Rapper-producer 50 Cent feels that Empire, Lee Daniels’ much-discussed LGBT-inclusive series about a hip-hip music company, has been losing viewers because it’s simply spending too much time on gay storylines and gay characters, reports The Independent.
Related: 50 Cent + Soulja Boy Accidentally Pose In Gay Magazine Cover
He recently shared an Instagram user’s post, who wrote: “There are 3 million less viewers who tuned into last night’s Empire episode!!!!! did you watch it? We could not take the extra gay stuff or celebrity stuff last night!!!!!”
This message has since been un-posted, but we found a screen cap.
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Since he’s the executive producer of a rival show called Power, his jabs at the show are nothing particularly new. He’s previously called the drama “some sh*t you get for free.”
H/t: LGBTQ Nation
Sidney Davies
I think 50 cent is washed up and needs to shut up.
Simon Jones
50 Cent protests too much. Come out of the closet, Fiddy
Jonathon Popphan
He does seem to be preoccupied with homosexual thoughts…
Kristopher Saim-Gentry
I think they are losing viewers because the show isn’t that great. Regardless of the storylines.
Glenn Silva
Who care about his opinion anyway. I want more “gay stuff” on the TV.
James R Carter
Someone throw him 2 pennies and let’s call him 52cents. *here is where you go shut up 52cents* no one care what you think.
Cam
So is that his explanation for why his music isn’t selling as well also? Too much gay stuff?
Arcamenel
50 should just stick to what he knows which isn’t television or music for that matter.
Kangol
That should be the title of 50’s next LP, “Too Gay Stuff.” Empire does need to pick up the slack, though. This new season is kind of tired.
BTW, Queerty, there are black people and other minorities out there in the USA who aren’t saying homophobic or stupid stuff like this. Can you MAYBE write about a few of them?
Oh, and what about Alabama now reverting to segregation-era laws to deny LGBTQ people same-sex marriage rights? The same white Christian right-wing Alabama government that has decided to shut down polling places in counties with 70+% majority black populations. How about that story on here? The anti-gay hate goes beyond Kim Davis and her nutty r@cist, hom0phobic law firm!
Travis Zepp
he’s as gay as a 50 Cent Bill
Bill Mountrey
“50 Cent thinks” Now that’s a lie right there….
Cam
Maybe he got his name from his hourly rate back when he used to be a rent boy?
Victor Barry
This made me look up Empire. Up till now I was not a viewer.
GayEGO
50 Cent is quite reasonable these days for a male prostitute!
Michael Montanez
They are losing viewers because the first episode of the new season was shite.
rtripboy
Empire is losing viewers because of FOX’s programming strategy.
The had a hit show and they didn’t re-run it on their broadcast network where everyone could see it and keep it in the front of their minds. Instead they used it to try and grow the number of people who use and pay for Hulu.
It backfired on them. It’s just as simple as that.
MarionPaige
50 Cent’s Power tv show does gay but in a way that is probably too subtle for most Queens to notice. First and foremost,
Rampant nudity by the lead actor Omari Hardwick. I don’t watch a whole lot of tv but, in how many places on television can you expect to see a Black Man who looks like Hardwick naked? Second,
The Scene of Victor Gerber’s married to a woman character talking about his old clubbing days when he was single and he then looks directly at Hardwick’s character and says:”then Aids ruined it all“. THIS trumps any f-king gay story line I’ve seen on tv this decade.
White Queens don’t notice any subtle gay references. For White Queens, it’s not “Gay” unless two men are kissing or two men are shown simulating some kind of fake PC gay tv sex).
On another point, The Gay Story Line of Adam Senn’s character on another show has gone unnoticed by White Queens. The show must not be buying enough advertising in gay media to rate a mention.
Gary Hecklinger
Really? How about put something good out worth at least 50 cent..
Ronnyboy
Yeah, that’s also the reason all those shows with heavy gay story lines did so bad. Shows like House of Cards, HBO’s True blood, Six feet under, etc. That’s exactly what sunk those show’s. Oh wait.. I forgot.. Never happened.
SnakeyJ
Queerty really needs to stop trying to make up some drama. 50 did NOT say there was too much gay stuff. The post he linked to said it. All 50 did was note that the series is losing viewers, as noted in the post.
Did anyone here commenting against him actually read that? And Queerty you need to get your facts right.
