Why so much negativity about Tyler Perry's work?
I always wondered why so many Black people were hard on Tyler Perry yet the same people either completely ignore (or completely worship), Hip Hop artists who promote misogyny in their music videos.
Could it be homophobia? Maybe they don’t like the fact that he dresses up like an old lady. *shrugs*
Could it be that the concept of Male Privelege (something that exists in our society almost subconsciously) is overtly exposed to audiences through Tyler Perry’s characters and stories?
Possibly it is...
Here is something interesting that I found out about myself:
I trust Tyler Perry.
Yes, I know it’s weird! But when he cast former porn star, Kim Kardashian, in his upcoming film, “The Marriage Counselor,” a lot of people were very angry. They felt as if he had finally sold out and strayed away from his commitment to make movies that uplift the Black community. Well, my 1st thought was, “Either he is losing his mind or he has a master plan.” Yes, dear friends, I actually trust Tyler Perry. ;) You know what that means! Just kidding... :-P
I’m not saying that I would marry him and live happily ever after. No. I’m saying that I trust him to bring me the same content consistently, and to do it from the heart. I’ve seen all of Tyler Perry’s movies except for 'For Colored Girls' (the play he adapted to film) and 'Precious' (the film which he only endorsed). I know the type of artist he is. I know where he’s coming from and I can usually predict where he’s going. Some see him as a money maker but I see him as an artist, a writer, a film-maker. His artistic process surely requires deep thought and almost an emotional purging.
Tyler Perry vs. Spike Lee
As far as the Tyler Perry/Spike Lee debate, here are my thoughts: I personally have never liked Spike Lee’s films, although I can agree that they are great artistic pieces. I guess I never really bought what he was selling.
1.) Sexuality
One thing I did notice however were his extremely graphic and unforgettable sex scenes! There is all kind of art! The sex scenes were uniquely Spike Lee! Whereas Tyler Perry’s movies most often don’t have sex scenes and display underlying themes of Christianity. In my honest opinion, that is the major difference seen strictly from this movie-goer’s eyes.
Check out these articles about Spike Lee’s sex scenes:
* From NYDailyNews.com
“Actresses Still Steaming Over Spike's Sex Scenes”
* From TheBlackActor.com:
“Spike Lee and those chi chi's”
“Spike Lee - What's with the va jay jays?”
“Spike Lee’s She Hate Me”
She Hate Me
2.) Socio Economic Status - “The Class War”
An accusation that Spike Lee makes about Tyler Perry’s films is the “coonery and buffoonery” statement. All it took was a simple Google search of these two men’s biographies to find out where the class issue comes into play. Spike Lee was born and raised in a wealthy family whereas Tyler Perry was born and raised in impoverished circumstances. So I think it’s fair to say that their perspectives may be slightly different. Some see the world through rose-colored glasses and some see the world through lavender colored glasses… so maybe their socio-economic background acts as a filter for their artistic expressions.
* From Biography.com
Tyler Perry's Biography
Spike Lee's Biography
Daddy's Little Girls
More links:
From Essence.com
“Sound-Off: Is Spike Doing the Right Thing?”
Tyler Perry on Criticism
Spike Lee On Tyler Perry's Movies/Shows: “Its Coonery and Buffoonery”
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