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Apr. 24, 2005 After the success of his “Madea” stage plays and two films, Tyler Perry is a true rags-to-riches Hollywood success story. His Madea character is a gun-toting, crude caricature of a “strong” (or maniacal) black woman. While we denounce films where black males settle their differences with guns, the media embraces this negativity wholeheartedly. While Madea may be using her gun under different circumstances—i.e., unrelated to drugs and turf—it is still an irresponsible image. In short, what is the difference between the image presented by O-Dog in "Menace To Society" (played by Larenz tate) and Madea? br> Recently Perry’s Madea-based book, ““Don't Make A Black Woman Take Off Her Earrings: Madea's Uninhibited Commentaries on Love and Life,” debuted at No. 1 on the New York Times Hardcover Nonfiction Bestseller List. The common thread among "Perryites" is that they find a message in his works, so that is to be commended. I hope the brotha has continued success, but with that fame and monetary windfall comes responsibility. In the Madea stageplays some of the characters are little more than relics of a minstrel show. While Perry’s fans say they see a message in his work, most people who watch his movie—young folks in particular—aren’t seeking a message. Like most filmgoers they seek two hours of something that draws them away from reality; amusement. The imagery is particularly bad if it portrays black men as weak and subservient, contradicting the traditional male model. I suspect that Perry’s fame is partially derived from his apparent fascination/ability to "fit a woman's shoe." How much positivity can be drawn from a black man dressed as a loud talking, gun-toting, short-tempered woman? Non-threatening black images have been a Hollywood staple since the days of Bert Williams, Stepin Fetchit and Eddie “Rochester” Brown. That trend has continued onward and we have enough JJ’s, Reruns, Grady Wilsons and Anthony Bouviers (Meshach Taylor’s character on “Designing Women”) to prove it. This is why books, movies, CDs, etc. that bash black men are such big sellers. In that regard, Mr. Perry pales in comparison to the queen of the MISTERsogynists, Terri "My-man-caused-blues-are-yo-man-caused-blues" McMillan. Writer Mike Ramey points out, “Let's just mention that 'Tootsie', Milton Berle, Jack Benny wore dresses from time to time. However, they represent the majority culture… people of color in the USA are going to be 'depicted' in a light that the majority culture finds 'acceptable'. The majority culture will still believe that Black folk are as Rap Videos present us to be...the only difference between (“Madea Family Reunion”) and a Rap Video made by any of the major hip-hop thugs of the day is that the Madea movie is longer, and possibly more harmful.” Blacks who confront racism head, even in a comedic vein like Martin Lawrence, Chris Rock, Dave Chappelle, wind up beat down by the same system that first propped them up. When is the last time you saw a Hughes Brother film getting major play in the media? Why is Spike Lee now making "safe" films? With Perry, who is about as non-threatening as they come, the question is what price fame? What will they take (or have they already taken) from him? Time will tell whether or not Mr. Perry remains relevant or if he is just a speed bump on the road of pop culture. ------------ About the author: Timothy N. Stelly, Sr. is a 46-year old poet, novelist and aspiring screenwriter who resides in northern California with his three youngest children--Lawrence, Kimberly and Dante. He is a member of various writer's groups and has three novels in print, his most recent, "Like A Straight-Up Sucka," is available at www.lulu.com. website: http://stellbreadO@tripod.com Email: stellbread@yahoo.com Tell a friend about this site! ------------ All articles are EXCLUSIVE to Useless-Knowledge.com and are not allowed to be posted on other websites. ARTICLE THIEVES WILL BE PROSECUTED! |
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