contracts.  Watkins further discusses the lessons that can be learned from Straight Outta Compton’s depiction of Eazy-E and Suge Knight’s sloppy business practices.

The Empire TV show provides valuable lessons involving business and choices.  Viewers learn the importance of developing a strategic success plan before you need one.  The show also teaches us that we must protect our assets when going into business with a significant other.

Financial Advice from the Empire TV Show

Cookie Lyon formed her own record label, Lyon Dynasty, showing viewers the difficulties that small businesses experience as they attempt to gain a competitive advantage.  Cookie’s journey has taught us to always do our best to make the right choices and to learn from our mistakes.

In addition, Empire viewers that were once unfamiliar with corporate acquisitions or mergers now possess a solid understanding of a hostile takeover.  Thanks to Empire, individuals that had never heard the phrase are now able to explain that a hostile takeover is an attempt to take over a company without the approval of the company’s board of directors.

Watkins explains that Empire’s main character Lucious Lyon is a “former drug dealer turned rapper turned hip-hop mogul.” Watkins complains about Empire presenting the typical negative representation of African Americans in popular media.

Straight Outta Compton is about a former drug dealer turned rapper turned hip-hop mogul.  In the video below Watkins explains that he appreciated the way that Straight Outta Compton showed the power of generational wealth through Ice Cube’s son, O’Shea Jackson Jr. portraying his father in the film.

Lucious Lyon manipulates his sons to determine which one will take over the company.  In Black families, the failure to make end-of-life plans is a serious issue.  Empire explores this issue through the Lyon family and Lucious’ struggle to cope with death and dying.

In the video below Watkins discusses his problems with the names used on Empire: Lucious and Cookie.  In the video above Watkins praises the group Niggaz Wit Attitudes whose group members also had unique names.  Is Cookie that bad when compared to Ice Cube? How about the name ‘Dr.’ Dre for an individual who is not a Dr.?  With contradiction-after-contradiction what name should we use to refer to you: Dr.? Watkins?