LA Times: Turner tries to smooth things over with Tyler Perry over ‘Boondocks’ parody
July 1, 2010, by
Although
Tyler Perry
has not said a word publicly, insiders are saying he was might upset by the “Boondocks” parody of him that aired June 20 on Turner Entertainment’s Adult Swim network. Making it more awkward: he works closely with TBS on “Tyler Perry’s House of Payne” and “Meet the Browns.”
Aaron McGruder, the creator of the "Boondocks," created a thinly disguised Perry-like character named Winston Jerome (apparently, the original name was too close to Perry so execs insisted he change it.) In the episode, Jerome, who dresses up like Madea in his plays, used religion to cover up the fact he is gay.
The Los Angeles Times, using unnamed sources, got some inside scoop on Perry's reaction:
Soon after the episode aired, Perry got in touch with executives at Turner including entertainment chief Steve Koonin and Phil Kent, the chief executive of Turner Broadcasting. Perry complained loudly about the episode and even threatened to rethink his relationship with the company, people familiar with the situation said. A spokesman for Perry declined to comment.
Ken Sunshine, a Perry spokesman, declined to me, too.
Tim DeClaire, a spokemsan for Adult Swim, declined comment as well about whether the network plans to air that "Boondocks" again.
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About the Author
Rodney Ho writes about entertainment for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution including TV, radio, film, comedy and all things in between. A native New Yorker, he has covered education at The Virginian-Pilot, small business for The Wall Street Journal and a host of beats at the AJC over 20-plus years. He loves tennis, pop culture & seeing live events.
