Watch THR's Full, Uncensored Drama Writers Roundtable With Lee Daniels, Damon Lindelof and More

Roundtables are back! Tune in Monday, May 23rd for the premiere of The Hollywood Reporter’s 2016 Emmy Roundtable season, and every day after for new Roundtable videos. Who do you want to see on this season’s Roundtables? Tell us in the comments below!
Showrunners Lee Daniels ('Empire'), Damon Lindelof ('The Leftovers'), Alex Gansa ('Homeland'), Sarah Treem ('The Affair'), Michelle King ('The Good Wife'), and Beau Willimon ('House of Cards') for The Hollywood Reporter's Drama Showrunner Emmy Roundtable where the writers discuss their characters and their work.
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[@hahaha430]

Just saying when the oscar season roundtables are being held, please keep Stacey Wilson as the moderator, she is so good at it.

[@wallboi7]

I'm glad they have who's doing it right in the beginning of the video so I can decide if I want to watch it or not

[@henrychinaski5938]

It's one of my goals in life to end up in one of these discussions .

[@brandonchristensen2990]

Work hard, never stop working hard.

[@WildxChiild]

Same. Hope to see you there.

[@NaleyandLeyton]

Beau Willimon is so incredibly smart. He spoke at my school last year and he was truly inspirational. He says what he means and doesn't shy away from the truth. I respect him so much.

[@daniellebelisle4747]

Binge-watched 'The Affair' and 'Empire' this summer (within a week), I promise you, it was time well spent. Also, Damon Lindelof seems like such a lovely person. Notice how he engages with everyone in the roundtable with eye-contact, genuine interest, and insightful and thoughtful responses.

[@movieace1295]

+Danielle Belisle yea just a shame that he isn't that good of a writer.

[@StarMonkies]

+MovieAce mmmm i dont know, season 2 of the leftovers is possibly the best tv i've ever watched

[@DanY-gx2dv]

+MovieAce Go watch the episodes of LOST he wrote or co-wrote.

[@Fryedoreo]

I love all of these roundtable discussions. Inspiring for all artist abroad to hear like-minded folk discuss their craft.

[@albc7519]

Beau is brilliant. and Lee Daniels is very real and transparent, which I appreciate

[@p.a.r.9714]

Lee is spot on; I love his boldness. Beau....put a sock in it already!

[@afekasi79]

It seems to me that the comment section is more uncomfortable with the race topic than the writers sitting at that table.

[@atubebuff]

+afekasi79 Oh look, a hate monger. Edit: How many times will you edit your post? LOL

[@afekasi79]

Max O'Connor Oh look, a waste of space. Stop stalking my comment posts, I'm just not that interested in you.

[@InternetGirl1093]

I'm so addicted to watching these roundtables.

[@retroholmes]

Beau Willimon is a very bright individual. Lindelof too.

[@george5954]

I fucking LOVE Damon Lindelof, I listened to every single LOST podcast and this is bringing back all those memories :')

[@daryelizabeth2771]

The part about diversity was kinda awkward, Lee Daniels was only talking about african-americans and they center on that. I like that Lee Daniels was passionate about it, but when Beau ask him how many asian-americans he had he said that doesn't had, diversity doesn't mean just african-americans there are other races too. But i think sometimes we tend to forget that.

[@katyga]

+DaryVentura2 exactly, and not just about race, is also about sexuality, gender, religion, social classes, etc..

[@daryelizabeth2771]

katyga yes, you are right, diversity is about all of that not just race.

[@harveythepooka]

+DaryVentura2 Also, there were only 2 women on the panel, that's a lack of diversity too. IMO it's important to being up the conversation because if people don't think about it and talk about it there's no hope for anything changing in the future.

[@LToote]

Some people are more comfortable speaking to their own experiences because though we may relate to other POCs (I love speaking with Indian American men about race...that ish is hilarious & they get it) everyone isn’t exposed to to them in the same ways.

[@mcwarhol17]

Lee Daniels seems so real and an actual person compared to the others, I respect his truth and his talent. He's the only one I would work 28th if I was an actor or whatever.

[@pdzombie1906]

Beau Willimon (House of Cards): "I'm the guy without the juicy tales to tell..." 2017: Hold my beer...

[@mephistoles2006]

I really love these videos! Wish you'd make them every week.

[@reubybenson8653]

I love how Lee Daniels jumped into the "diversity" question. Lol

[@TonyClomax]

Great conversation.

