If his films and shows weren't so offensive and utterly ignorant (not to mention predictable), I wouldn't be mad at him for trying to get paid. Even more upsetting is the fact that he has shown the ability to make films without Madea (Daddy's Little Girls, Why Did I Get Married?). Now, although these movies are definitely cheesy, they're actually respectable. Sidebar: Does anyone else feel like he seems unnatural playing a masculine role? It seems like he has to act to act like a man. But I digress. As I said before, the problem for me lies in the fact that his brand of "entertainment" exposes generations and races to centuries old stereotypes of oppressed black people (Madea=Mammy, Brown=Coon for example). Which in turn functions as an outlet for closet racists to satisfy their embedded desire to see black people make fools out of themselves, and dismiss it as good clean light-hearted entertainment. Call me militant, I call you an idiot (LOL).
Check this out:
Are you kidding me??? The only difference is Perry is employing a real black guy instead of a white man with face paint. The similarity is striking huh? What level of love for money or hidden self loathing is required to produce such rubbish? I admit, every once in a BLACK moon his 21st Century minstrel show has a moment of comedy. But when I think about laughing, i'm forced to consider the source which usually leads to anger, a channel change, or maybe both (NEVER would I pay to see anything he does...besides maybe getting slapped by ancestors).
Realistically I know that this post alone isn't enough to put him out of business, and I don't even know if I want it to. I'm all for black people making lots of money, even if they waste it on stupid things (like buying OPRAH a BENTLEY! Which he reportedly did). All i'm saying is put on your progressive glasses and think about the impact that he and others like him make on the image of black people. We have a greater responsibility to represent ourselves with dignity and class instead of slapstick ignorance.
As for me, I'll continue to decline my invitation to Uncle Tyler's Cabin.
Ahh, that feels better.
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You are my son... in whom I am well pleased!!!
ReplyDeleteI can understand how this is interpreted as coonery, but my question is this: Where do we draw the line between what is actually reality in the black community and the social stereotypes that are developed in the media?
ReplyDeleteTo put it more clearer this is what I mean?
The fat black woman that lives in a big house and takes care of all the grand babies and everybody else can be interepreted as a modern day mammy, but is this not reality? Is this not something that we see in our communities everyday? Grandmothers taking care of grandchildren? Most would say yes, they know this type of woman. We all know someone that has suffered through some type of bad relationship and abuse, and if you haven't that is amazing. My point is this, I do not think it is Perry's intensions to bring down the black community by making movies that seem to reinterate stereotypes, but maybe he is using relatable topics that reflect the exact things that happen to our people. I am not saying that his movies are Oscar deserving, but based on popularity and sales, he is doing something that the community likes.