If you’ve been following black film news lately, you’ve seen that the recent release of Tyler Perry’s new movie Madea’s Big Happy Family also rehashed the nearly 2-year old beef between Tyler Perry and Spike Lee.
We’ve highlighted key moments from this debate in this post, so we’re all on the same page about where this beef started and where it’s gone.
May 2009:
Talking with host Ed Gordon on Our World With Black Enterprise, Lee likens Tyler Perry’s films to “coonery and buffoonery.”
October 2009:
Perry responds to Lee’s “coonery and buffoonery” criticism on 60 Minutes.
February 2010:
At the 41st NAACP Awards, Perry says we don’t have to wait for 40 Acres and a Mule (wait, isn’t that the name of Lee’s production company?!)
April 2011:
Speaking with HipHollywood, Perry tells Lee and his critics: “Go to hell!”
April 2011:
Lee responds to Perry’s “Go to hell” statement:
April 2011:
Perry reassures his fans in spite of his critics:
[sws_blockquote_endquote align=”” cite=”” quotestyle=”style03″]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.[/sws_blockquote_endquote]
Although Tyler Perry said “it doesn’t matter if they get it or not,” it obviously does matter to him and he is bothered by these comments by a legendary filmmaker like Spike Lee, otherwise he wouldn’t continue to dignify them with responses.
Are debates like this healthy for black film and black filmmakers? Or should Tyler Perry and Spike Lee just acknowledge their differences and agree to disagree?
I have not a single iota of idea left in my head as to why Tyler Perry would drag Dubois and the notorious Taliaferro into such a discussion about the direction of black perspectives in motion images.
That argument may have been symptomatic of a black society struggling to gain/regain their birth right in a country where for 450 years it hard been stripped bare to the bone off it. It was constructive, at least on Dubois part, and certainly B. Taliaferro would argue likewise for himself. The discussion was about how to move black people forward and it centered around the direct implementation of education parameters that would guide the new African American into a brighter and fully integrated society, America.
Motion images are at the periphery, if anything at all indirect influences in the implementation of these parameters. But I should add that it has to be guided in a way that highlight the positives of black society and totally eradicate the coonery and buffoonery that has become a dominant part of black media.
The issue here is very analogous to the Booker T and WEB debate. It’s a North vs. South thing. Some educated black folk from the North (the Ivy, the NYU folk) seem to think they know how to formulate and guide black behavior, expression and presentation. They look down on the often non-ivy-league educated black folk in the South and they seem to think they can indulge us over their newly acquired ‘liberal’ taste. Dubois did it to Booker T, and Spike Lee is doing it to Tyler Perry!
How on earth, for goodness sakes, is Spike Lee the law and order on the material presentation and expression of black culture in the media? Can’t they both do different things? This is the sort of uppity that divides black folk everywhere. Just because you don’t attend church any longer, because you now know the Bible was written by people and not God, doesn’t make you better than those of us in the Bible South that still believe it is the Word of God.
Come to think of it, the liberal leanings of these black folk is more adamant to accepting other people of different views. Tyler Perry has his view and Spike Lee has his. But to call someone’s view ‘coonery and buffoonery’ is sheer stupidity.
I strongly agree with Spike Lee. Tyler Perry needs to stop.
I second Tyler Perry. Black people are as diverse as diverse can be, genetically and otherwise. This is why we’re very creative. We have a culture that doesn’t suppress creativity. Tyler is entitled to his thing and so is Spike. Agreeing to disagree is not good enough simply because this is not even a discussion. Like Taliaferro said, who is Spike to judge TP? Take the log out of your won eye before you take the speck out of your brother’s eye.
Actually a lot of Italian Americans and people from Jersey complained about The Sopranos and how it depicted them in a negative light. The cast members were also barred from attending some Italian American parade and once I remember they were even denied permission to film in Jersey.
Don’t think anyone complained about Seinfeld tho…
Italian Americans also complained about Jersey Shore. But really I don’t love all of TP’s or Spike’s movies but they should be free to do their own thing. TP was trying to stretch himself and be more diverse with For Colored Girls even though it didn’t turn out so great, but he tried to go beyond Madea this and that. Anyway, Spike was a little harsh with his critique especially for someone as sensitive as TP. When you’re in the limelight so you gotta take the good with the bad but really all this beef would be squashed if Spike gives TP a little credit.
*hug it out* -Ari on Entourage
I mean I can say so many things.. But those two are living their dreams.. My comment is just that.. I would like to know the back story.. Two men in disagreement both happen to be black. Should be no different then any other men who don’t see eye to eye..LMAO…
If Spike wants a job, TP can hire him! Isn’t that what all this is about? Money?
Honestly looking at the video of Spike Lee it seems to me that it is about jealously…In today society as a whole for black people we seem to tear one another down just because one has it more than the other. I haven’t seen Spike do anything or has had the recognition in a long time. Now you may not agree with what Tyler is doing but everyone has the right to have expression…I think he needs to ask himself where his thought patterns come from…is it really you being concern or is it because of jealousy…because Tyler isn’t the first man to make fun of our culture and the way that we act. Generally speaking our culture whether it be the bad or the good should just be embraced. This man is speaking on things that he has been through and is making money off of it. Who are we to judge him???? Everyone has their own set and know what they want to look at and what they don’t want to look at. Why are you upset with him when you should be setting this for everyone. It is what it is at the end of the day…& Jealousy is an ugly trait…we can try to gift wrap it and call it concern all day long but at the end of the day there is a motive to everything whether good or bad. Do I think Tyler over does it…sure to a degree yes I do but everything that he does isn’t just about pain and humiliation either…Stop taking everything that everyone does and looking your nose down at it. This is why we can’t never make it because we always tearing the next person down who is doing so well. Your really not hurting anyone else but yourself and you are just too obvious Spike…I love your work but knocking the next person just seems TACKY to me…JMO.