It occupied the number one spot on network TV viewership charts with the first episode netting almost 10 million viewers and the numbers only going up from there. The soundtrack beat Madonna's new album to the top of the Billboard charts, debuting at number one. It may rescue the Fox Television network, and it is no wonder because the show features four actors with Oscar nominations or wins on their resumes. All this from a prime time hip-hop soap opera (sounds like an oxymoron to have a show of this type "rescue" that network).
America's "tanning" is in full effect, no salon required, no risk of cancer, and no stopping the process. While I embrace this evolution tightly, I have to admit to being slow to start watching this show. Not being much of a soap fan, it took some convincing by a close friend to start watching it with her. But life can be busy, taxing, and just generally stressful, so there are times when we need to let go and allow ourselves to be entertained. The images and lyrics may not always resonate, and we may disagree with a perspective or the decisions made by a character (or the director). On the other hand we might relate to a story-line, appreciate an actor doing their work, or just want to switch off, allowing ourselves to be entertained. But, is there something more?
Will I create a class around any of the topics and issues highlighted by the show? I do not know yet, but phenomena with high-volume data to support a conversation are ripe for discussion by marketers, so why not academics and social architects? Who would have predicted that Jay Z or 9th Wonder would make their way into Ivy League curricula and classrooms? While I am in this paragraph, I find myself considering a marketing challenge presented by network TV successes. Between Scandal, Black-ish, Empire and the more popular reality TV shows, the opportunities for more sitting and watching by a viewership already captive on couches doing a lot of sitting and watching just went up. Side-note, my introduction to Empire came from someone who discovered the show while running on the treadmill at her gym. An outlier experience no doubt, but an inspiring observation nonetheless. The scientist in me wants to know if the show can inspire change. Can it move the needle on the topics already in the story-line like how we view gay black men, family dynamics, gender equality, chronic disease and mental health? What if the writers wove other themes into the story-line, might they have impact?
Perhaps I am over-reaching and over-thinking this. With almost 14 million viewers, Empire is a hit, but it is not a revolution. Empire is popular, but it is not a movement. It is a TV show, it is entertainment, and it is fun. My desire for it to be an impactful communications opportunity beyond that is optimistic, possibly premature, and may be wholly unrealistic. For the moment, I am being entertained, and with all the madness that makes life heavy at times, I am thankful for that. Cookie, anyone?
