An Open Letter To Tyler Perry About His Portrayal of Successful Blacks

[joepac12]

I can't knock him but his movies and tv shows are down right pathetic.

 

[ootherocoo]

I can't stand this dude's films.

+1

 

[bruce negro]

just by you comparing Tyler Perry, a film maker, to an entire company in the auto industry who's economic impact effected men and woman of all races all over this country lets me know you're either ignorant, trolling, or just a confused young man looking to rage against something. grow up

extremely ignorant. how are those two even remotely the same. smh

How can you not draw the parallel? I'm not saying Tyler Perry is as powerful (and evil?) as the car companies. I'm saying just because you employ large amounts of black people doesn't mean you are all for the well-being of black people. Excuse me if I wasn't clear, but I am by no means ignorant. I also don't need anything to rage against. My life is actually really good. However, I also believe that just because one is content it does not excuse them from trying to seek the best for their fellow man. Tyler Perry is not good for our culture, and that is why I am speaking out.

Perhaps rather than me looking for something to rage against, you are just looking to conform.

 

[la-ca]

Dude is about money obviously. Spike Lee is about the art, up lifting, and informing black as well as other races about various things.

Perry uses the same formula because its proven to produce profit. I don't think it's severly hurting the black race, because any person of color can relate to the stories told, but the characters just happen to be black.

I'm with Spike on this.

 

[gllahone84]

Agenda to feminize the black male. 

 

[waytoogoodatdis]

"I should call you Tyler Perry since you're always dissing men" quote I always think about when I hear anything about Tyler Perry.

I watched a couple of his films to see what the hype was about. Dont see it. 

 

[lugaw87]

Tyler perry got a cult just like kobe .fans of his will never believe you..

 

[lugaw87]

Tyler perry will just keep making that money.smart guy but his movies sucked in my opinion..

 

[knowledgebones72]

I saw Temptation. It really did add to the whole"Tyler Perry hates successful black men" thing. I always felt the way that Spike felt. Tyler Perry is all about pushing ******* and buffoonery in order to get old black women's money. The mom in Temptation was a straight stereotype, talmbout I walk in the house and you got a prayer circle going on in my living room all screaming and crying and when I try to leave you holdin on to my computer and grabbing my legs, and SHE'S supposed to be the most reasonable and right-thinking person in the movie? And it's true that in Tyler Perry movies a Black dude can't be successful without being an awful person.

 

[Comparison Ford]

It blows my mind how this dude's films have become successes, particularly the Madea series. They're flat out not good. Period. You know your movies are terrible when you have titles like "Madea Does This" or "Madea Does That." Madea Goes to Jail?  Ernest went to jail, for Christ's sake.  You're supposed to be an artist, Tyler.  Move on.

 

[King of Trash Style]

It blows my mind how this dude's films have become successes, particularly the Madea series. They're flat out not good. Period. You know your movies are terrible when you have titles like "Madea Does This" or "Madea Does That." Madea Goes to Jail?  Ernest went to jail, for Christ's sake.  You're supposed to be an artist, Tyler.  Move on.

Because it appeals to his target audience, middle aged disgruntled black women who are overly religious in most instances. As long as there is prayer, rising above plot elements etc he will never go away because that is what they want.

 

[peteweezy]

I worked for TPS so i may have a bias. I personally may not be a fan of his work but I have tremendous respect for his hard work. If you don't like his films or how he portrays African Americans you should write TPS in Atlanta.


He employs a lot of people, mostly African Americans. He also has a lot of fans. Let him live


all im saying is you can devote your energy better than looking to tear down a successful man. but hey thats just me

I agree but you can't tell the crabs nothing. They think like this and a vast majority listen to rap which can be said has just if not more of an overall negative image. I guess since it appeals to them its okay. I don't get why we as a whole seem to always find some way to hate on sucessful black folks stuffs disgusting. I don't care if dudes don't like it cause I don't like most of his films but all the extra stuff get outta here. His movies are why chicks acting up, blacks in poverty, and/or anything else negative. Dudes need to find out why they are such haters and if his movies aren't that good F it make something better that cats will want to see that way you should make beaucoup $$$ since its soo wide open.

 

[deuce king]

It blows my mind how this dude's films have become successes, particularly the Madea series. They're flat out not good. Period. You know your movies are terrible when you have titles like "Madea Does This" or "Madea Does That." Madea Goes to Jail?  Ernest went to jail, for Christ's sake.  You're supposed to be an artist, Tyler.  Move on.

Because it appeals to his target audience, middle aged disgruntled black women who are overly religious in most instances. As long as there is prayer, rising above plot elements etc he will never go away because that is what they want.

The sisterhood of failure.

