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Apr. 26, 2006 Timothy Stelly’s recent article on playwright Tyler Perry and his Madea character is one I’ve wanted to write for some time. And having read it, I can tell you that Timothy and I are basically on the same page. But I’m going to go one step further than my colleague did. Not only is Madea irrelevant, she’s also unfunny. Flip Wilson, who did drag better than anyone outside RuPaul and Bugs Bunny, remains both relevant and funny thirty-two years after the last original episode of his series aired. What made Flip’s alter ego, Geraldine Jones, so funny is the fact that she never resorted to violence to solve her problems. That’s what Killer, her boyfriend, was for. She didn’t use coarse language to get her points across; she was too much of a lady for that. And instead of helping perpetuate the stereotype of a black woman as a neck-rolling, finger-wagging diva, she played to some of the more pleasurable aspects of a black woman—dignity and grace, with just a hint of naughtiness. True, Geraldine had her saucy moments, but they weren’t the type of incidents that would make you want to clock her upside the head. On Geraldine, saucy endeared. On Madea, saucy is obnoxious. It seems like, at some point in time in our lives, we’ve known someone like Geraldine Jones. Somebody whose heart of gold shown through the sassiness or whose wardrobe made you do a double-take. I don’t remember either of my grandmothers slapping anyone around, using bad language or toting firearms. If Geraldine Jones were still around, I’d imagine that she’d pull Madea over to the side and teach her a thing or two about being a lady. Geraldine would also remind Madea that she was breaking ground when both Tyler Perry and I were still in diapers. So, Madea, when you become funny and relevant, I’ll consider you in the same league with Geraldine Jones. But as long as you’re making money being unfunny and irrelevant, I won’t hold my breath. ------------ About the author: Claxton Graham has written a number of articles for Useless Knowledge. He works as a business systems analyst. Email: scifiwriter8502@email.com Comment on this article here! ------------ 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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