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Read other letters about this article
Chris Rock has said that when a Black man makes a lot of money doing anything it inevitably attracts criticism. I laughed and laughed, not quite believing it to be true. But there seems to be some truth to this. Even today, the "white father" needs to put his hand of approval on a Black person's work for it to be accepted; nevermind that the other hand goes into his pocket as well.
I love hunor, all kinds. I watch everything, from Mind of Mencia, to Dave Chapelle, to Chris Rock. I believe that humor can teach us a lot about each other, as long as we recognize caricatures for what they are, broad swaddling of humorous perspective around a kernel of truth.
Tyler Perry invests in caricatures, humorous extrapolation drawn from his own experiences, perspective, and environment. His audience knows this, which is why they are drawn to it. He does not talk down to them, or condescend, or say "this is the way we should be." He says "here's a little of how we are, what we wish we could do and say under these circumstances, and how we wish things would turn out."
Black people recognize that with all the criticism White people seem to lever at Tyler Perry's broad strokes on Black family dysfunction; White families' dysfunctions are no better, and no more valid.
Now if only the critics would get that.