 

[bruce negro]

I agree but you can't tell the crabs nothing. They think like this and a vast majority listen to rap which can be said has just if not more of an overall negative image. I guess since it appeals to them its okay. I don't get why we as a whole seem to always find some way to hate on sucessful black folks stuffs disgusting. I don't care if dudes don't like it cause I don't like most of his films but all the extra stuff get outta here. His movies are why chicks acting up, blacks in poverty, and/or anything else negative. Dudes need to find out why they are such haters and if his movies aren't that good F it make something better that cats will want to see that way you should make beaucoup $$$ since its soo wide open.

Okay, I am actually starting to rage Are you serious? So we're crabs because we want our race to hold itself with INTEGRITY and SELF RESPECT? We're crabs because we want to portray an image that SUCCESSFUL BLACK MEN can be good people?! We're crabs for that? How does your brain work?!

My entire life I was taught, "Much is required from those to whom much is given." I'm not religious, but that biblical verse (Luke 12:4 makes a lot of sense. I worked with impoverished youth of all colors at the Boys and Girls Club for 5 years and now I'm actually part of program that places underrepresented minorities in internships/careers in areas like high finance (investment banking, sales and trading, etc), engineering, etc. Really building up minorities from the ground up and placing us on equal footing with people who had opportunities throughout their lives that weren't available to us. If you're calling me a CRAB then you don't know a damn thing. YOU disgust ME.

 

[kickstart]

Spike Lee was mentioned in the first paragraph, what is he doing today besides sitting court side at Knicks games?

I agreed with most of his thought. But why was this line needed: No one is asking for a cheesy plot, but why is it that we can expect to see such happiness from our white counterparts but not in ourselves?

It irks me when we (read: anyone) use white people as the benchmark of what should be.

 

[knowledgebones72]

Spike Lee was mentioned in the first paragraph, what is he doing today besides sitting court side at Knicks games?

I agreed with most of his thought. But why was this line needed: No one is asking for a cheesy plot, but why is it that we can expect to see such happiness from our white counterparts but not in ourselves?

It irks me when we (read: anyone) use white people as the benchmark of what should be.

Spike Lee came out with a movie less than a year ago. It was super controversial and dealt with the whole Eddie Long type situation going on in Black churches and showed a story about a kid from the 90's baby generation and how they're growing up with technology and how that affects our culture as a whole. It's called "Red Hook Summer." Plus Mars Blackmon makes his comeback after 20 years in it.

He also is coming out with the American adaption of Oldboy in 2013.

So i guess that's what he's doing besides sitting courtside at Knicks games.

 

[41239]

ok, so im the only person who doesnt read too deep into it?

i feel like hes putting on a lot of black actors by giving them serious roles in serious dramas

temptation was extra sappy and generic, but it was a breath of fresh air to see people who look like me on the big screen with serious roles

instead of that twilight chick or any other white famous celebs

 

[AEA18]

^^^ What other roles are those black actors/actresses getting besides the next Tyler Perry movie?

 

[oidreez]

^^^ What other roles are those black actors/actresses getting besides the next Tyler Perry movie?

See you might have the denzel, jamie foxx, will smith movies but how many movies are out there where most of the cast is black. Think Like a Man is the last one i remember. I remember the black community had to make sure to get the word out to see Red Tails because it featured a black cast.

 

[41239]

^^^ What other roles are those black actors/actresses getting besides the next Tyler Perry movie?

exactly

edit: well not like that, im sure they have other work, but i mean lead role headlining stuff

 

[knowledgebones72]

Tyler Perry movies make me think there's a reason why only he's coming out with these big all black cast movies.

Remember in the '90s? There were mad all black movies that were very good. And alot of these movies portrayed successful Blacks in a positive light.

Nowadays, though, it's ONLY Tyler Perry movies.

What happened?

I'm watching Mo' Better Blues right now on DirecTV channel 505 shaking my head at what Tyler Perry considers "film"

 

[dmbrhs]

His portrayal of African Americans aside, the guy just makes awful art. There's no redeeming qualities in any of his movies I've seen. His TV shows are the most formulaic pieces of trash on television. They are almost watchable because they are so laughably awful.

Exactly. As art (film, television) his work is atrocious. The fact he makes a mockery of his own race, and then markets it to his own people (because black people support their own), compounds how offensively bad it is. $500 million at the box office means there's a whole lot of people ignorant of the buffoonery.

 

[sonoftony]

his movies do suck and if i was black, i'd be offended too

Spoiler: Warning: Spoiler!

I'm Dominican by the way

 

[skip2mylou23]

It sucks that some people can't practice their art without worrying about how some people will take it.

 

[knowledgebones72]

It sucks that some people can't practice their art without worrying about how some people will take it.

believe me: Tyler Perry is not worried about how people will take his stuff.

Unless those people are Black Christian women over the age of 50.