MovieChat Forums > Meet the Browns (2008) Discussion > Any black person like myself can't ident...

Any black person like myself can't identify with this cultural image?

posted 16 years ago by donnastar2001
49 replies | jump to latest

I am an African American woman who grew up in New Orleans and is currently living there. Why? I don't get it. Every black friend I have which is most of my friends do not talk like this or act like this. I just don't get it. I have friends from Los Angeles to New York and Tyler Perry films always come up. I am an actress and most of my friends are either actors, writers, directors and producers. I have tried to watch 2 of his films- Diary of a Mad Black Woman and Why Did I Get Married. Quite frankly if one more man portrays a black woman such as Madea- loud, rude and just all around ridiculous....I am just going SCREAM! Since when smacking a cop or hitting a kid across the head Christian? Can someone please explain this to me? Since when constantly having a black woman mentally and verbally abused by our BROTHERS/LOVERS a good message? Can someone please tell me that they are equally offended by his films. I am a very fair skinned black woman who has been raised in a moderate middle class family in New Orleans where all of my family has had blue collar careers- nurse, police officer, construction etc. Most if not all of my family is still putting there lives together after the storm. I don't know any of the characters in these films that remind me of any of them. I get questioned that I am not a supporter but I know that at the same time most people (our own people) would never want to see me in his films because I am not black enough. Why are these films the only representation of who we are? Why is Tyler Perry the only voice that we seem to debate and except as our one savior of filmmaking? I mean come on! Jennifer Lewis has been playing the same character since she started her tv and film career. The sad thing is she is extremely talented but for some reason she is continually cast as this loud sassy woman. Now I know the response will be the same "SHE GOT PAID THOUGH!" So who cares! I'll bet my life that if Angela Basset or Jennifer Lewis could be seen in a Shakespearean play in an arena in Athens as the headliner for a year they wouldn't even blink to go. They are trained actresses who have placed in a box because of the color of their skin. You know and I know it and I know most people out there would agree with me.

[–] 16 years ago

[deleted]

[–] carmystic06 16 years ago

Since when did Mr. Perry say that his movies represented ALL Blacks,it's entertainment people lighten up ! There are plenty of white movies about the SAME topics(minus Madea) abuse, drugs, etc., but nobody complains about those. However, with that said, I personally prefer his plays over his movies. And where did the gay rumors come from ??

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[–] carmystic06 16 years ago

"I am an actress and most of my friends are either actors, writers, directors and producers."

I am also an actress currently filming for a major production,(I'm online in between shootings) and I still say that his movies (though not Oscar material) have a Christian message that most people can relate to. And if you notice, for every rotten man in his films, there is also a good man to balance that.

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[–] Coryraisa 16 years ago

And for every "helpless" woman, there is a strong resourceful woman who does not lie around whining about her hardships, waiting for a man to rescue her, but works her own way out of poverty and hardship. And it's not necessarily a "Christian" message; it's a general message for anyone of any religion.

[–] carmystic06 16 years ago

"And it's not necessarily a "Christian" message; it's a general message for anyone of any religion"

When I said "Christian" message, it wasn't from a religious standpoint, my idea of Christian is Spiritual. And the message I got was that for every bad man/woman, there is a good one, that's my point and it has nothing to do with "whining" or "waiting to be rescued".

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[–] Coryraisa 16 years ago

[–] carmystic06 16 years ago

"Christian" is not synonymous with "spiritual," so I wouldn't misuse those two word interchangeably. Jews and Muslims are spiritual also, so I'd just say spiritual instead of overusing the word Christian. "

This topic is not a lesson on "Christian" and "Spiritual", so let's just stick to my main point which is that for every BAD man/woman, there is a GOOD one.

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[–] Coryraisa 16 years ago

Yes, let's just stick with that and stay away from the hackneyed cliches. It does irk me when some ppl. assume that everyone else is Christian just because they are or that even "most" of the world is Christian.

[–] carmystic06 16 years ago

"It does irk me when some ppl. assume that everyone else is Christian just because they are or that even "most" of the world is Christian.

FYI, (then I'm through with this argument) I happen to AGREE with your post, however, we are on a Tyler Perry board, and weather you and I like it or not, the MAJORITY of his audience are CHRISTIANS.

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[–] Coryraisa 16 years ago

Maybe so, but we can't be sure. Oh, I know you agreed. But we must treat all boards as a fine mix; we really can't make assumptions about the "majority" of any fan base. Untwist, dear and lighten up...lol.

[–] carmystic06 16 years ago

"Maybe so, but we can't be sure. Oh, I know you agreed. But we must treat all boards as a fine mix; we really can't make assumptions about the "majority" of any fan base."

I have been to all of his live shows and I have met many of his fans,(as well as the cast members, I'm IN the entertainment business) that's why I say that the majority of his fans are Christians, I didn't say ALL of them because now that he's making movies, of course he will have a broader audience of all faiths.

"Untwist, dear and lighten up...lol."

I was never "twisted" in the first place :-)

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[–] Coryraisa 16 years ago

Good, glad you see it with the film audiences.

[–] LadyLovie 14 years ago

what does being very fair skinned have to do with anything?

I see someone mentioned the crab in a barrel mentality on here, I just read this thread & see a lot of it going on. sad.

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[–] Absolved 14 years ago

I don't know what's worse, racist White folks who come the message board of every predominately Black cast film just to criticize and instigate a bunch of racial tripe...or uptight Black folks who do the same thing.

No one said that this, or any Tyler Perry film (or any Black film in general) represents the whole of the Black community. I'm Black and no one in my family acts like Madea either. Doesn't stop me from enjoying these *fictional* films. Madea (and her surrounding characters) is an exaggeration, created for entertainment purposes. No one said that she is you and you are her. Okay?! And it's incredibly silly that this had to be explained to calm uptight neurotic-types like the OP.

Now in the words of Madea: 'shut the hell up.'

[–] MrsMonroe74 14 years ago

lol @"shut the hell up"

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[–] MrsMonroe74 14 years ago

I can't indentify with the cultural image of the op....anyway, it's a downer to go on every board of tyler perry & his work & see all the negative cruel comments made about him. doesn't matter, for all those that dislike his work there are plenty of ppl out there who do. myself being 1 of them.

rofl @ the op saying"fair skinned" do you have hazel green eyes too?
______________________________
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[–] LadyLovie 14 years ago

I wonder if the op has "good hair " too? lol

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I like your show,I admire your style, but your pays so cheap, I won't be back for a while.

[–] SealordJohn 10 years ago

This white boy just finished watching this movie for the first time. Before posting this, I read through every other post in this thread. Now for my two cents.

I learned a long time ago to not believe everything I see on film or television. Even news stories get reported with incorrect facts.

If I want to view a more realistic representation of people, I would watch a documentary. But this was a film created by Tyler Perry to entertain the audience. Therefore, I expected some exaggerations as well as complete fiction. And that is what I found in this movie. At the end of the movie, I tried to confirm if they showed a disclaimer claiming that the characters depicted in this movie are fiction and any resemblance to anyone living was pure coincidental. But the credits went by too fast to read.

Before anyone labels me as a racist for not liking this movie, on the contrary, I love watching Tyler Perry's television programs such as "Meet the Browns" and "House of Payne".

In fact, the only thing I did enjoy about this movie was the lack of a laugh track. I believe Tyler Perry uses the laugh track excessively in his television programs "Meet the Browns" and "House of Payne".