Child, Please!: 10 Reasons Why this Black Woman Dislikes Tyler Perry
Written by Bree Little Tuesday, 27 October 2009 06:12
So, let’s address the elephant in the virtual room. T-Y-L-E-R P-E-R-R-Y--the gun toting, fast tongued man in a dress. The Blacklightmag.com staff almost battled it out to see who would get the..hmmm...(honor? pleasure?) opportunity to do the first Tyler Perry post. As you can see, I won--really by default because Brian is in India and has more important things to post about.
First, let me preface this by saying that I am not speaking on this topic from the perspective of a stuck up, elite university educated, privileged Black person with absolutely no training or background in theatre, film, television and all forms of creative art. I have an extensive background in the arts and I am no where near stuck up or privileged in the most stereotypical sense of the word. Honestly, I started this post about a week ago and forgot about it, but Mr. Perry did a 60 minutes last night that really caught my attention.
Specifically, there was one little part in the interview about Spike Lee’s opinions on Tyler’s work. Basically, he called Tyler the second coming of Amos n’ Andy, blackface, Aunt Jemima (with the do-rag, not the press and curl) and Diddy during the flashy suit era (take that, take that)--all in one. Now, I, for one, thought that these opinions weren’t some kind of new revelation. I thought everyone kinda, sorta felt the same way...even if they try not to express those feelings in hopes of avoiding the tired “crabs in a barrel” accusations. But, apparently, I was sadly mistaken because Tyler caught an attitude quicker than a hooker catches an STI. I mean, he squinted those little eyes, reared his head back and gave such a meeeeannnnnn “black woman” stare that thought he was about to throw on some earrings, reach for his purse and become Madea right in the chair kinda like Dr. Jekyl/Mr. Hyde. I mean, he was pissseddddddd (with extra snaps in a circle).
Now, Tyler, don’t tell me that you’ve been living in a bubble where everyone loved what you produced? That’s just a shame because you being Black does not mean you can’t be criticized. If anything, we should be more critical of those being heralded as the “voice” of our communities. So, after watching some of your interview and being very happy to hear Spike be Spike and not be afraid to go against the grain, I got some of my inspiration back. Thank God because these things need to be said. This is gonna be a long one! Here are ten reasons why this Black woman is not a Tyler Perry fan--and, yes, I have seen all of the films. I wouldn’t critique his work if I hadn’t seen it. This is just my personal fifteen and a half cents and I’m not sorry for naddadamn thing I’m about to say. So, here goes from the least annoying to the most annoying:
10. Maya & Cicely: He puts Maya Angelou and Cicely Tyson in every got-damn thing he does. Tell me, what kind of sense does this make? I mean, I Iurvvvvessss me some Cicely and Maya, but...damn. I know, I know, they are our legends, but do they need to perform a slave narrative during every movie? Especially if you’re gonna throw these moments in there all willy-nilly. Take Madea’s Family Reunion for example: Why the heck did we get transported from the family cook-out to the slave quarters of a 1830s plantation in twenty seconds flat--complete with work bell? Really, Tyler? Really? While we are on the subject, why was Cicely playing Kimberly Elise’s mother in Diairy of a Mad Black Woman? How in God’s name was Cicely supposed to be Kimberly’s mom and Madea was her grandmother or father’s mother? Did Cicely’s character marry an infant? There ain’t no way in hell that Madea was older than Cicely. I’m just saying. Use our legends wisely Tyler....and sporadically.
9. I think I've seen this scene before: If there is one thing my mama always told me not to do, it was to not steal. My mama would not like Tyler Perry because he is a thief. He’s just straight up jacking sh*t from other movies left and right. Examples: The date/flowers montage in Diary of a Mad Black Woman is eerily reminiscent of the date/flowers montage in Jason’s Lyric. The “druggie mother bursting into the sing away her sins” scene, also in Diary, is so similar to the church scene in The Color Purple that I keep waiting for Shug Avery and the jug band to magically appear on screen. I could go on, but I think you get my point. Can I please stop seeing old film sequences in new films? Thanks a bunch.
8. Is this still a stage play?: I really respect Tyler’s hustle. I do, but I need him to realize that he needs to adjust his scripts to fit into films. You are no longer writing just for stage. You don’t have to explain every little detail. That is what flashback, innuendo, allusion and other forms of reference are used for. There is no need to be overly dramatic. One of the only lines that stands out to me from any of his movies comes from Madea’s Family Reunion. It’s when one of the daughters screams at her mother--after having almost attacked her *sigh*--that “I AM MY MOTHER’S DAUGHTTTTEERRRR.” I rolled my eyes so hard at that one that they nearly fell out of my head. Less is more sometimes, Tyler. Go through a few more rounds of rewrites. If you love what you do, you should do more work on it.
7. Bad hair pieces: Lord, Jesus be a fence. If I see one more bad hair piece on Tyler Perry’s--or any other actor’s-- head during a movie, I might just have a heart attack. YOU DO NOT NEED A HAIR PIECE IN ORDER TO PLAY SOMEONE OTHER THAN YOURSELF. It’s called acting. We know that you aren’t playing yourself when you’re in one of your own movies. There is no need to alter your appearance in an effort to confuse or trick us. We get it.
6. for colored girls who have considered suicide when the rainbow is enuf: So, this isn’t really Tyler’s fault, but I just cannot believe that with the plethora of fantastically talented Black, female writers and directors, Tyler Perry was chosen to write and direct one of the most poignant pieces ever written by a Black woman for Black women. And, to add insult to injury, he wants to cast Beyonce? Really, Tyler? If you’re not gona be serious about casting, how about you make it with all Russian women who have no knowledge of the English language. Apparently you aren’t casting based on talent or the ability to hold a coherent conversation so this suggestion should be ideal.
5. Every movie is the same: 1. Lower class person is struggling. 2. The upper class and/or educated person is keeping them down. 3. The woman needs guidance, 4. Man swoops in and saves the day, 5. The random sermon and church service. It gets boring.
4. Meet the Browns and House of Payne: Enough said.
3. The Damsel in Distress: I kinda covered this in #5, but the way in which he finds a way to sneak in a man to save the day in every movie is painful. It seems as if every movies is telling girls that career success is not enough to be happy. You have to have a man be your guiding light, save you from the wicked upper class, unChristian, crazy people, marry you and give you some babies. Can’t a woman prevail without the help of a male lawyer, mechanic, immigrant, bus driver or police officer? No? Apparently not.
2. Madea: No, not every Black woman is like Madea. *Gasp* Shock, I know. My grandmother does not carry guns, curse or participate in high speed chases. It’s sad that he/she has become one of the most profitable Black “women” in Hollywood, but Angela Bassett can’t get a decent role to save her life. She’s basically the only constant image of Black women that we have in film. Are we really satisfied with Madea being our representative to the world?
1. What happened to Spike?: My main issue with the Tyler Perry phenomenon is that the man seems to have a monopoly on the “Black” story. There should be room for everyone, but if there were different sides of the our stories being told, I wouldn’t be this concerned by what Tyler Perry is producing. It’s his life, his money and his hustle. However, directors and writers that are trying to present other options for the world to see are not as commonly supported, funded or heard of. What happened to movies like Do the Right Thing? If I was still seeing those movies, I wouldn’t mind the Madeas of the world, but the fact that I only see the Madeas concerns me. What does that say about us?
Child, please minstrelsy Tyler.
Leave your comments below!
| Next > |
|---|