The producers and Director Lee Daniels may have wanted Empire to break out of the mold and push buttons on issues in the black community, but the latest issue has opinions split way deeper than the two main stars. What’s really going on as Terrence Howard and Taraji P. Henson Disagree On Using N Word On Empire???
Ever since Lee Daniels first said he wanted to go in a different direction for the record-breaking ‘ratings revival’ success of Empire on FOX, we’ve seen his intentions well played out. Even BET Vice President Stephen Hill is jealous of the show’s success and respects what they’ve done with it. Nothing has stopped their head-on run of issues, including the ratings plummet after the gay kiss scene and pretty much their entire stance on addressing homophobia–without fear. But could that courageous attitude about fears be gone as Terrence Howard and Taraji P. Henson Disagree On Using N Word On Empire?
According to Vibe and a recent interview with Entertainment Weekly, Terrence Howard and Taraji P. Henson Disagree On Using N Word On Empire due to some strong words put forth by the man behind the character “Lucious.” Terrence is being very vocal about the culture of being “politically correct,” and thinks now is the best time for them to go ahead and, well–“keep it real.”
“I’m mad that we don’t say ‘n*gga’ in the show,” he revealed. “Why is TV showing something different from the reality of the world? Why is there a thing called censorship that stop people from hearing everyday talk? We use ‘n*gga’ every day. It’s become part of a conversation—why aren’t we using it in the show?”
“If we start getting silly, if we start playing to people’s fancies, then we don’t deserve to be where we are,” he continued “It’s a big pressure because I want to be a truth sayer. I want to raise the bar,” he said. “I want to get rid of this f–ked-up word called PC. I think it’s a gate for bigotry because as long as you’re politically correct, you can say anything you want but feel some way different.”
As far as the woman behind the character of “Cookie,” Terrence Howard and Taraji P. Henson Disagree On Using N Word On Empire and Taraji seems to be playing it a lot safer. Saying briefly to TMZ–“No, you might piss people off.” Guess you don’t get to be that successful on a major network without “playing the game.”
Seems anything can happen from here on the show. We’re already anticipating guest features by Oprah and Common, Baby Boy headliner Tyrese as “Jody,” possibly Eddie Murphy, and Diddy’s son. But do you agree with “Lucious” or “Cookie” on this? And is this about “keeping it real,” “playing the game” or using a platform to keep pushing the envelope?
