http://jezebel.com/5993523/tyler-perry-isnt-just-an-artless-hack-hes-a-scary-ideologue

Tyler has the potential to tell good stories, but he needs someone behind him to rein him in.

He needs Jesus. Or a good therapist. Or both.

"The Boondocks" pointed out the fact that the lighter-skinned Black man is usually the "hero" in a Tyler Perry story while the darker-skinned one is relegated to "villain." I think they were onto something.

SQUEEEEEEEEEEEE! That's all!

That's sort of equivalent to "He's the head of the neighborhood community center and really does great with the children - so what he molests them because they aren't slinging dope or gang banging"...

Straw man much? That's not a good comparison at all. I do think that good black actors being hired is worth something. White directors and writers are not going to do that 90% of the time. I do think Perry should move away from the stories about abuse and such, going in more of a different direction.

Edited April 6, 201312 yr by ReddFoxx

I do think Perry should move away from the stories about abuse and such, going in more of a different direction.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aX9q0gUWkqk

Edited April 6, 201312 yr by Khan

Tyler Perry has found his niche and he's got his supporters. I don't think people ought to expect things of him which he is not capable of delivering. There's obviously a market out there for his shows and films and he's not keeping anyone else from suceeding or attempting success.

It's fair for people to critcize him or anyone else on their product. I dont't hink it's fair when people blame him for setting anyone else back since he's really only responsible for himself. No one has to go and see his movies or watch his shows. That's a choice. So when people criticize him for making his types of movies they should also recognize that some, if not many of the people watching those movies, don't share their opinion of him and that they're basically trying to dictate what a bunch of people should be watching, in their eyes. That's the whole problem with "community" thinking. It essentially locks individuality in the box at the same time it's protesting against monlothism.

This article was what prompted me to discuss this in the first place, as I could've cared less about TP's latest turd before reading it. I know some folks took issue with the author being a white atheist, but the overall points are spot-on.

The fact that we've come from empathetically promoting HIV/AIDS/STD education at every opportunity (some may argue that the PSA-level of education was heavy-handed) in the 90s to this jackass unrepentantly touting HIV/AIDS as a kind of punishment in a mainstream movie with a wide release in 20-fvcking-13 pisses me the hell off.

That's sort of equivalent to "He's the head of the neighborhood community center and really does great with the children - so what he molests them because they aren't slinging dope or gang banging"...

I was thinking of the free-Thanksgiving-turkey-giving drug dealer, but yeah, this, too.

He needs Jesus. Or a good therapist. Or both.

"The Boondocks" pointed out the fact that the lighter-skinned Black man is usually the "hero" in a Tyler Perry story while the darker-skinned one is relegated to "villain." I think they were onto something.

And I agree. LMAO!

Oh and that Boondocks mention was EVERYTHING. I can't wait for them to release season 4 already!!!

But getting back on track, I've noticed that the dark-skinned brothers (being one myself) are always the villain in his movies. Tyler's "tropes" are getting old. He needs someone to rein him quick, fast, and in a hurry.

Tyler Perry has found his niche and he's got his supporters. I don't think people ought to expect things of him which he is not capable of delivering.

I agree but when Perry takes on material like For Colored Girls... he sets himself up for criticism.

The main actress was amazing but I left the movie feeling completely depressed and unhappy. AIDs is a serious matter of course but to use it as a punishment for the main female character? Just brutal and disgusting....

And of course the guy that Judith cheats with doesn't get sent to prison. He doesn't die. He doesn't lose his millions and millions of dollars. He doesn't get any type of punishment....

I regret giving Tyler Perry my money but the promos for this movie were so well made that I thought perhaps he does have some talent outside the world of Madea.

Edited April 6, 201312 yr by ThePrinceOfSunspear

I regret giving Tyler Perry my money but the promos for this movie were so well made that I thought perhaps he does have some talent outside the world of Madea.

