Is Tyler Perry a Coon?

King Coon

The concept of coons and “cooning” has been an issue that I have tried to tackle for the past two years; first analyzing the possible motivations for someone who can be considered a coon and then assessing whether being a coon was exclusive to the black community.  This time, I would like to discuss what actions can lead to the accusation that one is “cooning” and there is no better place to start than with the current "World Coon Champion" – Tyler Perry.  Walk into most rooms and start bashing Tyler Perry and you’ll get a lot of head nods and possibly a round of applause.  He’s been the target of many - from comedic satire on “The Boondocks” to famed director, Spike Lee, telling Tyler that he can, “go to hell.”  In response to such harsh criticism, the question begs to be asked, “What did Tyler do so wrong?”

Let’s start from the beginning.  The story is well known so I’ll be brief:  Tyler Perry grew up in a low-income family with an abusive father (even legally changing his name to distance himself from his senior).  He admitted that as a child, he was a victim of sexual molestation. In the early 90’s he set out on his own to make a life for himself in the entertainment world.  Working with almost no money, it was said that Tyler was living out of his car while he tried to get his career off the ground.  The rest is history… people started to take notice, bought tickets and Tyler Perry built a multi-million dollar production company that puts on plays, television shows and movies.  In other words, Tyler Perry embodies the American dream.  The question still remains, “What did Tyler do so wrong?”

When most people need fodder for their attacks, they look no further than Madea, the wild, over-the-top matriarch that has become Tyler’s cross-dressing alter ego.  In many interviews, Tyler stated that he got the idea for Madea from one of his Aunts and claims that many people relate to her because there is someone like Madea in their family.  The character is absolutely ridiculous but is Tyler Perry the first man to dress as a woman in front of a camera?  Martin Lawrence and Jamie Foxx have dressed as women and not only are both considered legendary comedians, there’s actually a strong demand for the two to have a full-length movie starring “Wanda” and “Sheneneh”.  Chris Rock and Wesley Snipes have also done it.  In fact, there are too many examples of Hollywood actors being in touch with their feminine sides to count.  One of Robin Williams’ most famous characters was Mrs. Doubtfire and I don’t recall white people concerned that he was making them “look bad.”   Given this information, I ask again, “What did Tyler do so wrong?”

It has also been said that too many of Tyler Perry’s other characters represent negative stereotypes of black people and only perpetuates the lack of diversity seen in the mainstream.  It’s hard not to agree with that statement after seeing the lead character, Leroy Brown, of Meet the Browns at work.  But is Leroy Brown worse of a character than Smokey from Friday, Homey the Clown or JJ from Good Times? Is there a discernable difference between the four or is Leroy Brown only bad because Tyler Perry created him?  I don’t know why so many other black producers, directors and actors have been able to receive creative freedom yet Tyler Perry is the bane of our existence? What did Tyler do so wrong?

While you may not be a fan of Madea Goes to Jail, one thing is true, Tyler Perry is responsible for more black actresses and actors having jobs than any one individual in the last decade.  He managed to negotiate a historic television contract with TBS and has three original comedy programs on air at the same time.  If one of his productions doesn’t have an all black cast, it certainly has blacks filling all the lead roles.  Crazy characters aside, the majority of Perry’s plots involve a strong focus on religion and family – both values held incredibly high in the black community.  More significantly, Tyler has given jobs to black people behind the camera.  His production company, which is responsible for more than just his projects, has incredible diversity.  Bottom line is, if Tyler Perry goes away, a lot of hard working black people are going on the unemployment line.

This post is less about whether or not Tyler Perry is a coon, but more about why people adamantly feel that he is.  Based on the above arguments, not only is he a coon but just about every black comedian and actor is as well.  Perhaps Tyler rubbed intellectuals the wrong way with the gray wigs and stuffed bras?  Maybe he’s being looked at as a flash-in-the-pan gimmick that has overextended his 15-minutes of fame?  For the record, I can’t stand Tyler Perry’s work.  For every project that I enjoyed, there’s dozens of hours footage that I would only watch if I was being paid to.  However, just because I don’t like his work, it doesn’t mean that Tyler Perry is ignorantly or deliberately trying to destroy his race.  Calling someone a coon is a serious offense.  So approach with caution because if you don’t have a plausible reason to call someone a coon, there is a good chance you have your own title – hater.