[@jchangaus]

Watch as Michelle King avoids talking about Kalicia-gate throughout the whole interview.

[@jed52]

Beau Willimon is smarter than everybody in that room, and I think he knows it lol.

[@chrissyomari2]

?? Not ?? Harvard Business Review did a study about this. He seems like an asshole (not saying that he is, but he seems arrogant) and people tend to think assholes are smarter. Your comment confirmed their findings.

[@chrissyomari2]

+jed52 You are right. I felt bad about writing that last night. His comments are intelligent and thoughtful, so asshole is not the right word. He seems like a guy that I would not want to work for. . . ever, but that I'd want to hang out with IF I had attained his level of success. To me, he seems like he's above it all and I can see him making others feel less than, not that Daniels helped by asking the meaning of words that were clear from the context. There is an air he gives off that I can't put my finger on. I could be completely wrong, but It seemed like he was there to teach, not to discuss with his peers.

[@raja2793]

+jed52 It hasn't helped him made a good show though.

[@alannamorris-vantassel9312]

I love Lee Daniels! "What does myopia mean?" I had to look that one up too! Including predilection, vitriolic, and machination!

[@JaiiMvX]

Beau Willimon is so smart

[@chrissyomari2]

They're all pretty intelligent.

[@orcatipp]

this roundtable was so tense at times

[@princessG313]

Especially the writer for House of Cards--he had this attitude about himself

[@joaoluizsn]

Im Here to See Damon

[@bleedingbatho]

Lee Daniels made me groan so many times. Willimon & Treem were great to listen to.

[@cdcotr]

interesting that the 2 with the most experience in the field if I have it right - Michelle King and Alex Gansa, spoke the least

[@LisaWatsonFilm]

Beau Willimon seems kind of self important but I really loved this roundtable anyway, I'm addicted to watching these haha (And he kind of looks like a owl hehe)

[@iDalisMediaTV]

I agree good observation unbelievable they the house of cards doesn't have one black writer cosseting the subject matter . You would think .

[@fefemonroe]

The diversity discussion really opened up what's wrong with the media today. The journalist threw that curveball in only because Lee Daniels was at the table. Why is diversity (buzzword for BLACK) suddenly popular because of Empire and Blackish? Black people did exist before those shows, so its clearly still an issue in Hollywood and you can see the sweat on the forehead of the producers even bringing up the topic. Lee was right - it is repulsive. You don't go to Burger King and count diversity. Its about who's right for the job. But an all white room is a problem.

[@daniellebelisle4747]

I believe the question was well-intended and though the conversation had some awkward moments, I believe it ultimately was productive. At the very least, it opened up a dialogue about the lack of representation in the industry; and hopefully that means things will progress to a place where the content that is created represents all walks of life.

[@MrMichealdrew]

+Danielle Belisle i agree. i thought that part of the convo was my favorite, because it was real. and they all made really valid point. i thought Lee got emotional with the "repulsive" remark, i wish he was a little more conversational on this topic instead of going right for the gusto with "repulsive. Because i thought it was a really great discussion, that being said, Lee was on fire in this discussion. Guy was on point, and you can see how focused he was on every topic. I love these roundtables

[@daniellebelisle4747]

I completely agree. And I got a sense that everyone there respected each other tremendously (personally and professionally), which is why I think they were all able to have a real conversation about it.

[@MrMichealdrew]

yup

[@fefemonroe]

I agree that they did have a respectable conversation about it, but I don't think they fully understood why it is such a problem. I dont know if that was a time to bring it up, with only one black representative to stand up and speak against it. But it made the table uncomfortable, which is clearly how they feel in hollywood and why the whole "diversity" trend shocks everybody. We need more representation of all ethnicities

[@EmansReviews]

As a film critic, I REALLY wish there was a critic there to respond to the comments about "reviewers"

[@greeneyedgrin]

You speak the truth Lee!! Tell em!

[@realtrini2007]

Lee Daniels Thank you for being a voice for the african diaspora.

[@chuckie102883]

I'm Hispanic but I will say this, if I were an actor I wouldn't want to be cast for a role to meet a quota (token brown boy). There are many stories to tell and MOST POC want to be able to tell the story not as a POC but simply as a person telling a story who happens to be black, Asian, Latino etc... As for Lee D.'s opinion, I'll say this, if the story pertains to black culture then yes it would make sense to seek out majority black writers who understand the life, however is the STORY has nothing to do with black life and it's about a more universal story/message (broken family, adultery, drug addiction, sexual abuse etc) I would hope he would be open to all writers regardless of race as color know no bounds to universal human pain.

