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Web Letter

Bravo, Ms. Young, for writing this astute analysis of Tyler Perry's movies. I know that Mr. Perry has found the right formula to attract movie goers, which has propelled him into a movie mogul as well as a multi-millionaire. However, I do feel that his movies have a redundant theme--a down-and-out black woman and a nice man comes along to whisk her off into happily-ever-after land. The first movie that I saw of Perry's was Madea's Family Reunion. I must say that I did laugh. Subsequently, the rest of the movies that followed were predictable because I could tell what would happen after the main character (which was a black female in dire straits) was introduced.

I am proud of Tyler Perry because he has attained a level that few black entertainers have achieved. He has fame and fortune which puts him in a position to develop new ideas. I hope that now he considers an alternate platform for his future movie projects that will entertain us as well as enlighten us rather than continuing with the same recurring theme.

Ms. Young, thank you for your article. Mr. Perry is immensely popular and you may be subjected to an abundance of harsh criticism because of your piece, but I admire your bravery for saying what a lot of people thought--including myself.

Web Letter

Ms. Courtney Young's article is very well-written and insightful. It definitely stimulates conversation. I feel that though entertaining at some point, Mr. Perry can have professional African-American males have better qualites than what been present in his works. I can see that he has the opportunity to cast characters in a positive sense. Just like his works that have been very successful to this point, this young film and play mogul's works will continue to do well. I think Ms. Young's article may stimulate Mr. Perry to continue his present journey and continue to entertain us and make us think about our many subcultures and behavior patterns.

Web Letter

Interesting take on Perry's work. Couple of points I would like to make. One, he is from the deep South. Black or not, the southern USA is much more religious and conservative than most the parts of the country. Courtney Young makes relevant points, but she did not go underneath why and what influences Perry's females. She holds him 100 percent accountable, not to say that is wrong, but man, this guy is a product of where he came from. And I would beg to differ on her assertion that if a white man wrote these characters, people would not stand for it. I say, man, what the hell has been on TV for the last fifty years? Moronically mindless entertainment written by white people for everyone. Look, I realize you have a legit beef with Perry, but Jimmy Baldwin he is not, Richard Wright he is not, Alice Walker he is not. But he is Tyler Perry and if he wants to make mammy or minstrel images in drag with a soft-sell mix of pop culture pseudo-religious morality plays and movies, more power to him. And I would say to Courtney Young, if you think you can do better write a script, direct and act in it. Never mind finding the money to pull it all off. Look he is what he is. I have an idea write a script about the type of black women you want to see and show it to him, maybe he will produce it. I think you stand a better shot of making it and getting paid more than the landscapers that are trying to get the man to pay his bills on the Atalanta mansion he built.

Web Letter

I love Courtney Young's analysis; well said!

When I hear of a new Tyler Perry project, I wince, wondering how negatively my gender and race will be portrayed. I did not want his work to become our dirty little secret, but it some ways, it has. If we laugh, it feels dirty and wrong to support a horrendous stereotype that for some, continues to be reality as they have no or few real relationships with African-Americans beyond movies.

I am happy for Perry's success and proud at what he has been able to achieve, I just wonder would he have succeeded with portrayals that do not reach back to images of "mammies" and no-good men.

Middle-class African-Americans can be funny, too! He's proved it before. I just wish he'd do it more and retire Madea and her ties to a tired, old past.

Web Letter

I think criticism is warranted, but not of Perry. He is doing what all capitalists want to do, use creativity to turn dreams into wealth. You want movies, books, etc. to explore true African-American female issues, write them yourself, or find those who do. For this article not to admit that the practice of Christian religions in all cultures, not just African-American culture, relegate women to a subordinate position to her male counterpart is disingenuous and wrong. To make the article race-specific only highlights how much cultural ignorance really exists. Maybe the issue isn't cultural at all, it just comes across that way when lots of money is involved.

Web Letter

Great article, Courtney! I am a middle-aged white woman with an 11-year-old bi-racial grandson who is easily influenced by movies, TV and other media outlets.

I have seen a few clips of Tyler Perry's TV shows and movies and from what I have seen, they are very stereotypical in an offensive manner. It seems as though the woman are all loud, abrasive, overweight (sorry, Tyler but you are oversized in drag) and frankly, obnoxious. Maybe the story line has a moral, but from the--albeit small--amount of the content I have seen, it isn't how I want my grandson to see black females or relate to females of any color. It becomes a caricature of human relations and I don't support it. I don't want my grandson to think this is "normal" humans relating to each other.

Thanks again for articulating what I have felt for a long time. I don't feel Tyler Perry is advancing women's (of any color) rights.

