There is a bit of fall-out from the police shooting in last week’s show that comes back in this week’s episode of Fox’s Star. The November 15 episode titled “Faking It” includes the Midtown record label digging out of bad publicity when a Black Lives Matter hashtag goes viral.
Midtown’s biggest star, Noah Brooks (Luke James) is dealing with the death of his best friend who was shot by a police officer in the parking lot of Midtown. Noah turns to social media to vent. On Twitter, he uses the hashtag #MidtownMatters and Midtown’s CEO Aryanna Floyd (Michael Michele) is facing pressure from her father to stop the public relations disaster.
Charles Floyd (Richard Roundtree) explains to Aryanna that the hashtag infers to the folks on black Twitter that black lives don’t matter at the Midtown record label. Aryanna points out that of course black lives matter – “We make R & B music.” She is reluctant to deliver a statement to the press for fear of fanning the flames of the bad publicity the shooting brought to her business. Charles then reminds her that his reputation is on the line (he gave the company over to her) and that he was an original social justice warrior.
Charles: You need to shut this down. Noah's hashtag infers that black lives don't matter to Midtown.
Aryanna: R & B music-- of course black lives matter.
Charles: I marched with King. I stumped for Obama. You're just gonna sit on this damn story? As head of Midtown, you've got to make a formal announcement.
Aryanna: You know how hard it is to build a company.
Charles: Everything that happens to your label happens to my name. Speak up, girl. You better speak up and do it damn quick!
Aryanna asks Noah to recant on the hashtag but he refuses. Then she lowers the boom. She tells him that with the Atlanta Showcase coming up, all eyes will be on her talent. She reminds him that she needs to know that her label’s artists are not working against the label
By the end of the episode, Aryanna and Noah have worked things out. Aryanna delivers a statement to the press gathered outside on company property, just as her father demanded.
This show never fails to promote a rallying cry for Black Lives Matter, even if they have to use a silly hashtag to do it. What would Dr. King think about that?