[@marquesjstewart]

The best part starts at 47:00. Thank you Lee Daniels.

[@greeneyedgrin]

fact! I was going to reshare but then realized that was the only thing that I actually wanted people to see. That was so brave and honest.

[@embee3178]

she's so right about the difference between criticism and zeitgeist...

[@TheRLification]

I found the showrunners opinion of the criticism completely out of touch with reality. If your show is released weakly, you have to accept that people or critics are going to evaluate it every week. We're not gonna wait 10 to 13 weeks to form an opinion. That doesn't make sense. You can choose to tune out critics, but can't say their opinions are not valid because they don't evaluate the way you want them to.

[@mistah-k]

+TheRLification Thank you. And they also have to realize that some critics give constructive criticism. Sometimes their writing can be a little poor in some areas. So why not consider taking in that critique and make your writing even better. You can't be too sensitive over stuff like this.

[@julianreed7]

+Mistah K No offense, but even though your point is a fair question to ask, it's not that simple. As a writer myself, I completely understood their logic as well. As a writer, you almost have to live in a vacuum. In a perfect world, it'd be great to be able to effectively use the criticism to improve your writing. But that's very very difficult. Writing comes from a pure place in the soul. Once outside forces can (positively or negatively) enter into the equation, you run the risk of losing the ability to be able to write. Difficult once you start letting stuff in to not suddenly hear everything, and go crazy. There are plenty of examples of showrunners who tried to use feedback given to adjust, only to lose what made their projects special in the process. Inexact science ultimately. But for the most part, writing has to live in a vacuum.

[@AGEE_95]

I agree. I'm a writer too so I understood exactly where they were coming from. Maybe it's difficult to understand if you're not a writer, but it actually makes complete sense. And it's like one of them said, you can't pander to the requests of fans and critics all the time, especially if it doesn't fit your vision of the show. And the critics aren't always right anyway. They are just as capable of missing something from whatever episode they are reviewing, as a writer is capable of making a poor writing decision.

[@TheRLification]

Not what I said. I'm not saying do everything the critics say. You can shut yourself off from the world and the way everyone sees your work. Though that's weird because to get there your work was judged by 100 different people. What you can't is say their criticism isn't valid because they should wait to see the whole thing. That's just not living in reality.

[@AGEE_95]

TheRLification Showrunners are allowed to disagree with their critics opinions. If they feel that the critics missed the point of a scene, episode, or season arc for any reason, that's their point of view, which they are permitted to have just as much as any critic.

[@mcwarhol17]

47:15 she asks is their a pressure to add more diversity in their shows like yeah right... if their was any pressure this would not be up for discussion... As well yes maybe Hollywood should not pressure white writers to write about minority life in America but the issue is hiring other writers to contribute to the story and call me crazy but create their own stories or shows so more people understand this perspective in life.

[@joxocelyn]

yeah the blogs

[@billielittle]

I love House of Cards it is such a brilliantly written and acted show. Would love to be able to write and create like Beau Willimon. Good Wife is also well written and a pretty great show, but no other show beats House of Cards that show is perfection. I won't even go into how amazing the actors are, especially Kevin Spacey and Robin Wright.

[@user-kg5xp6en9w]

Great roundtable, I thought . I really loved the interviewers should have them more often rather than the english guy.

[@michaelmattice4986]

27:41 I love when Lee Daniels says '...this is the world that I know. This is the real world that is as honest as I can be...' I admire anyone, in any field, who has the strength and conviction to be honest. So often we are told to be honest...to tell the truth...whether dealing with family, friends, co workers, etc...But the REAL 'Truth', in my humble opinion of course, is that people DON'T want to know how we REALLY feel about them...ESPECIALLY if it isn't complimentary, or in agreement with them...Just try telling your boss or your brother or your girlfriend or your teacher or your neighbor or anyone you might perchance to meet in this whacky world how you REALLY feel about them!...I'm not even talking about being rude...I'm just talking about being HONEST...Go ahead...give it a try...let me know how that works out!...It seems to me that Jack Nicholson's character in A Few Good Men was right when he said "YOU CAN'T HANDLE THE TRUTH!"...But then again, what do I know...I'm just a guy...typing a comment...that doesn't really matter anyway in the grand scheme of things now does it?...I guess what I'm really trying to say is...Is it me, or does David Lindelof look like the lovechild of Matthew Broderick and Jon Cryer?!:)

[@GerryMcAveety]

Lee Daniels was my favourite in this.

