Empire Enterprises

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The following critique will be on the show Empire focusing on episode one. Empire is a musical drama television series which debuted on FOX this winter. The show revolves around an entertainment company mainly in the hip hop industry; Empire Enterprises. The drama in this show is family based in that the family members of Empire Enterprises will be competing against each other to become the next CEO. The show is centered by one of the main characters and the owner of Empire Enterprises, Lucius Lyon who once was a rapper and is now a successful music mogul. Unfortunately, Lucius Lyon is diagnosed with Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and only has a couple of months to live, this lead to his decision to leave Empire Enterprises with one of…show more content…
At that time he was married to his wife Cookie in where they sold drugs for a living. Cookie who was convicted for nearly two decades is now released to find out that her ex-husband is a wealthy music mogul and is ready to claim what belongs to her; half the company. In one scene Lucius points out his goal to get the kids living in poverty out of the projects. He also refers to how music his passion is what made him get out of poverty. This is a clear demonstration of the American Dream, in that anyone with passion and hard work can be successful and powerful such as Lucius. The show also glorifies the American dream by having an amazing job, a beautiful home, and ultimately being wealthy.There is also a sense of social class portrayed in the show where there is a clear division of the higher class and lower class. At one point in the show Lucius even refers to the president on a first name basis, showing class distinction and hegemony. However, his long-time friend is not treated with the utmost respect and is simply used by…show more content…
According to Richard Butchs, this type of advertisement is important in that it plays a role for the network’s decision to air the show. The program must be suited to advertising and the network looks for what the audience wants. Butsch explains that shows are designed to make consumption seem easy and desirable. This observation made by Butsch is shown in this show where the founder family lives a lavish lifestyle advertising to the viewer’s consumption is easily attainable through the American dream by anyone, using the example of a former drug dealer. Another way where the profit driven ideology comes to play is through countless advertisements on television, posters, ads on social media, and even ads on the subway. This raises awareness to potential viewers of the show before it premiers, generating as much viewers and ratings as possible. Also by releasing Ads, Empire attracts advertisers who want their product to be seen alongside shows that glorify wealth and class. As Butsch mentions networks are more tailored to a particular type of
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