Spike Lee Comments, Tyler Perry 60 Minutes Response (VIDEO)
Filmmaker Tyler Perry was a 60 Minutes guest on Sunday night. Interviewer Bryon Pitts asked him to respond to some disparaging comments that famed director Spike Lee made at the 14th Annual Black Enterprise Conference.
In a discussion about black entertainment, Lee said, “I think that there is a lot of stuff out today that is coonery and buffoonery. I see ads for Meet the Browns and House of Payne and I’m scratchin’ my head. We’ve got a black president and it seems like we’re going back. The image is troubling and it harkens back to Amos and Andy.”
Perry was visibly upset when he told Pitts, “Let me tell you what… Madea, Brown and all of these characters are a bait. Disarming, charming, make you laugh bait, so that I can slap Madea in something and talk about God, love, faith, forgiveness, family…any of those things…you know. So that p*sses me off, it really does because it’s so insulting. It’s attitudes like that…that make Hollywood think that these poeple do not exist and that’s why there is no material speaking to them…speaking to us.”
See last night’s 60 minutes video and Spike Lee’s comments.
Filed under: Celebrities
I love Tyler Perry and all of his plays and movies. Tyler keeps it real. Spike Lee has been in Hollowood to long. When was the last movie that Spike Lee made that was a hit, or won an academic (sp) award for. I like you to Spike Lee, but most of all of your pictures was about violence etc., New Jack City, What about that movie get on the bus?? You were showing your verison of black people, where Tyler Perry on the other hand is giving his views about our people as well so just get over it Mr. Lee. It is what it is.
Tyler Perry reminds me of my family in South Carolina. He represents the good old days with a modern twist that people with a southern background can relate to. Spike Lee howevever probably only knows the hard life of the city dealing with thugs, drugs, killing and inter-racial relation ships. Face it Mr Lee its more to life than violence in the black race, and Mr Perry is showing us with one hit movie after another. Keep them comming TYLER PERRY!!!!!!
I love you Spike but you are outta line here. Spike, why not focus on the rap game that is selling us out and pimping our kids! I’m still with you Spike, but Tyler is not getting our kids killed, hurt or jailed like some rap music. Come on Spike ,you know and I know that Jay Z and Puffy have done more harm to Black folks than Tyler Perry. Come on speak on it, Spike!
Spike Lee’s movies are about violence? Really?? Except for segments of Do The Right Thing, Clockers, Malcolm X, Jungle Fever, 25th Hour, Inside Man etc. There is a noticeable lack of violence in Spike lee’s movies.FYI New Jack City was directed by Mario Van Peebles. Spike Lee’s views about the cartoonish depiction of black characters (especially in this day & age) are very valid.
Well, well, well. This is truly something. It sounds like Spike has a bit of envy in his spirit. I have watched Tyler Perry’s work throughout the years and many aspects of his film does relate to some of us. There are many films that can be put into the same “buffoonery category” black, white, indifferent and so on. “Dumb/ignorant” films are everywhere and done by everyone, if Spike wants to talk about “Amos & Andy”.
I just do not get why some of the black community is so hard on the subject. Do they fail to realize that these things have and still can be found in some black communities? Although some have not had these experiences as depicted in Tyler’s film, there people that do. Those people are the ones that can relate to Tyler’s work. Therefore, if it is not the culture you have experienced and can not relate to than just disregard the films.
It is as though, some are so ashamed that they want to pretend these experiences has not and does not exist. Everyone is entitled to their opinion, but Spike clearly sounds a bit bitter to me. What has Spike done lately? Some of Spike’s films were not that great. He has done some “questionable” films and many of his films are black based as well. Both Tyler and Lee produced and wrote black films, but form different experiences and perspectives. I believe the both should respect each other work whether they support it or not.
Look, we all have choices and opinions. Whether you like Tyler films or not is up to that individual. I do not support “buffoonery” under any circumstance. I do not see Tyler’s films in that light at all. Besides the humor, Tyler’s films have many messages such as love, faith, struggles, and so on. Ok Spike, you call Tyler’s work “buffoonery”, but what about his work without Madea or Mr. Brown? Can Tyler get credit for those and credit for his other accomplishments? Spike is not the man on top any more. Although he paved the way, in comparison, can you say Spike has accomplished as much as Tyler?
Spike, if you can do better, than stand up and give the black community what you think we need and what we depict? Since you are the expert on the black community, put your money where your mouth is and feed the black community with the “correct” film(s)?
Spike is better appreciated by educated black folk, any dumb butt can look at Tyler Perry’s works and laugh their pain away—while learning nothing…
At the end of the day, I would rather have Spike’s movies on my bookshelf to teach my grandkids about our successes than to have them subjected to the buffoonery of Madea and Mr. Brown…
I understand what both spike lee and tyler perry are saying, however I agree with tyler perry. Yes some educated blacks are going to agree with spike, however if you look at todays america as a whole black president or not, the charcters, the people that tyler perry are describing are very present…there are many educated blacks that love tyler perry also. A majority of those educated blacks came from very humble beginnings and can relate to tyler perry…dont be so quick to judge..and yes spikes earlier films dealt very heavily with characters that put african americans down as well..go back and watch the movies and you will see…today more than ever those mr. brown and madea characters need to have a spotlight placed on them…if you check statistics…more and more african americans are dropping out of high school because of lack of hope, more african americans that any race are jobless, more african americans are experiencing the same things tyler perry is addressing..as well as other races as well…if you have been fortunate enough not to kudos to you, however there arent many who can say they haven’t experiencedsome or all of what is displayed in the films by tyler perry….just because african americans are making progress doesnt mean that madea, uncle joe and mr brown don’t exist…i dont want to ever forget charcters such as these..they remind me of my upbringing…they remind me that although my ubringing was filled with alot of pain..there was some good there also…they remind me of the people that got me through…before you criticize look at your life..look at the economy..look at the news…look at the lives of the people you’ve came in contact with..I’m pretty sure somewhere in there you can find someone that experienced what tyler perry is talking about.
Sad that Spike Lee can’t celebrate another brother’s success. We all have different experiences and viewpoints, it doesn’t make Spike “right” to make Tyler “wrong”. And for my money? I’ll go see Tyler Perry and enjoy it….and let’s not forget that Tyler Perry (with Oprah) produced PRECIOUS….. Now that’s something to put on your bookshelf!