Spike Lee On Tyler Perry and Tyler Perry back to Spike Lee

Spike Lee, the great movie producer we know since back in the 80s, talks about his feelings on Tyler Perry's movies. He claims they bring nothing to the community, just money in his pockets. Spike Lee's always been a down to earth producer, revealing some of the coldest realities of our times. Now he feels that even though we are in 2009 and we have a black president in the U.S.A, we are going back to the days where baffoonery was expected from black people.





Here is Tyler Perry's response to Spike Lee's comments:





Wow, this is very intense, I feel what both parties are saying. On one hand Spike Lee is saying: okay, enough with the dumb black stereotyped grannies, hustlers, nasty black girl attitude, cursing, talking, eating and joking characters. Let's talk about the real shit that goes on, let's take it to a new more mature level.

Tyler Perry is saying those grannies (Madea type), do exist and do make us laugh, and yes, these stereotypes are shown in his movies in order to reach out and touch those people. Through his movies, Tyler Perry says he is able to address topics such as love, forgiveness, family etc. with the people, by talking directly to the people.

Now, I think the situation is this: Spike Lee feels that as a ''Black'' producer with an opportunity to influence people with his material, Tyler Perry should use that to our advantage. Since there aren't many black producers, the pressure to educate and elevate falls on the ones that are known in the industry. In the white community, things are a bit different, you have a wide variety of producers all working in different categories of film. In that way they have more freedom to express their art.

I'm a big Spike Lee fan. I've also enjoyed many of Tyler Perry's movies, though at times I felt he pushed the notes a bit too hard, I found myself laughing during most of his movies, sometimes almost nearly dropping a tear. They are not on the same level, Spike Lee is definitly deeper in his work when presenting social/racial issues. Still, does this mean Madea has to go?

Who do you agree/disagree with and why?

Let me know,
:0)