I felt the need to hop on this train just for a second about Tyler Perry. Over the past couple of years, he and Spike Lee have had quite the war of words over the sort of movies they put out. In short from what I understand, Spike Lee questions the quality of the movies that Tyler Perry makes. Speaking in revenue terms, the latter is a very successful actor and writer; his Madea movies have all been hits at the box office and were hits before when they were plays. However, Tyler Perry has also done something that few African-Americans in cinema these days hardly do--being credited as producer, actor, writer & director. Yes, many Blacks in film these days are multi-talented, I'm not taking that away from them; Tyler Perry has many talents in film and making these movies gives him the opportunity to showcase such things. So I figured, I've got an opinion and since everyone else is saying theirs, let me try to sound at least somewhat educated about my facts about this before I give mine.
Let's look at this debate from both sides. My boyfriend leans more towards the Spike Lee way of thinking in that a Black man in drag hardly makes for groundbreaking cinema, not to mention paints the Black community as a whole in a bad way. My siblings are more of the "it's just comedy, why not enjoy it if its funny" opinion, choosing not to let these movies paint or shape them into any sort of stereotype people have come up with. And I can agree with both.
Movies like Big Momma's House, White Chicks, the Nutty Professor (which I still feel was ingenious for Eddie Murphy to do and play every character in that family LOL) and now the Madea series make a man in drag the focal point of the movie. Granted, the reasons are different--Martin Lawrence's character was in drag undercover as were the Wayans brothers, Eddie Murphy was simply playing the mother of the lead character and Tyler Perry's Madea quite frankly cannot be done justice by having another portrayer--but nonetheless the main character or supporting character to the main were all played by men in drag. Black men in drag. It has long been a part of Black tv to have that token gay character or that one character fulfilling all of the stereotypes and "That's so-and-so!" moments; you can take that all the way back to In Living Color, for a slightly less current example. The Wayans brothers made that one of the foundations of their show with the Men on..... skits. And don't get me wrong, they were all hilarious. I loved them. But with that said, I understand what Spike Lee is saying in a general sense; making men in drag a foundation or a fallback in Black cinema is not only what keeps general perception & acceptance of Black films lower than it should be, but because of that it presents the Black community as a whole pretty badly to harsher critics. What I think Spike was getting at was that there are many talented Black directors, producers, and writers out there today, he himself being one of them. It doesn't do the Black community justice to flock to these sorts of films instead of the ones that are actually saying something impactful, or funny without being idiotic. Black film shouldn't become synonymous with drag or Madea-style movies, and if we do have a voice we should use it in a more effective way and not using the microphone to always display senseless activities. I do believe that in smaller portions or doses it is hilarious and even though it seems rather common these days I still find it funny, it does begin to get rather tiresome to watch yet another Black actor don a wig and pop his neck better than some women I've seen do the same. I love Black comedies that don't fall into a box but the truth is these days, there are too many boxes for those comedies to fall into and the majority of them fall into the same one. This same plot and go-to shouldn't become the standard for Black movies, but unfortunately it has and has become expected.
On the flip side, movies that have to show the harsh life in society or those films that make you think had their heyday back in the '90s. Boyz In Da Hood, Juice, Above the Rim, Jason's Lyric, Do The Right Thing (not all of which Spike Lee produced, I'm just naming some Black movies with more serious plots) were all impactful movies on our society, if not to showcase how things really happen in some of our communities, but the '90s were about saying something, about sending a message and using your voice. In recent years I'll say that movies, especially Black-produced ones, tend to lack that. Sure, the stars and the writing or directing team will say what the movie is trying to portray, and I won't take that from them. However, many Black movies these days are comedies, and the majority of them feature characters like Madea. If not following that format, Black movies these days predominantly follow the same format more or less; the same skeleton so to speak. I respect Tyler Perry for prominently featuring a love for God and moral themes like the importance of faith, trust and respect in the characters' relationships, I do. There's nothing wrong with that. But I have to admit, integrating those themes typically follows the same skeleton as well. Some tired, Black woman is mistreated and then dumped by her man, usually someone very successful and very arrogant, for the typical younger chickie. Out of nowhere when she's at the end of her rope and questioning God, some handsome man comes along and sweeps her off her feet, therefore restoring her faith in God and giving her the happy ending she's always wanted. And yes, sometimes that happens and it's wonderful. But many times, it just doesn't. It provides false hope to those who really resonate with some of the women in these movies, not to mention simultaneously paints men in a good and bad light. At the other end of the spectrum, there's a good Black man, being mistreated by his loud, overbearing, oftentimes obnoxious wife and he's just trying to make sense of everything and find his way. Again, yes that's true and it sucks. It also paints women in a bad light and feeds into the stereotype that many people are all too eager to agree with, that Black women are loud and rude. Some of us are, but not all of us identify with those women and don't want to be forced into doing so. With that said, the moral quality of the movies tends to get lost in the mix of everything else going on in the movie--the sassy grandma, the stereotypical characters and statements, the seemingly same skeleton for every film--and at that rate, other than the morals shown in the film, what else is the movie really saying?
