| Author | Message | ||
     Tonya "Cyniquian" Level Poster Username: Tonya Post Number: 5887 Registered: 07-2006 Rating: N/A |
TYLER PERRY RESPONDS TO ‘PAYNE’ CRITICS: Filmmaker apparently draws the line at criticism of actors’ weight.  June 19, 2007 Tyler Perry has distributed another e-mail to his fans, this time defending the girth of his lead actors in “House of Payne,” the filmmaker’s new sitcom airing Wednesdays on TBS. Stars LaVan Davis and Cassie Davis have apparently been criticized for being overweight. Also, Perry’s letter suggests that some have accused him of perpetuating the stereotype of portly black mothers. Perry begins his e-mail response by pointing out the harsh treatment he’s received from critics throughout his career. He writes: You all know that the critics have hated every thing that I have done over the years. Roger Ebert gave DIARY OF A MAD BLACK WOMAN-THE MOVIE an awful review, one critic called MADEA'S FAMILY REUNION-THE MOVIE the worst thing that he'd ever seen, some other critic said that DADDY'S LITTLE GIRLS shouldn't have ever been made and that I had to be stopped. Not to mention the plays, a critic in L.A. said of MADEA GOES TO JAIL, that it was the worst play he'd ever seen and that this type of show should not be at the Kodak Theatre, the home of the Oscars. So over the years I have learned to ignore these people and keep doing what I feel that I am being led to do. But when people begin to attack certain cast members of HOUSE OF PAYNE because they are overweight, then I have to say something. Just because a person is overweight doesn't mean that they are less than anybody else. That's why these people have not been able to get a job for years in Hollywood. One person even asked, "Why do you even hire them?" I hire all kinds of people--thin, not so thin, tall, short, in shape, not in shape, Black, White, Latino. When somebody comes to work for me I don't see color, I don't see their size, all I want to know is "Can you do the job?" One person asked why does the mama have to be a "FAT BLACK WOMAN" and said that I am perpetuating stereotypes by putting these overweight people on the show, as if there are no fat black women in America that are mothers. My mother and aunts are fat black women. And that upsets me to think that people, especially Black people, would say that I'm doing a disservice to America by putting them on T.V. Skinny does not make you beautiful. There are all kinds of beautiful women in this world. And if we begin to look at the heart of a person rather than prejudge then we would see that we are missing some of the nicest and most talented people in the world. I'm sorry but I had to get that off my chest. I just don't like to see good people hurt because of ignorance and intolerance. I won't apologize for putting these people in this show. I don't ever remember hearing any of this about ROSANNE. They deserve to be on this show. They are very good, caring, God-fearing people who needed a hand. And I am so grateful that so many of you are watching HOUSE OF PAYNE and making their dreams come true everyday. God bless, T.P. http://eurweb.com/story/eur34420.cfm | ||
| Chrishayden AALBC .com Platinum Poster Username: Chrishayden Post Number: 4719 Registered: 03-2004 Rating: N/A |
Big Fat Black Women in comedies A sure fire ratings winner | ||
| Misty Veteran Poster Username: Misty Post Number: 917 Registered: 02-2006 Rating: N/A |
i have always liked tyler perry's shows but the more i hear him speak i come to like him as a person even more | ||
| Nels Veteran Poster Username: Nels Post Number: 848 Registered: 07-2005 Rating: N/A |
Tyler lives in Tyler's world, and only Tyler's world. He appears to be catering to only one type of black audience especially, and that all depends on how one defines black, of course. | ||
| Misty Veteran Poster Username: Misty Post Number: 918 Registered: 02-2006 Rating: N/A |
what do you mean when you say that nels? in my opinion most blacks should be able to relate to his plays because we all know black people who are like the characters in his work. | ||
| Cynique "Cyniquian" Level Poster Username: Cynique Post Number: 8924 Registered: 01-2004 Rating: N/A |
Yes, we all know fat black women with mucho attitude. But not everybody wants to pay money to see them ridiculed. Nels is right. Tyler Perry only panders to a certain audience and Perry's defense of his work is a cop-out. But making money by exploiting others is the good ol American way. zzzzzzzzzzzz | ||
| Chrishayden AALBC .com Platinum Poster Username: Chrishayden Post Number: 4731 Registered: 03-2004 Rating: N/A |
what do you mean when you say that nels? in my opinion most blacks should be able to relate to his plays because we all know black people who are like the characters in his work. (Everybody knows where I live and who I come into contact. I have never come into contact with a woman like Madea-- That is, I have never come in contact with a gray haired matron who acted like a street rat. She is of course an obvious cartoon. I think I would be more accepting of it if it were played by a woman. The fact that it is a man in drag gives it some attitude of mysoginy--not to mention cuts a sister out of some scratch. | ||
| Libralind2 Veteran Poster Username: Libralind2 Post Number: 858 Registered: 09-2004 Rating: N/A |
