Spike Lee Compares Tyler Perry To Amos and Andy
Spike Lee had an interview with Ed Gordon on Our World with Black Enterprise scheduled to air this weekend. In the interview he complained about “coonery and buffoonery” and both of Tyler Perry’s shows “Meet the Browns” and “House of Payne,” comparing them to characters from minstrel shows.
From EurWeB
“We’ve had this discussion back and forth. When John Singleton [made 'Boyz in the Hood'], people came out to see it. But when he did ‘Rosewood,’ nobody showed up. So a lot of this is on us! You vote with your pocketbook, your wallet. You vote with your time sitting in front of the idiot box, and [Tyler Perry] has a huge audience. We shouldn’t think that Tyler Perry is going to make the same film that I am going to make, or that John Singleton or my cousin Malcolm Lee [would make]. As African-Americans, we’re not one monolithic group, so there is room for all of that. But at the same time, for me, the imaging is troubling and it harkens back to ‘Amos n’ Andy.’”
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“Each artist should be allowed to pursue their artistic endeavors, but I still think there is a lot of stuff out today that is coonery and buffoonery. I know it’s making a lot of money and breaking records, but we can do better. … I am a huge basketball fan, and when I watch the games on TNT, I see these two ads for these two shows (Tyler Perry’s “Meet the Browns” and “House of Payne”), and I am scratching my head. We got a black president, and we going back to Mantan Moreland and Sleep ‘n’ Eat?
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thedamntruth697-9-2009 10:03 am
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Smyles027-1-2009 10:48 am
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caveman0077-1-2009 10:20 am
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leonani077-1-2009 9:35 am
« Previous 1 ... 5 6 7WHEW! THIS IS A HARD ONE. I KIND OF AGREE WITH SPIKE BUT THEN AGAIN LIKE SMYLES02 SAID,” Do you see white people on blogs and sites worried about how they are portrayed in movies? No, not all black families have crack head cousins, but some do. Just like any white family.” JUST BECAUSE SPIKE CHOSE TO SPEND HIS CAREER MAKING MOVIES TO “INFORMATE” US. TYLER MAKES MOVIES TO “ENTERTAIN” US. TYLER’S MOVIES ARE SOMETHING THAT WE CAN RELATE TO NOT SAYING THAT THIS IS HOW ALL BLACKS ARE LIVING. BUT DO YOU REALLY WANT EVERYBODY TO BE THE SAME? COME ON NOW SPIKE, SOUNDS LIKE A LITTLE “HATERISM” GOING ON.IT WOULD BE NICE IF YOU COULD STOP MAKING ALL YOUR MOVIES LIKE ALL WE DO IS SUFFER BECAUSE WE DON’T. SPIKE NEEDS TO STOP PORTRAYING US AS THESE HELPLESS VICTIMS, IF WE WERE HE WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO DO WHAT HE IS DOING NOW.
OMG, you guys are a trip. Do you see white people on blogs and sites worried about how they are portrayed in movies? No, not all black families have crack head cousins, but some do. Just like any white family. Ok…how many crackheads were in “Why Did I Get Married”? Spike Lee needs to have a seat, because like that guy said, he won’t make one remark about BET. He made one war movie, my goodness. I don’t recall an Oscar coming his way. When all his movies before portrayed black society and because at the end, he put a message across the screen, it makes him any different. No. It’s the enteretainment industry and you can use to whatever advantage you choose. He needs to chill out.
last time I checked Tyler Perry made comedies and Spike Lee did not. If he has a problem with Tyler Perry’s movies being ignorant he shouldn’t stop there. BET has all these reality shows full of celebrities and their crackhead relatives which are given more and more seasons so he should talk about Bob Johnson as well. Doubt that will happen.
I agree with Spike Lee. I enjoy his movies but there are times I hope white people don’t see them. I know that sounds bad but there are times when i’m watching the tv show, watching the plays, and even the movies that I feel embarrassed or offended by the “humor” he uses. Not all black families have crackheads not all black families have baby mama drama. I think its time to point the positivity of african american life!