Ronnyboy
@NJjoe: But wouldn’t sharing something be akin to maybe agreeing with it?
NJjoe
He’s only worth about 25 Cent(s). Is his thoughts on “Empires” gay story line to through off the rumors that have surrounded him for years? Hmmmm.
NJjoe
Lee Daniel’s is openly gay I meant to add, so if he can get in a gay character/story line on HIS show, he will. Same goes for Shonda Rhimes who is in the closet but shocked me last week with Viola Davis’ character having a lesbian affair prior from her past. “How To Get Away With Murder” is the best show on TV.
Curty
50 cent typical rap homophobic loser… people who have a problem with gay “Stuff” have problem with themselves. 50 is a has been.
michaelmt1009
I wouldn’t give you a nickel for 50 cents opinion.
Brian
What 50 Cent may be trying to say is “I hate looking at two hot guys together but two hot lesbians is OK”.
Blackceo
Oh please….50 Cent is just hating. And while the first couple of episodes of Empire have been a bit slow, there are plenty of viewers still watching so its gone from great to very good in terms of ratings. The show isn’t going anywhere and with Lucious out now I predict things to pick up very quickly. I will still be watching. If people are that offended by “gay stuff” then go watch something else. And of course this site only talks about the show when it revolves around something negative. All the haters can #takeseats
Michael Lloyd
He’s a douche
stanhope
Empire is on FOX not LOGO. That Sylvester piece was a non starter. The celebrity placements look like force fits. Ludicrous was HORRIBLE. Fast course correction or this deal is done.
stanhope
@michaelmt1009: hell that’s 4 pennies more than I would
stanhope
@NJjoe: Lee Daniels doesn’t begin to have the talent Shonda has. NOT EVEN CLOSE. Rhonda is brilliant. Lee is lucky. Luck will end, brilliance will continue.
stanhope
@James R Carter: well ok, I’ll give the penny I use to scratch my no no when I am in bed about to go to sleep and I don’t want to smell my finger all night. he deserves it.
Jay A. Scaramazzo
Broke fifty cent not worth a nickel.
Avery Alvarez
@MarionPaige: You and Fifty suffer from black privilege.
Keep your and fifty’s 90’s style “subtle” homosexuality on his loser show.
Ronnyboy
@MarionPaige: ”he then looks directly at Hardwick’s character and says: then Aids ruined it all“. THIS trumps any f-king gay story line I’ve seen on tv this decade.”
Are you smoking some good crack or just fucking with everyone? Fuck you with the racism too.
Maurice Hadley
Or maybe 50 is just hating cuz he’s broke!
Blackceo
@MarionPaige:
I love Power and Empire. People need to stop comparing the two shows because there are more differences than similarities. Power was definitely more subtle with their gay stuff. I knew Felipe Lobos was gay very early on and was quite surprised at the number of people who didn’t know until that man came up from under the water after giving him a blowjob. So yes, definitely more subtle. I just loved the fact that the gay guy was a Latin drug lord kingpin killer. People want to see shows with more diversity. It has been part of Shonda Rhimes’ winning formula and it translates into good ratings for those that appeal across mass audiences, and poor ratings for those that don’t, like this site’s favorite show, Looking.
scotshot
@MarionPaige:
Once again MarionPage makes his/her bigoted comments on this site, this time it’s “white queens”.
Many of us white queens don’t have the time to watch every show on television featuring gay characters. VH1 and Starz don’t
have the viewers that other networks have. For someone who claims they don’t watch a lot of television you sure seem to
view a lot of shows.
Many of us white queens Have this thing called Gaydar and we do tend to notice nuanced references that a character is gay.
This white queen thinks MarionPage needs a nap.
martinbakman
I iz no homophobe but I iz stoopid. Boyyyyyyyyeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee.
Anyway, if 50 Cent sold drugs during the crack epidemic, I guess we can consider he is somewhat well rounded and enlightened………….NOT.
Since the writer and creator of Empire is gay, I would think that the enlightened one 50 Cent would figure it out, especially since da boyyyyyyyyyyy has tried his own hand at acting.
Bailey-Quin Taylor
He’s probably right. And the fact that it isn’t that great. #SorryBoutIt
M J Martinez Crogan
Then don’t watch it fifty fucking cent
Michael Colwell
50 cent is just plain stupid….