I didnt like the first episode of House of Payne because it wasnt funny. Madea was acting a fool at school when we need positive images PARTICULARY when it comes to black folks acting up when they go see about Black children at school as that is the damn norm in place of the exception. While I know the show is a comedy, I feel Madea/Perry could have done a better job being funny and making a point. SOME black folks cant seperate reality..ya know what I mean..Im sure LiLi | ||
| Mzuri "Cyniquian" Level Poster Username: Mzuri Post Number: 5010 Registered: 01-2006 Rating: N/A |
I'm not bothered by fat people on TV since they depict how real life people aren't all a size zero. As to this particular show, I was ecstatic that Allen Payne got a show of his own because I've always liked him, but I saw it the other night - it was two episodes back to back about Allen's wife supposedly being a crackhead (I never did catch what all of that was about) - and I thought the show was awful. The acting sucked, the jokes were unfunny and this one's doomed to fail. | ||
| Tonya "Cyniquian" Level Poster Username: Tonya Post Number: 5906 Registered: 07-2006 Rating: N/A |
This is the wrong time for Tyler Perry. I think he's a nice enough guy and I loved his play "Madea"--(tho the movie version was outrageous IMO)--but we're trying to change the way Black women are portrayed so his work is counter-productive right now. And I agree with Cynnique; his defense sounds weak and disingenuous. | ||
| Misty Veteran Poster Username: Misty Post Number: 925 Registered: 02-2006 Rating: |
Yes, we all know fat black women with mucho attitude. But not everybody wants to pay money to see them ridiculed. Nels is right. Tyler Perry only panders to a certain audience and Perry's defense of his work is a cop-out. But making money by exploiting others is the good ol American way. I dont view tyler perry's work as ridiculing fat black women...eventhough madea is an exaggerated character and is made to be funny she still comes off as a woman who is heroic, has a lot of character and is very down to earth and and knowledgeable in his plays...she may not be educated but she is very intelligent and knowledgeable, ...similar things can be said about the other overweight black women who play madea's sidekicks throughout the play. when he first started out i remember he had about 3 or 4 fat black women in his plays and 2 of them had alot of attitude (but in a good way), the other two didnt have an attitude and came off as weak and in need of madea's help at times (basically they came off as human). they weren't portrayed as the stereotypical matriarch with an attitude who showed no weakness. Not only that but in all of his plays he not only had fat black women but he had cute, petite black women as well who who were'nt portrayed as independant, superwomen they were just real women, real human beings who needed help, and guidance.. not only that but madea and her sidekicks dont have BAD attitudes...they have alot of attitude but they use it in GOOD ways so they're not portrayed as out of control, overly aggressive black women who need to be tamed. their strenght is implied to be something that we're in great need of. so in my opinion tyler perry is realistically depicting black women in all of their complexity. and im completely with tyler perry when he says those women are just as much in need of jobs and are just as much human beings as anyone else. why should they be outed from the media and remain out of a job for being overweight simply to impress people and to say "black women are beautiful too"? like he said skinny doesnt always equal beauty. i've noticed every fat black woman who has an acting career has been criticized and the black community claims that they all represent the mammy/matriarch image. | ||
| A_womon Veteran Poster Username: A_womon Post Number: 1604 Registered: 05-2004 Rating: N/A |
I agree totally, Misty. And Tyler asked a very good question, "Are there no fat, black women in America who are mothers?" It's not just black women in this country who are fat,there are many studies that show America across the board is the most obese country in the world at this time.So if youre speaking of realistic portrayals, then the norm would be adding more fat people of all colors on big and small screens. I bet no one will complain about John Travolta's portrayal of a big, fat, white woman when the movie Hairspray comes out this summer. | ||
| Cynique "Cyniquian" Level Poster Username: Cynique Post Number: 8932 Registered: 01-2004 Rating: |
I believe the genre Perry works in is called "low comedy", and "me thinks" Tyler and his defenders "doth protest too much". I find the idea of presenting a dissertation on the merits this sit-com pap ludicrous. Some people like his portrayals, others don't. Big deal. | ||
| Misty Veteran Poster Username: Misty Post Number: 929 Registered: 02-2006 Rating: N/A |
no one is trying to change your mind or protesting im simply stating an opinion. the issue of fat black women and how they're portrayed has been a huge issue in the black community for eons so it is important to alot of people. | ||
| Cynique "Cyniquian" Level Poster Username: Cynique Post Number: 8933 Registered: 01-2004 Rating: N/A |
Your "opinion" was one in which you "protested" people attacking Perry for using fat women in his TV show, Misty. Yes, the issue of how fat black women are portrayed in the media is an ongoing subject of controversy although hardly for "eons"; some people have a problem with this and obviously others don't. Back to square one. | ||
