The Art of Story Telling

There are so many ways to tell a story, and to tell a good one. In recent years there has been a public battle between two major story tellers in the Black community, the veteran Spike Lee that brought us the story of Malcolm X and put a lot of Black actors that we love in movies in the late 80's and 90's such as Angela Bassett, Denzel Washington and Wesley Snipes. Then there is the relative new comer Tyler Perry that has risen to fame and fortune on the strength of one character Madea.

Now don't get me wrong I find Madea to be funny but very repetitive. I don't think that it is really the greatest representation of Black people and Black culture. I come from a very large family and I know what it is like to have that strong Black woman in your family that is the leader and that takes care of all the children and the neighborhood, my great grandmother was that person but she did it with class. Never once did she ever threaten to shoot someone with a pistol or try and beat them down when they didn't behave. All she had to do was give you a look and you would straighten right up.

I think that part of the problem between Spike Lee and Tyler Perry is that Spike Lee has worked for so many years to tell all types of stories and has never really received (in my opinion) the proper respect or credit for being such a ground breaking director, writer and producer when there very few Black people telling any type of Black stories at all. Now there may be some jealousy there between the two because Tyler Perry is raking in the money hand over fist and not slowing down. Or because he owns his own studio with a lot and sound stages. Who really knows?

The problem that I have with Tyler Perry is that he is telling the same story over and over again. His characters are everyday people that you would find in any city in the world, they go out do wrong pray to God get some help from family and everything is all good and everyone acts as if nothing ever happened in the first place. I really wish that it were that easy, because if it were I would be a millionaire too for telling all of the stories that I have swimming around in my head and I would be able to do what ever I wanted whenever I wanted. I would be able to sit around and write all day long without any other care in the world. But my reality is I have to go to work everyday and write whenever my schedule permits me to do so because I have student loans to pay off and God children to think about and bills that need to be taken care of.

After having had several discussions with my friends over the years most of them don't like Tyler Perry and are on #TeamSpike after giving it some serious thoughts I have to agree with some of the things that Spike Lee has said about Tyler Perry's work and I disagree with some other things. Do I think that Tyler Perry over does it with the Madea character at times, yes. Do I feel like you could get the same message across without Madea being so over the top, yes. Do I think that Tyler Perry is ever going to stop using Madea in his movies, no, why, because she sells, plain and simple and money talks in this world. That is just the way that it is.

I think that it is great that Tyler Perry owns his own business and believes in employing Black people and hires all of these Black actors that may otherwise not be working but he can use some other people besides the same ones that he uses over and over again like Gabrielle Union, Tasha Smith, Brian J. White, I love these actors but lets see some other people. Expose the world to some new talents since you know that people are going to come and see the movie anyway because it has your name on it.

With everything else that is going on in the world today the last thing that anyone really wants to hear about is two multi-millionaires arguing about who makes a better movie and who touches the most amount of people.

Tyler Perry the people that love Madea are going to continue to love her and support your movies from here until you decide not to make them any longer.

Spike Lee people that have supported your work and love your movies are going to continue to support and love your movies because it is A Spike Lee Joint.

You both make valid points as to why your films are good and as to why you may not particular care for the other person but in the end you both will always have the support of the Black community because you are both people that millions of people look up to and aspire to be like.

So save the drama for someone else because we have enough to deal with. Like making sure that Obama get re-elected. Let's focus on that!

But hey what do I know. I am just a young woman from Detroit trying to make it in this world for doing something that I love. WRITING.

And that is just my .04 cents.

Until Next Time.

Peace & Many Blessings.