I had the opposite reaction to the promo I saw. It gave me the impression that the wife cheated on the husband simply because he forgot her birthday. I'm guessing they went deeper than that but I've seen enough of Tyler Perry's films on television to know not to expect better. All I've given to Tyler Perry in a roundabout way is the time I've taken to watch his work which is no big deal considering I've watched a lot of awful shows and movies on television.

But getting back on track, I've noticed that the dark-skinned brothers (being one myself) are always the villain in his movies. Tyler's "tropes" are getting old. He needs someone to rein him quick, fast, and in a hurry.

People see what they see. I'm not sure if this implies that Tyler Perry intentionally casts people according to skin tone. And I wonder how much people really care about "black" people when it is easy to pit skin tone against skin tone without flinching. I usually see "dark-skinned" complaining about "light-skinned" people getting the advantages and I wonder if those "privileged light-skinned" people feel like total outsiders since they are apparently not white but not "black enough." Maybe it's time for the "light-skinned" women to complain how they are depicted as a bunch of losers in Tyler Perry's movies.

But I'll give you Lance Gross who probably was not a villain in this movie and seems to be a favorite of Tyler Perry's. Maybe his skin isn't that dark. I also give you Idris Elba in Daddy's Little Girl and Derek Luke in one of those Madea themed films. I'm going based on memory so it's possible that I could find more and that I could also find some evil "light-skinned" men in his films as well. This ought to be sufficient....so not always and he's equal opportunity.

I agree but when Perry takes on material like For Colored Girls... he sets himself up for criticism.

It's fair. I believe he should be criticized for his works. I'm just drawing the line at making him responsible for things over which he has no control. If people want to see him as greater than he is then that's totally on them. Anyone that's seen more than one of his movies or shows is being a dreamer to have high expectations that he's going to morph into this terrific writer.

I don't think people ought to expect things of him which he is not capable of delivering.

Like three-dimensional characters and tightly structured plots?

I agree but when Perry takes on material like For Colored Girls... he sets himself up for criticism.

FCG never should have been filmed in the first place. It's a powerful piece of theatre, but any attempts at "opening it up" for film and/or television were bound to be messy.

People see what they see.

Now, this is going by just the films, okay? But...

Who treats the Mad Black Woman (as in "Diary of a...") like [!@#$%^&*]? Steve Harris. And who wins her hand at the end? Shemar Moore.

Who beats the hell out of Lisa in "Madea's Family Reunion"? Blair Underwood. And who helps her sister find love and trust again and marries her in a beautiful ceremony (meant for Lisa)? Boris Kodjoe.

Who is the ex-husband who attempts to blackmail Angela Bassett's character in "Meet the Browns" into sleeping with him just so she can get child support for her kids? Philip Van Lear. And who is the guy who marries her at the end (and whose one fault -- to be specific, gambling debts -- is explained away quickly as a "Three's Company"-like misunderstanding)? Rick Fox.

Who puts down Jill Scott every chance he gets in "Why Did I Get Married?" and cheats on her with her slimmer and more attractive "friend"? Richard T. Jones. And who is the small-town sheriff who shows her the way back toward loving herself (and helping her lose weight in the process -- not that he ever had a problem with her weight)? Lamann Rucker.

I'm just saying.

Edited April 6, 201312 yr by Khan

Even Stevie Wonder can see that Tyler Perry has paper bag issues, though I will give him this: he doesn't discriminate between light and dark-skinned Negroes when it comes to his classist bullshit.

Edited April 6, 201312 yr by VirginiaHamilton

Wait wait wait, Lamman Rucker is considered light-skinned?

The ending of Why Did I Get Married 2 is still one of the craziest things I have ever seen in my life. I just don't know what color the sky is in that man's world.

I would mention the weird 1973 Paul Lynde stereotype on the train at the beginning of the first film but that is a whole other issue. Mostly I'm sad that Jurnee Smollett - who I've been waiting to see really break out as an adult actress for years - had to do something like this. She could be anywhere.

Edited April 6, 201312 yr by Vee