Oh Lord, Not Madea Again: Why Are Tyler Perry’s Plays So Good, But His Movies Aren’t?

September 17th, 2012 - By IndigoBlack

Source: http://utbfsa.files.wordpress.com

While surfing the web today, I came across the news that Tyler Perry was canceling a leg of his upcoming “Madea Gets A Job” tour because of the powerful impact of pesky bootleggers. In a long letter on his website, Perry broke down specific reasons, saying that while he had set ticket prices for the stage play at as low as $25 so that most people could afford to come, bootleggers were selling tickets for his show to unsuspecting fans for double the price, and even pretending they were Perry, scheduling alleged “meet-and-greet” opportunities after the shows for about $125. (“DON’T FALL FOR THIS!! That’s not me.”) He went on to vent his frustration with the leeches of the world to his fans:

“This is so frustrating! Why are people so evil? Why can’t people just get legitimate jobs and stop trying to do the wrong thing all the time? If they put the same amount of energy into doing the right thing as they do in doing the wrong thing they could make it. It’s so sad.”

“To all of you who have bought tickets and made plans to be there I am so sorry. I really am but my hands are tied.”

“This was the last live Madea tour and I’m super sorry that you won’t get to see it live. All refunds should be given back to you.”

As frustrated as Perry seemed to be, his fans were just as heated, if not more. Many got on the website and told stories about their children missing out on their first Madea stage play, and the struggles they had to go through to get tickets. Because this stage tour was set to be Perry’s last for a while, as he continues to balance a career that involves acting, directing, producing and screenwriting, people were understandably upset:

“OH NO……This was going to be my 10 year old’s first Madea play. She LOVES Madea, I will have to wait until the last minute to break this news. I just hate that greed messes things up for everyone else. Stay true to yourself Tyler. Hopefully Madea can do a one hour special on tv oneday.”

“Although I am crushed I think I can manage to still support him and his projects in the future.”

“I really was so excited to see the play.Madea always uplifts my spirits. My family is going through some trying situations.I needed to laugh from crying,…”

Reading the responses, and hearing about the number of people who were going to travel to see Perry dress up and act a fool as Madea one last time live, at first, I thought they were being a little over the top. But then, I remembered the last time I saw a Tyler Perry stage play (on DVD of course, not live), and the first time, and in a way, I could understand–those plays are hilarious!

It was maybe 2001 when I saw my first Tyler Perry stage play, and I was watching “I Can Do Bad All By Myself” at the recommendation of my hairdresser. Always the skeptic/hater (you should know this by now), I went into it expecting the corniest thing to ever appear on a television, but was pleasantly surprised when I was rolling with laughter at the rachetness of gun toting, weed smoking Madea, and adding my own extra dialogue to the play when the female characters would fall for the okie-doke from their men. From the minute Madea stepped out with her random attempts at praying, with her gray wig, horrid house dress and penchant for pronouncing things like diabetic as diabetical, I thought she (aka, he) was hilarious. The character also seemed to be very deep, dropping knowledge when folks needed it most, even if she (once again, he) was a mess 90 percent of the time. The singing in the plays, depending on who was crooning the gospel tracks, and what they were singing about, was a nice addition, and they were actually all-around fun and positive plays.

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  • kasagirl

    i just saw this site….yall needa leave tha dude. I bet a million dollars that the majority of you ppl here are not christian young people or from such a background. Then if u are, u have lost it along the way. I agree that the movies are boring with the exeption od diary of a mad black woman and family reunion but his plays are superb. They are uplifting and encouraging and most his owrks uplift women. On behalf of the descent women left out dere i give toodles to perry for encouraging us and respecting us the way he does. and he encourages thhe male population too sooo yall jus dont bring down the dude like that. One man’s joy is another man’s downfall…so if u are airing ur opinion dont do it outa hate for the individual..make sense doing it…….

  • http://twitter.com/Myssdee Myssdee

    (Revising my comment)

    Here is my problem with Tyler Perry MOVIES

    The plays is not a problem because most of the time the
    IMPROV is on point

    But the MOVIE SCRIPTS are wayyyyy off

    I understand that Tyler Perry wants to be the Jack of all
    trades

    I respect his hustle

    And he has true rags to riches story

    BUT…. when it comes to TV and Movies…. you want people
    to be engage in your craft just like they are engaged in your plays.

    The plots and scenes in most of his movies just doesn’t make
    sense…

    Diary of a Mad Black Woman

    Let’s talk about that one little scene when the character
    Helen was looking for a job in a NEWSPAPER in a UPSCALE restaurant, watched a
    couple get engaged, and was drinking fine red wine in a clean glass. This was
    after she was KICKED out of her mansion by her husband with no money, no
    assets, no nothing…LITTLE DETAILS LIKE THAT THROWS THE AUDIENCE OFF.

    Madea’s Family Reunion

    No matter what State you in…people these days have sense
    to know that no Judge just give a foster a child a home to an old lady just
    because she is known as a “strict disciplinarian”.

    Meet the Browns

    Brenda’s biological father being a PIMP (unreal in these
    ages). I can understand if the father was a rolling stone but being a PIMP…I
    need for Tyler Perry to get with the times here.

