Tyler Perry, responding to Spike Lee’s critique, to be profiled on ‘60 Minutes’ this Sunday
Atlanta's Tyler Perry responds to attacks by Morehouse grad Spike Lee about Perry's TV sitcoms in an interview with "60 Minutes" this Sunday at 7 p.m. (Often, NFL football games go past 7 p.m. so the profile may run late.)
In an interview earlier this year, Lee attacked Perry’s two cable television sitcoms about black families, saying “I think there’s a lot of stuff out today that is coonery and buffoonery,” referring directly to Perry’s TBS programs “Meet the Browns” and “House of Payne.” “I’m scratching my head. We’ve got a black president. Are we going back?” asks Lee.Who's right? Tyler Perry or Spike Lee?
- Tyler Perry is the king! Get over it, Spike!
- Spike hit it on the mark!
Says Perry, “You know, that pisses me off. It really does. Because it’s so insulting. It’s attitudes like that that make Hollywood think that these people do not exist and that’s why there’s no material speaking to them,” he tells Pitts. “I would love to read that to my fan base.”
It’s been a debate among Perry fans and foes for the past couple of years. Do his shows affirm God, love, faith and forgiveness or simply perpetuate stereotypes. (Or both?) And then there’s a more mundane debate: are the shows actually funny?
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.