| Misty Veteran Poster Username: Misty Post Number: 930 Registered: 02-2006 Rating: |
i simply view this as a discussion not a "protest" but whatever it's not worth fighting about (which is not what i was doing in the first place). | ||
| Misty Veteran Poster Username: Misty Post Number: 931 Registered: 02-2006 Rating: N/A |
when i say the issue about fat black women has been there for eons im saying blacks were criticizing t those images back in the 1950s. | ||
| A_womon Veteran Poster Username: A_womon Post Number: 1606 Registered: 05-2004 Rating: |
Perry's sitcom deserves discussion for those who wish to discuss it and cynique declaring something discussed here on this board, ludicrous does not make it so. A discussion about Tyler Perry's show is just as worthy as one about Prince or anyone else. And if you don't think so, why comment???? | ||
| Mzuri "Cyniquian" Level Poster Username: Mzuri Post Number: 5011 Registered: 01-2006 Rating: |
Let me break it down for you A-•••••, since you clearly can't read and/or comprehend. Cynique didn't say that discussing this topic was ludicrous, she said that presenting a dissertation was. Do you know what a dissertation is, or should I break that down for you as well? Why don't you stop going around putting words in people's mouths so that I can spend my time in more leisurely pursuits besides checking your dimwitted commentary. And why do you always ride Cynique anyway. Don't you think it's gotten old after you doing it for "eons?" Get a fucking life, boring ass one trick •••••. | ||
| A_womon Veteran Poster Username: A_womon Post Number: 1607 Registered: 05-2004 Rating: |
PEEEEEEEEEEEYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYEW! I smell...COWSHIT!!! or is it...BULLSHIT?? | ||
| Mzuri "Cyniquian" Level Poster Username: Mzuri Post Number: 5012 Registered: 01-2006 Rating: |
That's because you've got your head up your ass •••••. | ||
| A_womon Veteran Poster Username: A_womon Post Number: 1609 Registered: 05-2004 Rating: |
PYEEEEEEEEEEEEEWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW. There's that STANK BULLSHIT SMELL AGAIN!!HAHAHAHAHA! | ||
| Mzuri "Cyniquian" Level Poster Username: Mzuri Post Number: 5013 Registered: 01-2006 Rating: N/A |
Silly •••••. | ||
| A_womon Veteran Poster Username: A_womon Post Number: 1610 Registered: 05-2004 Rating: |
Stank ••••• | ||
| Cynique "Cyniquian" Level Poster Username: Cynique Post Number: 8935 Registered: 01-2004 Rating: N/A |
LMAO. Let a-woman try and ride me til her heart's content. I'm still trying to get pass "eons". How many years is that? A least a million, huh? Does that mean that at one time Eve was fat and Adam was featuring her in movies down at the Eden theater???? | ||
| Mzuri "Cyniquian" Level Poster Username: Mzuri Post Number: 5014 Registered: 01-2006 Rating: |
Well, according to the poster, an eon is from the 1950's til now. But according to the dictionary it's an age, two or more eras or a billion years. And in Thumpers time it's about how long it takes for A-Hole to realize that she's clueless. | ||
| A_womon Veteran Poster Username: A_womon Post Number: 1611 Registered: 05-2004 Rating: |
OR...about how long it takes Pissuri to find a man willing to fuk her... nnaaaaaaaaaaah that's probably 10 eons! | ||
| Mzuri "Cyniquian" Level Poster Username: Mzuri Post Number: 5015 Registered: 01-2006 Rating: |
A-Hole - You're so boring and unfunny you could probably pursue a writing career for Tyler Perry's lame ass Payne show. You'll fit in perfectly since you would just sit around and veg out with the rest of the writers and feign laughter at each other's tired flops (when you're not busy working your way up the career ladder by giving everyone a you-know-what). Let me know if you need a letter of introduction as I'd be happy to provide one for you. | ||
| Misty Veteran Poster Username: Misty Post Number: 936 Registered: 02-2006 Rating: |
i'm still trying to get past the fact that neither one of you knows what a figure of speech is | ||
| Mzuri "Cyniquian" Level Poster Username: Mzuri Post Number: 5016 Registered: 01-2006 Rating: |
Okay. Well, I suggest you keep it moving little darling because it's not a hill to die on. How's that for a figure of speech??? | ||
| A_womon Veteran Poster Username: A_womon Post Number: 1612 Registered: 05-2004 Rating: |
That would be Pissuri's opinion and opinions are like assholes everyone has one or in Pissuri's case sucks one. | ||
| Cynique "Cyniquian" Level Poster Username: Cynique Post Number: 8937 Registered: 01-2004 Rating: |
Well, Mzuri, what can you expect from folks who are in awe of Tyler Perry's noble intentions? | ||
| Mzuri "Cyniquian" Level Poster Username: Mzuri Post Number: 5017 Registered: 01-2006 Rating: N/A |
Can't expect too much I suppose. And I would surely hate to be subjected to this one's professional writings because she damn sure doesn't offer very much in the way of originality. Or anything else for that matter. Moving right along . . .  | ||
| A_womon Veteran Poster Username: A_womon Post Number: 1613 Registered: 05-2004 Rating: |
HA! Says Pissuri with the stale ass unoriginal grade school come backs fake ass unoriginal third world furniture business(es?) HAHAHAHA! What a freaking JOKE! | ||
| Abm "Cyniquian" Level Poster Username: Abm Post Number: 9400 Registered: 04-2004 Rating: N/A |
So if just the patriach (and, btw, one of the young boys on that show is pretty 'portly' too) of House of Payne were fat, that would be okay? |
