Weird Flex Tyler, But Okay.
Who doesn't enjoy a good flex? Personally, I looooooove to hit 'em with the flex so they'll be begging for some more. Stunting, in any form, is an art, and it is one that requires skill and discipline (see: The Carters' "Apeshit" video). A good flex is subtle flash of wealth, power, or status that is usually received by the masses with awe or wonder. It's a way to show that you're making money moves without actually stating it. While a flex can be overt, it should be done in a nonchalant way as to convey that this move is nothing more than business as usual. The action should speak for itself; rarely are words necessary. Why am I bringing this up? Because Tyler Perry just hit the streets with a weird ass flex that was really nothing more than a self drag.
Earlier this week, Tyler posted a video on Instagram showcasing all of the television scripts that he's written by himself. No writers' room. No consultants. I-N-D-E-P-E-N-D-E-N-T, do you know what that means? He thought he was flexing on us hoes, as he boasted about his hard work ethic. I saw somebody bragging about some shit that they should've kept to themselves. Let's be real: Tyler Perry's writing has gone downhill, and it's been there for a while.
Over the years, it's become apparent to myself, and others, that there are certain themes in Tyler Perry's movies that have been consistently reappearing. The most common one involves the continued subjugation of black woman. In Diary of a Mad Black Woman, it was an angry black woman who was thrown out of her own home with nothing more than the evening gown on her back by a husband that no longer wanted her. In Acrimony, (yes I watched that bullshit, but I didn't pay for it), it's a bitter black woman who seeks revenge after her piece of shit ex-husband comes into some money...and no longer wants her. In Why Did I Get Married?, a bunch of angry black women deal with issues within their own marriage, but one in particular is being emotionally and mentally abused by her husband...who no longer wants her. Do you see what I'm talking about here? And did I mention that all of the three husbands in the examples above left their brown/dark skinned wives for a light skinned (potentially mixed race) woman?
Nobody knows how she got on this damn boat, let alone where the gun came from…
So, you can imagine my surprise when I watched Tyler's video and saw his subsequent doubling down in another Instagram post. Sir, do you really think that you're doing something here? While Tyler seems himself as a "strong work ethic", I see him as a gatekeeper with serious control issues. Why is there no one else in the writers' room? We preach about the importance of diversity in Hollywood and making sure that Black people have a seat at the table, but it's clear that Tyler doesn't believe the same. Why not open that writers' room to young, talented screenwriters of color who are looking for opportunities to earn the writing credits necessary to work in this industry? Just because no one gave him an opportunity at the beginning of his career and he had to start from scratch does not mean that is has to be like that for everyone. Let's keep it real. Tyler needs more people in that room.
Have you seen Acrimony? I have, and let me tell you, I would have pissed as hell if I had paid actual money to go see it. Nothing in that movie makes sense. There are so many plot holes that I couldn't suspend my belief far enough to enjoy it. How did Taraji get on that boat will go down in history as one of Black America's biggest unsolved mysteries right along with "Is Tupac still alive?" and "Who was in the car with Terrence J?" As I watched that movie, I kept thinking to myself, "How did no one catch this problem? Or that problem?" and now I know why.
As a black woman, I fully understand that I can only write so much about a black man's experience in this world. Why? Because I am not a black man, and I do not have his lived experiences. How does Tyler not understand the same? He loves to write about black women's experiences, but it's clear that he doesn't understand that he can write as much as he wants, he'll never fully be able to connect with black women without an actual black woman writing it. Period. It's why no one but my mother, my aunts, and the Women's Ministry at the local church rushes to the Box Office to see his productions. It's the reason why shows such as The Have & The Have Nots and The Oval don't have the same cult following as shows like Scandal or even Greenleaf.
Tyler Perry’s The Oval…no comment
Tyler, relinquish some control and create a space for other screenwriters in your fancy ass writers' room. Collaboration with others in your scripts will create fresh perspectives that can only serve to enhance your writing. It's a new year and the beginning of a new decade, which means that it's the perfect time to try new things. Learn from this mistake and your subsequent dragging by Black Twitter. Open up the writers' room, and see how much you learn and grow as a writer. I promise you won't regret it.