[@alexxolo]

Diversity should never be forced upon any creator, simple.

[@ReelNinja1]

When they write for demographics that are not like themselves, they should be more diverse. A room full of men can't write a show about what it's like to be a woman. They would need a woman's perspective on creating the characters.

[@jcadeau0929]

Two words: Beau Willimon.

[@VIDAMANii]

Beau is the talisman right now.. Respect

[@NaturalBeauty321]

Lee Daniels

[@jackjill4560]

The comments that express a feeling of discomfort with Lee Daniel's assertion of his opinions in a forum that is an open discussion among peers, proves a point in itself. It can never be too white, however any time a descendant of kidnapped African people talk from their vantage point then it be becomes "awkward" for those who quickly want to dismiss that the perspective even exist (or should exist). However, if he had tried his damnedest to leave his culture and color out of his discussion then all would have been right with the world. As a woman, a woman goes to bat for women, as a man, a man goes to bat for men and as a descendant of kidnapped African people living in his ancestors' place of captivity, he went to bat for them and their cultural perspective and experience. There is an inherit nature of europeans in today's current paradigm to care more about their comfort and feeling when talking, than to actually deal with the realities being discussed. However I do not fault europeans for such a myopic perspective, due to the fact that they are not force to experience others reality, so to them others' perspectives don't exist or matter. What a luxury. ;)

[@majidkhan1435]

Why arent Nic Pizzolatto writer of True Detective on this or Sam Esmail 'Mr. Robot' or even David Benioff, D.B. Weiss 'Game of Thrones'.

[@xxdriv123]

+majid khan because it's an emmy roundtable so they get some of the writers of acclaimed shows of the past year striving for emmys. Mr. Robot just came out this summer. wouldn't be surprised if esmail is there next year. and TD season 2 premiered over the summer. Nic was on the roundtable last year for season 1. The GOT writers have been on the roundtable in the past

[@rockingbirdey]

Because True Detective Season 2 sucked balls. I think Mr Robot was still on the air and no one really realised how fantastic the series was.

[@rafatislam1582]

Does Lee Daniels seriously not know what myopia (19:15) and rubric (52:25) mean?! How can you be a writer and not know what myopia and rubric mean?

[@greatday124]

I think Lee was being facetious. Willimon, in particular, has a slight air of snootiness about him. It might be misunderstood. But the two men operate in totally different universes. One is all about being transparent and in your face the other, slightly more restrained and direct. I think what irks Lee is that Willimon presents himself as refined and perfect. What irks Willimon is that Lee seems to have no filter and doesn't mind being messy and controversial. It's like kids and finger paints. One is slapping the table carelessly and the other is daintily using one finger. Both make great art.

[@fairypoo]

feel sorry for Lindelof and the flack he got for Lost, so many people didnt understand the ending before they started hating

[@raja2793]

The way some of the showrunners are talking about 'critics' makes me think that they should actually read some of the good criticism out there to get a better picture of what a critic actually does. And how good some of them can be. Their image of a critic is closer to a stereotype as opposed to the reality. Especially Beau Willimon - of course people are going to judge a season episode by episode - it's up to the show runners to make every episode engaging enough for the audience to come back for it. Look at Mad Men - it's one of the only shows that was very consistent episode by episode, and it still managed to tell one of the best stories on TV over 7 seasons.

[@user-bf9hk7my9c]

Sam Esmail "Mr Robot" next time, please!

[@mistah-k]

Though I respect his work, there's something about Lee Daniels I just don't like.

[@LeahJames616]

Yea he made the energy in the room weird. And he was so awkwardly flamboyant.

[@shikara24]

+Mistah K Why? Because he was calling out lack of diversity and racism in Hollywood and it made you feel uncomfortable? -_-

[@mistah-k]

Shakyira Allen I don't understand how that would make me feel bothered. Since the lack of diversity is true. With not only blacks but with other minorities that lack representation. Also the fact that I'm black myself. There are other black people who just don't like how lee Daniels acts. I have no beef with u. I'm not into that whole arguing mess on KZbin. Yeah It's fun to watch. But not fun to be involved with the bullshit

[@mikekillagreen9432]

+Mistah K Exactly

[@StudioErsatz]

+Mistah K That would be the blackness

[@KasaiFilms8]

Lee needs a standing ovation...not awkward but real and true! Anyone who feels awkward then you don't know what is going in the world. And to the asian american's they are coming up too, but atleast they have a whole continent that stands behind them. Hopefully soon this world will be balanced and equal.