MarionPaige
@Blackceo: “I knew Felipe Lobos was gay very early on and was quite surprised at the number of people who didn’t know until that man came up from under the water after giving him a blowjob.”
What episode is this … I haven’t watched much of season 2 of Power
I did find a photo on the net purporting to be of Lobos and his Lover. The two actors look so hot together, very European looking.
Blackceo
@MarionPaige:
It was the second to last episode of season 2 at the very beginning. Then on twitter there were so many comments at people shocked that he was gay and I was like umm….it was kind of obvious and I don’t even proclaim to have “gaydar”. Granted it was the only overtly gay scene of his character but there were plenty of hints that he was gay. So I guess that’s fine for “Fiddy” cuz it’s not “too much” and then u have those types who are more uncomfortable with two men kissing because its so intimate and would be perfectly ok with the kind of fucking you saw between men on Oz.
But yeah….Lobos was such a dynamic character and I loved the fact that he was gay because those aren’t the typical kinds of gay characters you see on TV. Plus the actor who plays him, Enrique Murciano, is so handsome.
Scott McIntosh
This lad, whoever he is, is evidently an arse
Mikah
50 cent is an untalented homophobic douche,and Empire was overrated from the start.I continue to watch the show,but I was never crazy about it like a lot of people are.The buzz of the show may be decreasing a bit,and Jamal and cookie are the only reasons I continue to watch. The rest of the characters just didn’t captivate me.If the show ever loses the Gay then it’s going to lose my interest,and fuck 50 Cent.
Miguel Spatti
No well all live empire , sure I do love those guys
Jerry Green
Guess he can’t face the fact the he’s on his way to becoming a has-been.
Adrian Lehman-Sizemore
Chuck Cardillo
Is anything this rapper thinks relevant?
moldisdelicious
@Kangol:
I agree. I also think it’s annoying how there’s gay people that act all shocked at people being homophobic. It’s the norm. It’s not right but folks stat acting like it’s a post homophobic society. Smh. The subliminal racism that this gay blog pushes like many others trying to put down black people whether it’s using one individual and act like he represents all black people or exclude black people period like what gay porn blogs excluding anybody who ain’t white is sad.
Ronnyboy
@moldisdelicious:Maybe in the Rap community or where you live it is but using it as an excuse for failing ratings on your crappy show makes the bigotry 10 times worse. Besides being a bigot it just shows how little he knows. Some of the most successful series have had plenty of gay subject matter.
Maybe if there wasn’t so many blacks on the show they could improve their ratings. Maybe make them more stereotypical so the audience could relate better. We don’t want to scare off other races.
Interesting that your complaining about the racism but MarionPaige refers to whites as “white queens” and your just oky doke with that. Hypocrite.
scotshot
@Ronnyboy:
“Maybe if there wasn’t so many blacks on the show they could improve their ratings. Maybe make them more stereotypical so the audience could relate better. We don’t want to scare off other races”.
Sho’ nuff Massa Ronnyboy let’s us put more whites on the show so more whites will watch us. While we’re at it let’s do things they expect from us – shufflin’ along, sleepin’, stealin’, rapin’ their women, and makin’ bug eyes. That’s what they expect from us, right?
You could save all the trouble of a return to stereotyping Ronnyboy (boy?) by rerunning Amos and Andy shows.
Paul Matwiow
Yawn.
Larry Belusko
50 thanks for your opinion now don’t you have bankruptcy papers to sign!
Blackceo
@scotshot:
Don’t feed the trolls.
scotshot
@Blackceo:
Occasionally I need to kick them in the ankle.
MarionPaige
@Blackceo: “It was the second to last episode of season 2 at the very beginning. Then on twitter there were so many comments at people shocked that he was gay…”
I saw the episode. Thanks for the tip. Lobos was being serviced by a rent boy in the pool while Lobo’s lover was standing around watching.
Ronnyboy
@scotshot: I’m hurt man. Reading comprehension isn’t your strong suite is it. Next time understand snark and a troll isn’t considered just anyone you disagree with.
scotshot
@Ronnyboy:
If you’re going to even attempt to snark your way out of a stupid comment at least do so with proper punctuation and spelling.
Define suite.
When is this: ? used?
Sluggo2007
OMG!!! Call Sharpton!!! Empire is being discriminated against!!!