Tyler Perry and Spike Lee could just work together.
Back in 2009 this is what Spike Lee had to say
That was a year and a half ago. I don't know if there have been recent things stated or if people just continue to stir the pot.
The Huffington post contends that this post, titled "They are trying to kill Madea!", made on Tyler Perry's website was a veiled comment about Spike:
Media outlets also claim that Perry said he's tired of Spike Lee talking about him, and that Spike could go straight to hell. Now I haven't read that or seen footage from the actual source, Box Office Magazine, so I'm not sure it was or wasn't said. I can imagine that if it was, it could have been said in a Madea-esque mode, which anyone knows is half-heartedly joking. But we don't know, do we? Why? Because no one seems to have footage from this press conference. All we get is the written dialogue expressed by secondary, tertiary and so on and so forth sources. People seem to want to stoke the flames of two Black people doing battle.
In my estimation it is sad. Both film-makers do great work. Tyler's perspective is not Spike's perspective and that is a good thing. I didn't grow up in the environment that Spike apparently grew up in, but I did grow up in similar environments as Tyler. I studied African and African American history and political thought as well as Political Science at UNC. I read Malcolm Speaks, David Walker's Appeal, W.E.B. Dubois's The Souls of Black Folks and countless other iterations on the African-American-Caribbean-Cuban-Brazilian-Haitian, etc experiences. And I sat on pews with my great aunties and uncles, the mothers and fathers of the church. And played at the homes of the men and women in my community, who raised families during hard times and have stories to tell and scars to show. Trust me, some of those stories would have you crying laughing! So I gained knowledge about different links to who I am via different mediums.
I can sit down with those deemed intellectuals and "conscious" by the "masses", but I am not persuaded by the notion that merely speaking empowerment makes you "conscious". Nor does the way in which you deliver a message make you any more an intellectual than someone who does it in another more colorful way.
There are message boards I've read where people deem Tyler's characters "stereotypical" or "buffoonish", so trust me, it is not just Spike Lee. But the crazy thing is, those characters remind me of a number of people I grew up with and around, and there was nothing coonish or buffoonish about them. On the flip side, I didn't grow up in a bustling city like NY. I didn't see people dealing crack or smoking a pipe, but I knew of people doing it. I didn't see guys busting into KFC with rifles robbing people. So that "stereotypical" image of Black people being drug dealing thugs was not part of my upbringing on a face to face type basis.
The funny thing about "stereotypes" is they are that only when viewed in a negative light by people on the outside looking in attempting to denigrate an entire segment of people. Otherwise they are just truth telling from a person's own perspective. Not all Black people have ever stepped a toe in church. Not all Black people even practice the same religion. Not all Black people are unwed parents. Not all Black people are any one particular thing. And you would think we of all people would know that.
I have no desire to explain to someone else what it is to be Black, because it would take me a lifetime to do so. Even more so, you don't have to know in order to respect me and not make attempts to castigate who I am based on your own negative opinions. The freedom of being who we are should come with the freedom to laugh, cry, get enlightened, be political, talk trash, explore issues, and alleviate pain in what ever way we deem fitting. And not answer to anyone because of it.
Tyler Perry and Spike Lee take on the depths of who we are collectively and individually as Black people living in a world that seemingly markets our demise. Would it not be wonderful for the two to come together to show the essence of our differing experiences in a film? That was the suggestiong of one of my pals from college, T. Walker. I would definitely go see it.
knilxino
That was a year and a half ago. I don't know if there have been recent things stated or if people just continue to stir the pot.
The Huffington post contends that this post, titled "They are trying to kill Madea!", made on Tyler Perry's website was a veiled comment about Spike:
You know I don't dwell in negativity. I try and stay above it, but I wanted to say this to you. You and I both know that there are folks out there that work overtime trying to keep people from seeing my movies. Even though I don't say anything, it doesn't mean that I'm not aware of it. They say all kinds of things about the films, Madea and me. They call me everything, but a child of God. I even had someone tell me in a press conference that I don't have a "white" following. We all know that is not true. Had they been on tour with me they would know White folks, Black folks, Asian folks, Latin folks, Navajo folks, and everyone in between was there laughing side-by-side having a good time.
It's crazy the things people print without any facts. What is also interesting is how hard they work to try and discourage you from going to see my films, as if you don't know what you enjoy. I'm sure you know what I'm talking about!
But it's okay, you know why? Because I know that they don't get it! They don't get the spiritual side of this, they don't get the folks that not only laugh, but also get something out of it that they can use to make their lives better. They don't get that this is about more than making a movie and telling a funny story. They don't get that it's about uplifting and encouraging the soul. They don't get that most of you have been with me long before they knew who I was, and they don't get that you have my back. And to tell you the truth, it doesn't matter if they get it or not, as long as you do. I thank God for you every day. You know what you enjoy, you know what makes you laugh and gives you a bit of uplift after you've seen it. So come laugh with me this weekend with Madea.
MADEA'S BIG HAPPY FAMILY opens in theaters this Friday. You know how important the first weekend is, so I sure hope you are planning to go out and see it. I promise you, MADEA'S BIG HAPPY FAMILY is funnier than them all. You will laugh ‘till you hurt, so take some aspirin to the movies with you.
In my estimation it is sad. Both film-makers do great work. Tyler's perspective is not Spike's perspective and that is a good thing. I didn't grow up in the environment that Spike apparently grew up in, but I did grow up in similar environments as Tyler. I studied African and African American history and political thought as well as Political Science at UNC. I read Malcolm Speaks, David Walker's Appeal, W.E.B. Dubois's The Souls of Black Folks and countless other iterations on the African-American-Caribbean-Cuban-Brazilian-Haitian, etc experiences. And I sat on pews with my great aunties and uncles, the mothers and fathers of the church. And played at the homes of the men and women in my community, who raised families during hard times and have stories to tell and scars to show. Trust me, some of those stories would have you crying laughing! So I gained knowledge about different links to who I am via different mediums.
I can sit down with those deemed intellectuals and "conscious" by the "masses", but I am not persuaded by the notion that merely speaking empowerment makes you "conscious". Nor does the way in which you deliver a message make you any more an intellectual than someone who does it in another more colorful way.
The funny thing about "stereotypes" is they are that only when viewed in a negative light by people on the outside looking in attempting to denigrate an entire segment of people. Otherwise they are just truth telling from a person's own perspective. Not all Black people have ever stepped a toe in church. Not all Black people even practice the same religion. Not all Black people are unwed parents. Not all Black people are any one particular thing. And you would think we of all people would know that.
I have no desire to explain to someone else what it is to be Black, because it would take me a lifetime to do so. Even more so, you don't have to know in order to respect me and not make attempts to castigate who I am based on your own negative opinions. The freedom of being who we are should come with the freedom to laugh, cry, get enlightened, be political, talk trash, explore issues, and alleviate pain in what ever way we deem fitting. And not answer to anyone because of it.
Tyler Perry and Spike Lee take on the depths of who we are collectively and individually as Black people living in a world that seemingly markets our demise. Would it not be wonderful for the two to come together to show the essence of our differing experiences in a film? That was the suggestiong of one of my pals from college, T. Walker. I would definitely go see it.
knilxino
Comments