[@harveythepooka]

I found the diversity issue very interesting. I agree 100% with the guy from house of cards. A single tv show tells a single story. If it's a story about a women's prison there should be a lot of women, if it's about people living in Chinatown it should have a lot of Asians etc. I hope that show runners aren't adding POC just because the network thinks that's what they need when it isn't true to the story. IMO the problem is that the networks aren't making more shows about POC. That's the problem. In some situations you will be in a diverse group of people, in others you won't. I don't really agree with Lee Daniels about white people writing for blacks, being if you want to go there then men shouldn't write for women, young people shouldn't write for old etc. I think if it's a show like his show he needs them, but not everyone needs them. It's just like with the networks not making enough shows within the worlds of POC, the networks need to hire more diverse EVERYONE! More diverse actors, directors, editors, etc etc etc. And imo, the world of TV should be over all representative of the real world. Roughly 15% of the people in the US are African American so roughly 15% of the shows should be black centric, the same goes for Asians, Native Americans and Hispanics. But that's very far from the case. Also, so many more shows about the rich rather than the poor or about men rather than women, etc. I don't think a better product should be rejected to get a more inferior product on TV because it's more diverse, but the system should be changed so that there are enough non-white males to get other stories out there. The problem with that is it's going to take at least a generation to happen and people want change now. Just changing the color of the skin of the people you see on the screen isn't changing the real solution, that's the bandaid, but a bandaid is better than nothing.

[@MyNameIsntCoolEnough]

I totally agree with your first paragraph but I think what Lee meant about white writers writing for black characters is that it will be a very shallow or imaginative process when the show seeks to be grounded in reality especially for a show specifically about African American culture and family life. For example, if you watch Empire I don't think the relationship between Lucius and Jamal could have been as complex and nuanced without real life experience pouring into it.

[@chrissyomari2]

Yeah, but he's writing about a show based in DC with no black writers that's pretty unrealistic. I think it's a great show, but the lack of diversity in the room explains why the minority characters on the show are so one dimensional and and predictable compared to the rest of the characters.

[@EgyptNile]

harveythepooka I agree but disagree with people writting for other people you honestly can't do. For example a white person writes about how a black person is discriminated again cause he is black, although I'm not saying white people can't be discriminated against just a white person can never know how it truly feels to be discriminated against from the kkk or something of that nature so they cannot truly write that good on the subject, or another example a male writting about how painful it is to give birth, it just doesn't make sense cause its not something they can experience.

[@AustinPageofficial]

+Zena Girl ☆ Yes, but there are other ways to be discriminated against than just for one's race that would give someone insight as to what it's like to be discriminated against. I'm not arguing that it would be ideal for a story about black discrimination should be written by all white people. I would think it would be totally appropriate to have black writers on that show. But I don't think it's fair to say that no white person can ever relate to being discriminated against. Just months ago students were shot in the head at school for admitting to being christian. Similar situations have applied to people of other religions and gay people. What if white person was adopted by an asian, indian or black parents, and witnessed first-hand the persecution of their parents and siblings growing up? If someone lived through a situation like that (just as one example of many many others) I'd say yea - regardless of that persons race, they faced extreme persecution, and might be able to relate to how African Americans were persecuted, and might be inspired by their story. That's an extreme example, but it illustrates my point that you can't discount anyone's personal experiences. To say "a white person can never understand what it's like to..." is narrow minded because you don't know what that individual has experienced. Also, I don't believe you have to have literally experienced child-birth to write a scene about child birth for a tv show. If Joss Whedon wrote a female character into the pilot of a show because he loves strong female characters, and then three seasons later he was in charge of writing an episode where she has a child, there are many ways he could go about writing that scene, from doing lots of research (obviously) and consulting female friends and family who have been through it. Would it be a great idea to have an amazing female writer write that scene or episode? Yea that would be smart and probably ideal. But is it impossible for a guy to write the scene and make it powerful? Of course not. That's what makes a good writer, and I would apply the same logic to a female writer trying to write a scene about male character interactions. As a white person if I were in charge of hiring a writing staff, it would come down only to who the best writers are to help me execute my vision, based on their skill at writing, and how well they understand what I'm trying to convey. If a perfectly even amount of people applied and none of the white people seemed right for the job, I wouldn't hire them. And that goes for anyone of any race in my opinion. That's why it didn't seem fair to me for Lee Daniels to be pointing a finger at everyone and insinuating that they were racist for having a none or not enough black people on the staff. Beau Willimon wasn't "whitesplaining" anything. He was attempting to show Lee how his argument was one-sided and contradictory. He was just pointing out a logical fallacy. All in all I think shows will undeniably benefit from having more varied writing rooms, because it IS ideal to have multiple perspectives. I'm not saying any of this in defense of "white people". I'm saying it in defense of the notion that no matter how good a writer is, they must only write about their most literal circumstances. That just isn't true.

