So, we know Spike Lee and Tyler Perry have been exchanging words for years. Lee is anti-Perry and very vocal in criticizing his movies, calling them coonery and buffoonery. For the most part, Tyler Perry was reserved in choosing his response but it looks like the camel’s back finally broke. These days, Perry is very open about telling Lee where to go and during a Hip Hollywood interview, he took it a step further by playing a Madea voice clip that says, “I will punch the hell out of you, say something else!” and dedicated it to Spike Lee. He then added that Black people are the only ones who drag each others down like that and even took it back to a Langston Hughes/Zora Neale Hurston tiff where Hughes criticized her work. Watch the video clip:
https://youtube.com/watch?v=YOnY6cx-nBI%3Fversion%3D3
Is this really a crabs in the barrel issue, though? Tyler Perry said that he never saw Italians complain about The Sopranos, for example, but some have. There are Italians who don’t agree with The Sopranos because it perpetuates the mafia stereotype and so on for any race, creed, ethnicity, etc–not everything is for everyone.
It’s OK to not like something so in this case, neither one is right or wrong. Tyler Perry has a huge following that loves his stuff and obviously don’t agree with Lee, but then there are people that don’t like Perry’s work and some of those people are probably a part of Spike Lee’s cult following.
Both men are accomplished directors and should cater to those who like their work. Spike Lee should probably stop talking and put out more movies that he feels are better quality or at least back burgeoning filmmakers who create the type of product that he wants to see.
Meanwhile, Tyler Perry’s numbers have proven that he isn’t going anywhere anytime soon so the bottom line, to each their own. If you don’t like it, don’t watch but don’t be mad either. Get proactive and support product that you like.