TheLoop21.com

By: Nsenga Burton, Ph.D. (Add to your loop)
Thu, 09/24/2009 - 18:43

Film Mogul and Madea Alter Ego Tyler Perry.

In Charles Burnett’s classic film Killer of Sheep (1977), the mother in the film played brilliantly by Kaycee Moore, scolds her son for calling her “Ma Dear” because it sounds “country and back woods.” Shot in black and white, Burnett’s cinematic masterpiece takes place in Watts and highlights the class division that is rearing its ugly head in contemporary debates about the character of Madea, found in Tyler Perry’s plays and films.

African Americans have a love/hate relationship with Madea -- the gun-toting, trash talking, frumpy old lady who demands respect at all costs.  Film mogul Perry plays the character of Madea, who spews venom and homespun wisdom simultaneously. A film scene that can have one falling out laughing is the same scene that will have someone else clutching her pearls. This varied response to the character of Madea highlights class conflicts that viewer’s experience when interacting with this character.

To some she is hilarious and on point; to others, she is yet another example of the degradation of Black women by continuing to perpetuate the stereotype of the Mammy. Some argue that she’s not a Mammy figure, but I would argue that she is a neo-form of a Mammy – possesses all of the characteristics of the Mammy figure (heavy set, asexual, cantankerous, protector of the home) with a psychological twist (free thinking, influential, strategic thinker).

What’s most interesting about this character is the ire directed at Madea and not at Perry, who is making millions by continuing to produce films starring Madea.  Yes, another Black man playing a fat, Black woman is making more money than any fat, Black woman has made playing a fat, Black woman, save Oprah Winfrey’s turn as Sophia in The Color Purple (1985). Perry has used the character of Madea to turn himself into a household name, stacking millions in the process.

So, love her or hate her, the character of Madea is here to stay if for no other reason than it has been proven over and over again that movies featuring Madea like characters, succeed. Gone with the Wind (1939) - $198,655,278; The Nutty Professor (1996) - $128,769,345; Nutty Professor II The Klumps (2000) - $123,307,945; Big Momma’s House (2000) - $117,559,438; and yes, even Bringing Down the House (2003), which grossed $133,000,000. This is just in the United States, and we won’t even mention television.

People forget that Hollywood is an industry that is invested in perpetuating stereotypes of all groups. Why? Stereotypes are a type of cultural short-hand that allow people to connect with a character, having never met anyone who remotely resembles said character.  That doesn't make it right - it just is what it is. Ironically, I think that Madea evokes so much controversy in our community, because we know “Ma Dear.”  Madea is the unsanitized version and that’s a hard pill for many of us to swallow.

Just like the son in Burnett’s film knows “Ma Dear,” when he sees her; the mother is mad because in that moment her son exposes her for who she is – a woman pretending to be further removed from the farm than she thinks.  The Black family in this film is living an extremely impoverished life in Watts, but still in the mother’s mind it is better – she is better than the “Ma Dear” back on the farm. Is that what's happening in theatres now?

Do people hate Madea because she strikes so close to home or because she doesn’t represent anything that they think an older Black woman should be? Like it or not, class determines whether you see someone as "Ma Dear" or "Mother."

Class conflicts in film and television are nothing new. Ask any African American over the age of 50 what he or she thinks about The Amos n’ Andy Show (1951), and you’ll get a range of responses.  Some love it while others hate it. It depends on how far away from the farm they are removed.

It will be interesting to see how Black folks respond to Precious: Based on the Novel Push by Sapphire (2009), which is produced by surprise, surprise -- Perry and Winfrey. The film stars two heavyset Black women, Mo’ Nique and newcomer Gabourey “Gabby” Sibide,  and the subject matter of poverty, abuse and pregnancy in what is being described as an Oscar worthy film. The character of Madea is not in this film, but will Madea find her way into these characters? Afterall, Madea's Family Reunion (2006) grossed $63,231,524, Madea Goes to Jail (2009) grossed $90,485,233 and Meet the Browns (2008) grossed $41,939,392. I Can Do Bad All By Myself (2009) has already grossed $37,749,545 and it has been out for less than two weeks.

Like it or not, the Madea mystique is here to stay.

This is the first article in a series on filmmaker Tyler Perry.  Up Next, “Tyler Perry: All that Glitters Ain't Gold”.  Nsenga K. Burton, Ph.D. is managing editor of The Loop21.com. She also serves as cultural critic for Creative Loafing and writes the Pop Cultural blog, Tune N. She is an Assistant Professor of Communication and Media Studies at Goucher College.
 

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