I understand both points of the argument and now that I am reading what I have written so far, I can see that most of what I have said so far is in favor of Spike Lee's side of the argument, but I can also argue Tyler Perry's half and will do so now. Yes, those movies I listed in the previous paragraph had their heyday in the '90s. Yes, that was an effort by Black stars and producers to give the community a voice. Yes, they were successful efforts. At the same time, not every movie needs to touch your very spirit's essence to be enjoyable. Not all of Tyler Perry's movies even involved Madea--the Why Did I Get Married? movies were wonderful, and there was no Madea in sight. Likewise with The Family That Preys, which was not only a deep movie, but Tyler Perry did not have a starring role unlike some of the other films he's made and again, no Madea. Sometimes with the stress and everyday pressures of life, you need something funny to lighten your spirits. You need a watercooler topic that doesn't make others think about the troubles within your lives and movies with Madea typically solve that problem. Madea, I can see, is a mix of various women in Tyler Perry's life, something he has admitted to before. And sometimes when she is saying certain things or behaving a certain way, I can't help but think "Oh my god, that reminds me so much of so-and-so!" or "Oh hell, I've said that before!" It's senseless humor; its meant to make you say things like that. But it isn't meant to make you question the very existence of your life. It's meant to stress things in your life that Perry feels should be present--faith, respect, and trust in God. Overall, I believe many of those movies are meant to stress the importance of family and related values, and the power of love. I can't knock that any day. They're movies that you feel comfortable watching with your kids, teaching them the importance of things that ultimately can help you shape them into being better people. It's not done in the same manner as movies of maybe my childhood, but if the movie's concept is effective in at least one life who am I to complain? The same message can be played out in different ways and people respond to it in different ways. To each their own, I say.
Both of these directors/producers are very talented. They both have the opportunity to relay a message and say something impactful. In very different ways, I feel that they achieve those goals. Tyler Perry goes the family route, while Spike Lee's messages are more in your face. I respect them both for what they do. I do not agree with all of Spike Lee's opinions nor do I enjoy all of the Madea films, but in this particular debate, they both have something to say, say it to who the theme speaks to, and are as a result very successful. Why don't both of you focus on being the voices for our community and ensuring that as a whole, we are presented at both our worst and best if we have to go to extremes? Why not use your voice to revitalize the way we appear and kill the stereotypes? Why not display the very best that Black films and actors/actresses have to offer? Both of these men are responsible for putting several stars on the map or giving their careers a boost--Denzel Washington, Ossie Davis and Giancarlo Esposito all appeared in Spike Lee films and received career boosts as a result. Tyler Perry, to his credit, regularly employs Black actors and actresses, something I feel is commendable when the film industry, as diverse as it claims to be, doesn't give Black actors & actresses quite the same acclaim unless they're playing someone of distinct disadvantage, facing some sort of obstacle, or playing sidekick. No, that's not always how it goes but many times it is. Kimberly Elise, Idris Elba & Angela Bassett all played parts in Tyler Perry films and still work regularly as well. Both of these men scored big time with a couple of casting marks--Spike Lee scored Nelson Mandela in Malcolm X, and Tyler Perry got 2 in 1 with both Cicely Tyson & Maya Angelou in Madea's Family Reunion. There is no comparison to be made because they both have done well in their craft, but mainly because the only point for comparison is that some of their target audiences are both Black. That is where the similarities end, and that is where this debate will end as well. Use your voices for good--people are listening to you and depending on you to give the rest of us a face, a voice, a story. Don't waste your time fighting over who is better or who has the better message and respect one another for both of you being able to achieve what so few Black men are able to do. You don't have to like each other's work, but you represent our community in film. Continuing to argue and throw shade at each other in the press only helps to further the impression that, in Spike Lee's own words, represent coonery and buffoonery. You're both entitled to your own opinions, but you're both doing something many others cannot. Use your voice for good--not to throw shade at each other.
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