    Why did I get married? (MY LAST overanalyzing Tyler Perry
    Movies)

    Why Did I Get Married? was good for ONE reason…ANGELA
    played by Tasha Smith.

    Again…certain scenes in Tyler Perry movies just don’t make
    sense. Dianne gets her Tubes tied after her 1st child without her husband
    knowing??? Unreal…which would throw the audience off

    Bill Cosby was successful with The Cosby Show because he
    hired writers with versatile scripts and psychologists, which still has us
    begging to bring a modern-day Huxtables.

    If Tyler Perry can get on point with his movies, he will be a LEGEND AMONGST LEGENDS.

  • Guest

    I have to admit, I have never seen any of his plays, but I have a hard time believing they’re any better than his crappy movies!!!!!

  • Myssdee

    Here is the problem wioth

  • http://www.facebook.com/erica.hampton.7 Erica Hampton

    I think Madea has run her course….He should do a “Madea Goes to Heaven” and close the curtains on the broad. He has written others movies with her not in it that have been really good.

  • Sandy

    Because maybe he should make a motion picture. Take an Oscar home, just for the hell of it. With all that Tyler has at his disposal, perhaps it’s time for him to make a motion picture, not just a movie. There are so many talented actors out there but Tyler seems to always pick the same one for the subject style movie. We all know about sassy mouth Medea and her family (all of them) it’s tired. But we haven’t seen is Tyler break through all the (dozens) throwback conversations and circumstances and make a motion picture. There is a difference. As I’ve heard and not sure if it’s true, but there is some talk that Tyler and Spike don’t get along due to creative differences. Well, I wonder why? Could it be that everything/anything Spike has made has been a hit, Oscar worthy, having much less than Tyler has access to.To date no black filmmaker has reached the level of talent Spike seems to have, no matter what. I only wish that Tyler would display all of his talents. Not for nothing, but I’m sure he can produce a movie without church, murder, husband and wife betrayal and Madea in it. Come on Tyler it’s time!

  • jackieOsassin

    we get it, black hollywood. a man in a fat suit and wig is
    hilarious as hell.

    now PLEASE stop making plays and movies about it.

    • get real

      1. The Madea character just isn’t funny to me. 2. All of his movies throw black men under the bus. But I understand when women are your #1 audience you have to pander out of this world. 3. How many more black men are we going to see wear dresses in Hollwood? Madea goes to jail, Madea graduates kindergarden, Madea graduates first grad, Madea peels an orange etc. I mean when are people going to get tired of the same ole same ole?

  • Ms_Sunshine9898

    I agree about his plays. But everyone knows, what you do in theater doesn’t necessarily work on stage and I can’t handle one more “my daddy/step daddy raped me and I had his child and mama covered it up because she thought it was best” storyline. . .

  • http://www.youtube.com/user/thesapphireempress96?feature=results_main A.J.

    I think it’s because the stage plays are longer. Sometimes, his films feel like they’re rushed to wrap up all the conflicts and tie all the plot points together. There’s also a limit as to how long a movie can be, unless someone is intentionally making an epic. With the stage plays, he has more time and space to go on as long as he wants to, until everything is resolved and nothing is left out. I would rather see a 2.5 hour play that’s complex than a movie that tries to cram everything into just under two hours (and that goes for everyone, not just Tyler). There’s also more room for improv, which adds to the play. I also think that there’s just something special about audience interaction, and seeing someone live.

  • http://www.youtube.com/user/thesapphireempress96?feature=results_main A.J.

    I think it’s because the stage plays are longer. Sometimes, his films feel like they’re rushed to wrap up all the conflicts and tie all the plot points together. There’s also a limit as to how long a movie can be, unless someone is intentionally making an epic. With the stage plays, he has more time and space to go on as long as he wants to, until everything is resolved and nothing is left out. I would rather see a 2.5 hour play that’s complex than a movie that tries to cram everything into just under two hours (and that goes for everyone, not just Tyler). There’s also more room for improv, which adds to the play. I also think that there’s just something special about audience interaction, and seeing someone live.

  • Yokessm

    I loved his plays and my favorite movies are not taken from plays : “the family that preys, good deeds”.

  • FromUR2UB

    I thought it was the other way around. I really like his movies, but after seeing one play on DVD, didn’t like it so much. Oh well. Nothing is supposed to please everybody.

  • Jaeda

    Wow I thought I was the only one that felt that way I agree that his first few movies were pretty good but the plays were always better, and I stopped paying to his movies after Madea goes to jail that movie was just too much it took to long for the story to come together, bad acting by Rudy, the scene when it took Derek Luke forever for his two tears to drop Smh. Also Meet the Browns omg the movie was a combination of TWO plays and it confused the mess out of me. I did somewhat enjoy Good Deeds. Although I’ll miss Tylers plays I will not miss his movies that are based on his plays.

  • Shonda Johnson

    In my personal opinion,Tyler Perry movies or screen plays are NOT funny. I don’t see the hype on him or his work.

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100003727282938 Wee Bey Brice

    cause he’s a horrible filmmaker……

    • Vee Mack

      Yep so horrible now he is a millionaire. So horrible that he puts lots of black actors and actresses to work. So horrible he has Oprah on speed dial. And we all know Oprah loves to promote horrible films. A black man making it in hollywood in his 30′s at the time all because he makes horrible films and plays. Imagine that.

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