[@joneshugh]

Goodwife??

[@cdclemensen]

the whole thing with lee laying on the white guilt to his fellow guests, it's basically just like a co-dependent parent who says to their child: "you are the reason why I have problems, it's all your fault" most kids carry that burden and try to appease like every one of the panelists did with lee.

[@MrRandomTuber]

I want Beau to be my guru.

[@eterista3868]

Wow, I was quite surprised by some of their views about criticism - I found them almost naive and simplistic. As if it wasn't all part of culture and meaning in it, the attention to THEIRS shows, the reflection and reaction based on philosophical framework through tools of literary/film criticism refined by years and years of academic research (I'm talking about quality criticism). And then after this block of their answers - the female moderator asks about reactions to their shows and we see that they want it suddenly - to be seen, reflected, discussed.

[@stephaniemacklin4162]

This was a very interesting episode. I perused the viewer comments prior to completely watching the show to look for points of interest in the video and I was anticipating the commentary around diversity. The one gentleman looked to be offended when Lee Daniels asked him if he has any African American writers on his show and not only did he not answer the question but he tried to reverse it back on the Lee and then when he didn't get the response he was anticipating he then quickly rerouted onto another way to attack and divert. Just be honest. Clearly his lens of viewing the world is Caucasian only. That is fine own it. There was no need to be defensive.

[@WarsawBlues]

Find House of Cards a decent show but not a great one, but found Beau as a pretty impressive individual. Lindelof was typically great. Could listen to him speak for hours.

[@amcra1]

Wow I am completely disappointed at the diversity question. With the exception of Michelle they all were uncomfortable. They all gave excuses as to why POC weren't involved with their show. Lee is right it is repulsive. None of them spoke up but rather chose to bs their answers. It's a fucking shame that out of 4 shows none of them had a POC on their staff. They don't want us.

[@bleedingbatho]

Lee Daniels seems to assume that "diverse" automatically means black. There are plenty of ethnic groups in this country that could be represented, other than black and white.

[@chrissyomari2]

But there are still only 4 non white writers on all of the staffs represented except Lee's. So bashing Daniels because he only asked about black people is just a red herring.

[@bleedingbatho]

Chrissy Robbins It's just that much of the discussion regarding diversity in Hollywood, or at least from my perception, focuses solely on African-Americans. Yes, we need more Black people on TV and in film. But asians and hispanics seem to not even be part of that discussion at this point.

[@Cheesyenchilady]

Way to make it awkward Lee.

[@mikekillagreen9432]

Truth hurts

[@moneymaker3208]

Imagine how it feels to actually experience it

[@iDalisMediaTV]

Way to keep it REAL thank you Lee!!!!

[@LToote]

Lee Daniels went in and the guy with the glasses and is bald and the guy from house of cards really handled the inquiry well. I’m surprised by their responses. The lady from homeland...she got defensive. It’s important for show runners to challenge each other on these important topics because the little guys can’t. And this is where the line of questions went so ignoring them would just be sad and telling. I’ve observed that privileged white women (not necessarily poor white women) tend to feel oppressed and it’s weird to see the amount of access they have and they’re still feeling dissatisfied. I’m glad the people in the comments are uncomfortable with Lee Daniels...that means he struck a nerve. I’d just like to see if you then begin to explore those feelings and try to act outside of that discomfort and do the right thing.

[@Jabukama]

Typically these round tables allowed everyone to talk evenly with questions being directed at particular guests. In this one just three people dominated the conversation whilst the others said so little - Michelle king spoke 2 times.

[@banknegara100]

the author of the affair speak really really really really fast.

[@Gbutler777]

+sim t YES! But her articulation and vocabulary at that speed is pretty impressive.

[@andresortiz6]

Stacy Wilson though

[@alexandra4real360]

46:56 she asks the "diversity" question...just in case you wanted to skip to it :)

[@retroholmes]

Lee Daniels is very unprofessional and he doesn't seem to realize he comes off as rude or too "out there".

