Summary
Tyler Perrycalls out his critics, posing the question, “Who are you to be able to say which Black story is important?” The actor, director, producer, and playwright is best known as the creator of the popular character Madea, a tough, street-smart elderly woman, first appearing in Perry’s playI Can Do Bad All by Myselfin 1999 and manyMadeamoviesover the years. He has written several stage plays and adapted them into feature films, including his breakthrough 2005’sDiary of a Mad Black Woman, and created several television series, includingTyler Perry’s House of Payne.
During a recent appearance on theBaby, This Is Keke Palmerpodcast,Perry called out critics of his work. Watch the portion of the podcast below:
The multi-hyphenate defended his work by highlighting its importance to his “disenfranchised” fans, criticizing those who dismiss certain Black stories, and emphasizing his belief in the value and impact of his storytelling despite the criticism he faces. Read his full comments below:
A large portion of my fans are disenfranchised, who cannot get in the Volvo and go to therapy on the weekend. You’ve got this highbrow negro who is all up in the air with his nose up looking at everything. Then, you got people like where I come from, and me, who are grinders, who really know what it’s like, whose mothers were caregivers for white kids and were maids, housekeepers, beauticians. Don’t discount these people and say their stories don’t matter. Who are you to be able to say which Black story is important, or should be told? Get out of here with that bullshit.
If you let somebody talk you out of a place that God has put you in, you are going to find yourself in hell. I know for a fact that what I’m doing is exactly what I’m supposed to be doing, because for everyone who is a critic, I have thousands of — what used to be — emails from people saying, “This changed my life. Oh my God, you know me. Oh my God, you saw me. How did you know this about my life and my family?” That is what is important to me.
Tyler Perry’s History With Critics
Critics Claim His Work Perpetuates Stereotypes
On one hand,Tyler Perry’s moviesand TV shows have collectively earned over $660 million, contributing to his estimated net worth of $1 billion. Despite this commercial success,many critics and scholars have criticized Perry’s work,arguing that his films perpetuate negative or offensive stereotypes of African Americans. Overall, the critical reception of his work has been mostly negative. His most recent movie,Divorce in the Black, received a rare 0% score on Rotten Tomatoes.
Why Tyler Perry’s New Movie Has 0% (Yes, Zero) On Rotten Tomatoes
Tyler Perry’s latest film has received a rare 0% critic score on Rotten Tomatoes despite its positive audience reviews and strong lead performances.
His films have faced significant criticism, with manycritics arguing that Perry’s work reinforces harmful and negative stereotypes about African Americans. For instance, historian and author Donald Bogle has argued that because ofMadea’s major similaritiesto the mammy stereotype, if a white director created a similar character, black audiences would be appalled. Another prominent critic of Perry, journalist Jamilah Lemieux, says his work is filled with “old stereotypes of buffoonish, emasculated black men and crass, sassy black women.”
The criticism of Perry’s work extends beyond critics and scholars.Director Spike Leehas criticized Perry’s workas “coonery buffoonery.” Despite the widespread criticism of his work, Perry remains steadfast in his commitment to telling stories he believes resonate with his audience.Tyler Perry’s defense of his work highlights a broader conversation to be had about the diversity of the Black experience and the importance of its representation in media.