Web Letter

I like Tyler Perry because, other than a few curse words I wish he would not use, I know I will not be offended by his movies. I won’t have to watch beautiful black women pulling off their clothes to get an Oscar. I might see some other depictions I don’t like. Like women being hit or abandoned. However, that is realistic and it happens. I loved the movies A Family That Preys and Why Did I get Married? These were two of his best, in my opinion, and showed smart women who had struggled to reach the top of their professions. Yet you didn’t give Mr. Perry credit for those films, which strayed from the typical Hollywood formula. Maybe you didn’t see them. You say Perry doesn’t give Alfie Woodard and others like her ideal roles. What is that exactly? Are you looking for Oscar-winning roles? Let’s explore that.

One Oscar-winning role was played by Halle Berry in Monster’s Ball. In this role, she brutally abused her son and ridiculed him for being overweight. I won’t even bother with the sex scene. Or maybe the role Denzel Washington won an Oscar for, playing a crooked cop in Training Day. A character so awful that Mr. Washington said he would not portray it unless the ending was changed, killing off his character. We all remember the Oscars that year. It was bittersweet. They were accepted by Hollywood for their roles that showed African-Americans in a dark, tormented, ugly way. So tell me which character would you like Mr. Perry to write, the child-abuser mother or the crooked cop who kills?

Formula movies have made careers. So before you are willing to put these actors and actresses out of work, what have you written for them? Enlarge your view, Ms. Young, and you might be surprised to find that Mr. Perry studied the textbook Hollywood wrote. Then adapted that formula to reach a market that has been ignored and ran with it. It is working for him, and as the box office shows, it is working for us. The long-ignored black, intelligent, Christian woman with enough money to go see any movie she wants to and still will choose his. You hinted in your article that maybe those of us who enjoy his work aren’t as educated. And don’t get subtle humor. Don’t underestimate us, Ms. Young.

Tyler Perry might not be my favorite movie-maker, actor or celebrity, but he is the one I am most proud of.

Web Letter

Great job, Courtney. I agree with what you are saying, and I also agree with the other comments about all the good Tyler has created through his work. His films all have a redemptive message. But I need to say this. His Madea Goes to Jail, although I laughed a lot, I have a huge problem with having an elderly black woman go to jail. Think about that: with all the issues we have in the community of our young black men, and women going to jail, to put a play and movie out about that needs some serious thought as to the mesage that it is sending (not good). Every time I hear the title of that movie I cringe. It made $91 million dollars at the box office, that says a lot about our community and how it matters not.

It's very sad for us, especially black women, that we continue to support that which harms us the most, and that is negative images in the media of us. It's even sadder when it comes from a brother. Are we that hungry to see ourselves that we care less about how we see ourselves? I'm extremely surprised that Ms. Oprah and Gayle, being his friend, does not show concern. I must also add the gun-toting, in the purse. How much laughter do we need--none when it comes to gun violence. We can't stay on this path, it's hurting us more than we can imagine. The world is watching us, and what they see keeps reinforcing that we continue to disrespect ourselves, so don't expect any respect from them. A couple of years ago I started an Alliance for Positive Images for Women, which deals with these issues. As women we have to take a stand on behalf of ourselves. If not us, then who? If not now than when?

Web Letter

Great article, Ms. Young. I must say while I am proud of Mr. Perry for his accomplishments and for employing black folks, I am conflicted by his material. While I enjoy watching his movies (except Madea Goes to Jail. That movie was just awful), his TV shows are the worst. They are embarrassing at the least. I do like the actors but feel that they are accepting less-than. I don't get it. Loud does not equal funny. But hey, when you aren't getting hired for anything truly worthy of your talent. I guess you have to take what you can get. Thanks again, Ms. Young.

Web Letter

I'm afraid I disagree with some of Courtney Young's main points. It's unclear, for example, what "prevailing gender politics" is. This nebulous point is repeated several times, but never detailed or developed.

It's also important to note that every playwright and film producer has a focus or context to his/her work, as well as a message theme. This is true of August Wilson (and his works focusing on post-World War II, working-class black families dealing with the depravities in our segregated communities), Eddie Murphy (the familiar slapstick comedies), as well as Spike Lee and his dramas depicting for the most part urban youths amid gritty urban environments. None of these brothas tries to venture into Star Wars themes, Luke Skywalker stuff, Desperate Housewives themes or Walter Mosley's crime dramas; they're all different themes, focuses and genres. Tyler Perry has successfully found a niche: the role and value of spirituality, his experience with matriarchal roles in the family, and ties and rituals that bind families. These are all themes and subjects that he's familiar with, and sincere about. I think these personal qualities are what make him attractive to black audiences.

Moreover, in more ways than one, recent works like TP's "Daddy's Little Girls were distinct stand-outs.

Once again, he's not writing a drama about the first sistah on the board of the Monsanto Corporation or Xerox; he's not writing about the first black astronaut, or pitching a black version of The Devil Wore Prada. That's not his genre!

Needless to add, I'll look up the white boys when I want to see Lieutenant Uhura in Star Wars 13, or an affirmative action gesture in Brighton Beach Memoirs or Waiting for Godot.