Crime

‘Empire’ suffers second lowest ratings of show’s history

DEFENDER NEWS NETWORK — “Empire” returned from its winter break on Wednesday. It was also the first episode that aired since co-star Jussie Smollett was charged with felony disorderly conduct, and the show took a significant hit in ratings.According to Deadline, the hip-hop drama garnered 4.4 million viewers and a 1.3 rating in the 18-49 demographic.

Published

5 years ago

March 24, 2019

Oakland Post

By Defender News Service

“Empire” returned from its winter break on Wednesday. It was also the first episode that aired since co-star Jussie Smollett was charged with felony disorderly conduct, and the show took a significant hit in ratings.

According to Deadline, the hip-hop drama garnered 4.4 million viewers and a 1.3 rating in the 18-49 demographic.

To put those Nielsen numbers into perspective, the last “Empire” episode that aired on Dec. 5 had 5.0 million viewers and a 1.5 rating. And when the show came back from its hiatus last year, it had 6.2 million viewers and a 2.0 rating.

Other reports indicate that Thursday, March 14 dismal numbers represent the second lowest views in the show’s history. The first lowest was an episode that aired on Oct. 31, 2018, because many were presumably out trick or treating for Halloween.

The show that follows “Empire,” “Star,” also took a hit, though not much and was down a tenth from its previous episode.

As for Smollett, he appeared in court on Thursday and pled not guilty to the 16-count indictment that was handed down to him earlier this month.

But before the actor was charged, he was considered a victim after he said two white men attacked him in Chicago while he was on his way to a Subway restaurant. Smollett said the men yelled homophobic and racist slurs at him and placed a noose around his neck.

Later, however, Chicago police said two Nigerian brothers, who were extras on “Empire,” were hired by Smollett, who organized and staged the attack. There was also video footage that showed the brothers buying the items that Smollett said was used on him.

Last month, “Empire” producers released a statement about the actor, who plays the character Jamal Lyon, and said he’d be removed from the final two episodes of the current season.

“The events of the past few weeks have been incredibly emotional for all of us,” a statement read. “Jussie has been an important member of our ‘Empire’ family for the past five years and we care about him deeply.”

“While these allegations are very disturbing, we are placing our trust in the legal system as the process plays out. We are also aware of the effects of this process on the cast and crew members who work on our show and to avoid further disruption on set, we have decided to remove the role of Jamal from the final two episodes of the season.”

Smollett is due back in court next month.

This article originally appeared in Defender News Network.

Oakland Post

Posts by Oakland Post

Up Next

Mayor Sylvester Turner begins implementing Prop B for Houston firefighters

Don't Miss

MC Lyte will join cast of ‘New York Undercover’ reboot

Oakland Post

Click to comment

Activism

Calif. Anti-Sex Trafficking Advocates Discuss Competing Bills, Strategies

Advocates from across California are challenging state officials and community leaders to support legislation that provides resources and services for survivors and victims of human trafficking, as well as assistance as they transition back into civil society.  Some of those advocates are also calling for more effective state policy to curtail trafficking, a crime that has an outsized impact on Black children, particularly girls.

Published

4 hours ago

May 3, 2024

Oakland Post

Shutterstock

By Bo Tefu, California Black Media

Some of those advocates are also calling for more effective state policy to curtail trafficking, a crime that has an outsized impact on Black children, particularly girls.

According to the FBI, a report covering a two-year period found Black children accounted for 57% of all juvenile arrests for prostitution. In addition, 40% of sex trafficking victims were Black and 60% of those victims had been enrolled in the foster care system.

“It is time to hold the perpetrators who take advantage of our children accountable,” said the Rev. Shane Harris, a San Diego-based activist, former foster youth and founder of the Peoples Association of Justice Advocates, (PAJA), a national civil rights organization and policy think tank.

“It is time to send a thorough message that if you seek to buy a child for sex, you will pay the highest criminal penalties in this state,” added Harris who was speaking at a rally at the State Capitol earlier this month. Harris was speaking in support of Senate Bill 1414, authored by Sen. Shannon Grove (D-Bakersfield), which calls for people who buy sex from minors to be punished with a felony. The punishment includes a two-year prison sentence and a $25,000 fine.

Harris said the PAJA is the only civil rights organization in the state that supports SB 1414.

Harris urged other Black-led groups who favor anti-trafficking legislation more focused on criminal justice reforms (as opposed to stiffer penalties), to “join the movement.”

Many of those civil rights groups fear that SB 1414 could lead to the incarceration of more Black youth.

Those sentiments were echoed in a panel discussion organized by Black women advocates on April 26 to examine the cause and effects of human trafficking in California’s Black communities. The virtual event was hosted by the Forgotten Children, Inc, a faith-based nonprofit that advocates for survivors and victims of human trafficking through anti-trafficking campaigns and initiatives.

Panelists shared the psychological impact of sexual exploitation on youth and children in the long term.

Author and educator Dr. Stephany Powell shared statistics and information revealing that African American women and girls are the most trafficked nationwide.

Powell, who serves as the senior advisor on law enforcement and policy at the National Center on Sexual Exploitation said that national data indicates that sex trade survivors are disproportionately women of color. She stated that male survivors often go unnoticed because boys rarely report trafficked crimes.

Powell said that decriminalizing prostitution in California could increase human trafficking. She argued that Senate Bill 357, authored by Sen. Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco), which was signed into law in 2022 and legalized loitering for prostitution, caused a surge in street-level prostitution.

Panelist and psychologist Dr. Gloria Morrow shared opposing views on decriminalizing prostitution. She said that decriminalizing prostitution could help survivors gain access to state resources and support.

Despite opposing views, Powell and Morrow agree that the Black community needs resources and educational programs to address human trafficking.