Cookie Lyon Character Analysis

Empire, a nighttime drama by FOX, focuses on Empire Entertainment, a hip-hop music company, and the founder’s family as they fight for control of the company. The fight ensues when relatives learn that Lucious, the CEO of Empire Entertainment, has been diagnosed with a terminal disease. Lucious wants one of his three sons, Andre, Jamal, or Hakeem, to take over the company. Within the show’s first season, it has addressed issues such as homophobia and strong female personalities. While Empire is seemingly breaking barriers for African-Americans on television, in some ways it is only strengthening pre-existing ones, especially in the matters of gender, sexuality, and race. Lucious Lyon’s family including himself and his ex-wife, Cookie Lyon,

Cookie Lyon always has the audience rooting for her, even when she is fierce, crafty, and compassionate. She is part of the shifting trends to allow women, especially African American women, the same opportunities and distinction afforded to Caucasian male heroes. Anika, on the other hand, has the potential to be an excellent female character. Although she is a sexy, smart businesswoman, she is only defined through her romantic relationship with Lucious and rivalry with Cookie (Reid). Anika needs further characterization if she continues to duel against Lucious and Cookie. The other women in the show, Rhonda, Tiana, Porsha, and Becky are half sketched characters with little independent agency. These ladies play crucial roles in the Lyon family as a spouse, girlfriend, client, and assistants. Rhonda and Tiana, especially, are highly sexualized. Women are valued for their ability to be looked at and to be pleasing in modes of heterosexual attractiveness (Mulvey 62). Andre uses Rhonda’s sexual prowess as a means of manipulating people into doing what they want. Otherwise, her character contributes little to the storyline. Tiana’s character carries the potential of a dynamic character, but her bisexuality is used just as a hot and titillating novelty that can be used to further her

In “Dangerous Bonds,” Hakeem finds out that she cheated on him. There is a close up shot of Hakeem to highlight his reaction. In addition, his face occupies a majority of the frame space, showing he is only bothered by the fact that she cheated on him, not that it was with another woman. The only person who had a negative reaction to Tiana’s sexuality was Lucious. Also, he suggested that Hakeem could join a threesome with her and her girlfriend (Daniels). However, it is refreshing to see queer characters accepted by friends and family, all while enjoying relative success. Positive representation definitely matters to the audience, but if the directors want to tackle the issues of rampant homophobia, they need more obstacles for the homosexual and bisexual