[@jed52]

+retroholmes Unprofessional? Maybe, but a lot of these roundtables are conducted in a way that is sort of rigid and self aggrandizing. I think he brings a lightheartedness that is greatly needed in this environment. They make entertainment for a living, lighten up a little, ya know.

[@MsJilsephonie]

empire is basically over its so bad and im happy about that i hate this guy

[@ReelNinja1]

How is it basically over when the ratings & viewership for season 3 surpassed season 1 &2?

[@hermanmelville3871]

Lee Daniels thinks he's a lot cooler than he actually is.

[@MrRandomTuber]

Didn't get a good vibe from the guy who writes for The Leftovers - seemed to be trying too hard maybe.

[@jaimzdeen]

It was all fun and smiles until the "diversity" question..."How many Asians do you have?" REALLY??? I can NOT. Avoidance and deflection at its best.

[@Habopolis]

Lee Daniels seems to be extremely insecure

[@HeshanWijegunaratne84]

+Simon Wilson Could be b/c he is new to the TV world...

[@FamilyGuy770]

From my viewpoint, Daniels was just seeking to have a confrontation with somebody at that table. I mean, who the hell goes around the table and asks everybody how many black people do they have on their writing staff? That just shows you're looking to indulge in some kind of conflict.

[@HeshanWijegunaratne84]

Yeah, I agree.

[@afekasi79]

+FamilyGuy770 Certainly not white people, who are represented in all corners of society by default. It's a valid question. And it opens a topic white people like yourself feel uncomfortable engaging in because you don't maneuver well on topics that you don't know about. In my experience, people who are offended by the in your faceness of racial issue questions lack the empathy needed for this conversation. And that doesn't equate to agreement in the topics, but the empathy to know that just because you cannot relate to it, that doesn't mean it isn't valid.

[@FamilyGuy770]

+afekasi79 First off, I'm a black guy... Secondly, as a Black American I fully embrace the ideal of diversity. I thinks it's great that finally on television there isn't just one viewpoint presented to the public through a fictionalized medium. Thirdly, the reason I say that Daniels was seeking conflict at that table was because the way he executed his argument. He didn't have to confront every single solitary at that damn table and ask them how many black people they have on their staff. If anything, he made himself look less able to deal with a solid discussion by going about the conversation in that way. I'm all for diversity, but there are facts that need to be faced like the majority of the WGA is mostly Caucasian. I think that is something that needs to be addressed more than him squarely placing the blame for the lack of diverse talent behind the scenes on the showrunners. If there were a hefty amount blacks, asians, etc in the WGA and still the writer's rooms where still mostly white THEN you can completely and without question place the blame on the showrunners.

[@steari]

Two of these writers lost their shows main characters to public scandals. Kinda crazy

[@joaoluizsn]

Never liked House of Cards showrunner until he pointed to the asian american issue

[@TruthIsNeverGossip]

That was a rude stance. You can't ask your fellow creators how many writers of color are in their rooms on what's basically press and television combined, if you don't know the answer, it's bad manners. Also diverse does not mean black only, which is what Lee's focusing on.

[@chrissyomari2]

I don't think it's rude. The topic was diversity.

[@TruthIsNeverGossip]

It is, in a public context, he had to know he'd embarrass most of them. Also, what Lee is doing, having an all black room, is exactly wrong in the same measure that having an all white room would be. Diversity doesn't mean black only.

[@chrissyomari2]

+TruthIsNeverGossip Lee doesn't have an all black writing staff. If the topic wasn't diversity, it could be an out of place question, but it isn't rude just because they were embarrassed. The Lost show runner gave the best, most authentic answer. He didn't seem embarrassed because he probably has thought through the issue. If the topic is nudity and I ask if you've been to a nudist colony, the question isn't rude just because you are embarrassed to say that you've been to a nudist colony. It's just embarrassing to you because of your circumstances. If we eliminate Lee from the conversation, there would still be 5 show runners with only three people of color on their staffs. Diversity is not just black, but I would bet my 401k that you could ask the same question about any other race except Caucasian to those show runners and you would get the same answers. They should be embarrassed, but bringing it up isn't rude, it's realistic. They need to think about it.

[@TruthIsNeverGossip]

+Chrissy Robbins Doesn't he? he claims to have an all black writing staff in the video, I'm going by his words.

