Dave Chappell was right!


At some point in every black actor's career, writers and directors will try to put him in a dress. Chappell rejected this while Perry seems to have embraced it. Granted, he's done well for himself, putting on a dress and fat-suit and wig but at what price?

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The price of going from homeless and living in your car to being an international success.

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The price of going from homeless and living in your car to being an international success.


Took the words right out of my mouth!

"Age ain't nothin' but a number" -- Aaliyah

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Yup selling the *beep* out has it's advantages, but you will always be a sellout.

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Proof that being a shallow sell-out and appealing to the lowest possible intellectual level is wildly profitable.

I mean, if the "Transformers" movies hadn't already proved that amply enough.

If one seeks a fortune off the masses, one certainly won't bother appealing to the tiny fraction of geniuses. Rather, churn out drivel for the drooling hoards. It's not as if they'll know they're being conned.

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at some point? you mean at the beginning of tylers hollywood career? people need to get over gender thing. uptight niqqas

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at some point? you mean at the beginning of tylers hollywood career? people need to get over gender thing. uptight niqqas


Chapelle was making a specific point, though. Maybe not literally every successful black actor ever has been forced to do this, but drag amongst black male actors is a very common comedy trope, and when I think of white comedians/comedic actors, some have definitely done drag as well, but it's certainly not as much of a staple, when I think of examples off the top of my head.

I think Dave was on to something, and have always respected that he walked away from huge financial success to keep his integrity and creative vision.

"Bulls**t MR.Han Man!!"--Jim Kelly in Enter the Dragon 

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Chapelle was making a specific point, though. Maybe not literally every successful black actor ever has been forced to do this, but drag amongst black male actors is a very common comedy trope, and when I think of white comedians/comedic actors, some have definitely done drag as well, but it's certainly not as much of a staple, when I think of examples off the top of my head.

I think Dave was on to something, and have always respected that he walked away from huge financial success to keep his integrity and creative vision.


You are right. More african american entertainers have said the same. That for a black man if they want to make it in movies they very very often have to play joker/clown parts and either dressing up as a chick or having a role where they have to "amuse" the audience by shouting/screaming and acting like a clown. I cant remember who said it but maybe it was Cedric the Entertainer, and he said something to this effect as well. That many black men has to take the first roles as amusers that is there to be laughed at instead of laughed with. Sure white folks do those parts too (like dumb dumber etc) but its on another level. So they are right about that and its sad.

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The difference here is that Madea is Tyler's creation. He chose to put the dress on.

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The difference here is that Madea is Tyler's creation. He chose to put the dress on.


Yeah, he wanted to beat the white man to the punch.

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You are somewhat right in that Tyler Perry chose this but he didn't even actually really create this character he stole it from this transsexual radio show host from Atlanta. Miss Sophia I believe.

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Actually he stole it from every sassy black grandma and transexual ever made

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"At some point in every black actor's career, writers and directors will try to put him in a dress."

Link?

I believe it.

"Granted, he's done well for himself, putting on a dress and fat-suit and wig but at what price?" He made a career out of satirizing his own community...and he had to emasculate himself to do it, but, enh. I respect anyone that can make drag convincing and funny.

Makes me think of Eddie Murphy playing multiple characters.

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Perry put himself in the dress from day 1 in his stage plays.

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every BLACK actor's career? More like EVERY actor's career including white! Justin Timberlake, Jonathan Brandis, Robin Williams, Rob Schneider, Adam Sandler, etc... Those guys are non-black and THEY have dressed up in a dress in their acting career.

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Men in women's clothes was invented the same day as theater was.

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You people are not paying attention

Yes Tyler Perry has been putting on the dress since day one but, He cannot make successful movies without wearing a dress, or hiring bigger actors then himself, he tried acting with out the Madea characters, but he end up portraying either side roles, or supporting roles, never starring roles and gaining success as a A-list actor without the costume.

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if that's all it takes to make the cash they are I need to go shopping at dress barn.

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