Tyler Perry will be profiled this Sunday on 60 Minutes. During the interview CBS correspondent Byron Pitts reads a quote for director Spike Lee. Lee has dismissed Tyler Perry’s TBS sitcoms “Meet the Browns” and “House of Payne” as “coonery and buffoonery.” Perry takes offense to Lee’s assessment, but is it true? Perry claims the characters depicted in his sitcoms do exist and he has the ability to use the characters to share a bigger message. The bigger question is why do we spend so much time obssessing over Perry’s sitcoms? We do this because his shows are the only black shows on television. Sure you might find a black character here or there, but you will not find any other series. Perry’s depictions might not inspire as much ire if there were other shows showing intelligent black people living their lives without a laughtrack. Perry has tapped into something, but is this a case of people laughing at us and not laughing with us.
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Spike is indeed a hater. Why can he not discuss his differences with Perry in person and in private? Perry has found success on both large and small screen. Spike has not cracked mainstream America and has no known success on the small screen. Why can he not swallow his pride, approach Perry and look for ways to collaborate to bring more quality TV shows to market that depict black families living normal lives? Spike is on record as saying he looks “visual daggers” towards interracial couples he sees walking down the street. If a white person did that, we would rightfully call them a racist. Spike is on record as calling Trent Lott a “card-carrying member of the KKK”. Other people would be called out for that;he got a pass on that too. Spike is a hater, through and through.
Spike might be a hater, but I agree with Spike’s analysis. You have a point when you said this should have been discussed in private and not in the press.
I like Tyler Perry. I like his movies and I’m glad he is such a success. However, his TV sit-coms are simply IMO not funny at all. They are formula, predictable and yes a bit sterotypical and buffoonish.
I personally don’t know anyone who likes them yet they are hits. I applaud Spike lee for saying what so many people are thinking and saying among ourselves. I still say, go Tyler Perry and continued success. But, those shows are just not funny.
I would love to see Tyler and Spike come together and Spike appear in one of Tyler’s movies. Let’s not hate, but work together.