[@chrissyomari2]

+TruthIsNeverGossip It is an indisputable fact that he does not have an all black writing staff. You're adding assumptions to his words. He says that he likes seeing a room full of black writers writing for black people that doesn't mean that there a no non-black people in the room. You're taking it literally. He didn't mean it literally, even if I didn't know his staff wasn't all black, I wouldn't take it as a literal statement unless I wanted to be argumentative.

[@perpetuaonyango7851]

I am all for diversity but I think you should be hired for your talent, credits and different point of views that work for your vision and not hire based on race...

[@anna411able]

Loved watching all these white apologists!

[@FamilyGuy770]

Another thing that irritates me is that Lee Daniels said that he finds it insulting when he sees white people write for black people, but yet the creator of the show (Danny Strong) is a white guy and showrunner of the series (Ilene Chaiken) is also white... Does anybody other than me see the hypocrisy here?

[@chrissyomari2]

No. You're nitpicking. He clearly meant he didn't like having an all white room of writers creating black dialogue for characters. You're stretching. I don't see any hypocrisy.

[@FamilyGuy770]

+Chrissy Robbins I am not nitpicking. If that's what he meant, then he should have said just that. If you want to make an argument, you need to accurately delineate what you mean.

[@chrissyomari2]

+FamilyGuy770 He clearly has non-black writers on staff, so youre making an assumption that he's being hypocritical, instead of the more logical choice, which would be that he just doesn't like it when there is no black contribution. It isn't hypocritical to have a white show runner. There are white/non-black characters on the show, so he would be being hypocritical by not having any white/non-black voices represented.

[@FamilyGuy770]

+Chrissy Robbins All I'm saying is, he made a broad statement that should've been better worded. Because with the way he said it, he looks like a hypocrite. I don't have an issue with his argument. I just have an issue with the way he executed it...

[@rockingbirdey]

Actually you are wrong and the other guy is right. He said that he hated the idea of white writers writing and creating the voice for black characters. He wasn't talking about the writers room - he was talking about writers generally

[@IrinNovy]

It's interesting how they presented Pussy Riot - a feminist group who was arrested because of their protest against the Russian president. They made them heroes. Well, I'm Russian and I can say that there is nothing feminist about them because they weren't fighting for women's rights. And the real reason they were arrested because they made a show in a church(!). They were dancing like crazy and screaming offensive things in a holly place for many people. They chose to do that. What possible reason could they have to offend Christians by showing disrespect to the church in the first place? And now they are heroines because they said something against the president? I just hate this biased information!

[@MsJilsephonie]

this roundtable made me hate L Daniels im so glad Empire became unwatchable after season 1

[@ReelNinja1]

Why? He seems like the realest person at the table. Maybe I just respect honesty

[@kevinjohnsamuel3565]

"What does myopia mean?". Seriously?

[@AhmedT92]

Diversity is stupid, and I say that being originally Arab/Muslim. Don't give me a job to fill a hiring quota. That is insulting and harms the art that is being made if the person hired isn't hired for their merit and talent, but race and gender instead. Forcing diversity is racist and stupid. Like.. even at award shows now they try to mix up the nominees, but WHAT IF this year's best artist were all straight white dudes, are we going to remove some of them and put others that weren't as good in that specific year just to be diverse?? Isn't the award for the best piece of art? Like.. I'm cool if a year all best director awards go to asian woman if in that specific year all the BEST movies were directed by asian women.. just like I'm ok with and all white list of nominees if in that year they were really the creators of the best pieces of art.

[@laurikubuitsile4980]

I 100% agree. If I'm hired because I'm a woman I will be undermined be everyone including myself.

[@joecamps1119]

The diversity question was ill informed, like all you did was have Lee Daniels embarass himself by making him mad and making a scene for nothing and then have Beau Willimon try to 'whitesplain' diversity or lack thereof in the industry.

[@AGEE_95]

It's not embarrassing to be honest about issues that other people try and hide from like cowards. It looks like he made a scene, because everyone else reacted like scared little kids. If everyone at the table was uncomfortable, that's their problem, not his. He was just telling it like it is. If they or anyone else can't handle, that, then that's just pathetic. They should be able to have a conversation about these kinds of topics without getting uncomfortable, to be honest.

[@rafatislam1582]

Should writers be hired based on their skin colour and gender rather than their skills and experience?

[@ReelNinja1]

Depends on the character it seems. It would be weird for me to write white characters that white people would not appeal to.

[@wiggitywhacked]

who cares about the leftovers...

[@banknegara100]

the author of the affair speak really really really really fast.