Commentary

COMMENTARY: The Curious and Confusing Circumstances Surrounding Empire’s Jussie Smollett

HOUSTON FORWARD TIMES — The immaturity Smollett displayed in creating this scene is disturbing, if true.

Published

5 years ago

March 1, 2019

By Dr. James B. Ewers Jr.

The Empire television series featured on Fox television is a show I have only seen sparingly. Maybe the story lines and social drama that come with the television series don’t appeal to me. If you are a fan of the show, then you are with a lot of people, as Empire is one of the top shows on television today.

It will be going into its fifth season, so there is something to be said for Lucious, Cookie and the Lyon family. The last series I can remember watching just a bit is Dallas. It came on Friday nights. The prevailing question as the show hit its peak was ‘who shot J.R?’ Now, to this day, that question will still bring on some debate and speculation.

As to Empire, there are characters moving in and off the show that make you tune in each week. Honestly, you just don’t know who is going to show up. How about model, Naomi Campbell and Oscar winner, Marisa Tomei making appearances on the show?

One of the original stars of the show is Jussie Smollett, who plays Jamal on the show. He is also a singer, which adds to his appeal and marketability. Just recently on January 29^th, Smollett’s career took a turn. You can interpret turn for good, bad or twisted.

Smollett reported that he was assaulted and insulted with racist and homophobic names. A television appearance he made on Good Morning America only amplified his alleged assault.

His cast members and other celebrities came to his defense. Rapper, Cardi B and Democratic candidate for president, Kamala Harris were among those who rallied with him and his plight. Now with new information, their positions have changed.

The new information suggests now that Smollett hoodwinked everybody and created this alleged crime for himself with the help of two associates. Abel and Ola Osundairo were supposedly paid $3,500.00 to participate in this cruel hoax, according to Chicago Police reports.

Chicago Police Superintendent, Eddie Johnson said, “Smollett orchestrated a phony attack in order to take advantage of the pain and anger of racism.” If in fact he did promote this scheme, we have hit another low in human relationships. Those in the LBGTQ community are disgusted and wondering how could something like this happen?

Well, words like selfish and arrogant come to my mind. If these allegations and assertions turn out to be true, then cries for help won’t elicit the same response next time. And in my opinion, there will be a next time. Real pain and real suffering will happen, and the response might be muted.

On Friday, February 22^nd, CNN reported that Smollett had been removed from the final two episodes of Empire this season. That, in my opinion, is a precipitous fall from grace. I have an old expression that I use sometimes, and it is, “the people that you meet on the way up, you gonna trip over when you fall back down.”

I don’t think we will see Jussie Smollett on the Empire series next year. We’ll just have to wait and see.

The immaturity Smollett displayed in creating this scene is disturbing, if true. The evidence is stacking up against him, minute by minute. What was his mindset in this plot? What was he hoping to accomplish?

Yet, Smollett and his lawyer say he is being victimized and that he has impeccable character. Stay tuned. This isn’t over.

This article originally appeared in the Houston Forward Times.

Dr. James B. Ewers Jr.

Posts by Dr. James B. Ewers Jr.

Related Topics:Cardi B Chicago CNN Cookie Dallas Empire Fox Good Morning America homophobic Jussie Smollett Kamala Harris Lucious Racist

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Oakland Post: Week of April 24 – 30, 2024

The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of April 24 – 30, 2024

Published

2 days ago

April 26, 2024

Oakland Post

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Oakland Post: Week of April 17 – 23, 2024

The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of April 17 – 23, 2024

Published

1 week ago

April 19, 2024

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Commentary

Opinion: Surviving the Earthquake, an Eclipse and “Emil Amok.”

Last Friday, a 4.8 magnitude earthquake shook New York City, reported as the “biggest earthquake with an epicenter in the NYC area since 1884” when a 5.2 quake hit. A bit bigger. The last quake similar to Friday’s was a 4.9 in 1783.Alexander Hamilton felt it — 241 years ago. That’s why New Yorkers were freaking out on Friday. They were in the room where it happens.

Published

1 week ago

April 17, 2024

Oakland Post

In New York City, the eclipse was about 90 percent visible. Good enough for me. Though a full solar eclipse is a celestial rarity, blockages of any sort aren’t generally celebrated. My one-man play is about growing up with the eclipsed history of American Filipinos and how I struggle to unblock all that.

By Emil Guillermo

I’m a Northern Californian in New York City for the next few weeks, doing my one-man show, “Emil Amok, Lost NPR Host, Wiley Filipino, Vegan Transdad.”

I must like performing in the wake of Mother Nature.

Alexander Hamilton felt it — 241 years ago.

That’s why New Yorkers were freaking out on Friday. They were in the room where it happens.

And it just doesn’t happen that often.

Beyonce singing country music happens more frequently.

When I felt New York shake last week, it reminded me of a time in a San Francisco TV newsroom when editors fretted about a lack of news an hour before showtime.

Then the office carpeting moved for a good ten seconds, and the news gods gave us our lead story.

On Friday when it happened in NYC, I noticed the lines in the carpeting in my room wiggling. But I thought it was from a raucous hotel worker vacuuming nearby.

I didn’t even think earthquake. In New York?

I just went about my business as if nothing had happened. After living near fault lines all my life, I was taking things for granted.

Considering the age of structures in New York, I should have been even more concerned about falling objects inside (shelves, stuff on walls) and outside buildings (signs, scaffolding), fire hazards from possible gas leaks, and then I should have looked for others on my floor and in the hotel lobby to confirm or aid or tell stories.

Of course, as a Californian who has lived through and covered quakes in the 4 to 6 magnitude range, I tried to calm down any traumatized New Yorker I encountered by taking full responsibility for bringing in the quake from the Bay Area.

I reassured them things would be all right, and then let them know that 4.8s are nothing.

And then I invited them to my consoling post-Earthquake performance of “Emil Amok, Lost NPR Host…”

It was the night of the eclipse.

ECLIPSING THE ECLIPSE

For example, did you know the first Filipinos actually arrived to what is now California in 1587? That’s 33 years before the Pilgrims arrived in America on the other coast, but few know the Filipino history which has been totally eclipsed.

I was in Battery Park sitting on a bench and there was a sense of community as people all came to look up. A young woman sitting next to me had a filter for a cell phone camera. We began talking and she let me use it. That filter enabled me to take a picture of the main event with my iPhone.

For helping me see, I invited her and her boyfriend to come see my show.

Coincidentally, she was from Plymouth, Massachusetts, near the rock that says the year the Pilgrims landed in 1620.

In my show she learned the truth. The Pilgrims were second.

History unblocked. But it took a solar eclipse.

Next one in 2044? We have a lot more unblocking to do.

If you’re in New York come see my show, Sat. April 13th, 5:20 pm Eastern; Fri. April 19, 8:10 pm Eastern; and Sun. April 21st 5:20 pm Eastern.

You can also livestream the show. Get tickets at www.amok.com/tickets

About the Author

Emil Guillermo is a journalist and commentator. He does a mini-talk show on YouTube.com/@emilamok1. He wishes all his readers a Happy Easter!