Media multihyphenate Tyler Perry had some choice words for the “highbrow negro” critiquing his latest project, Divorce In The Black, starring Meghan Good and Cory Hardrict.
During Tyler’s recent appearance on Keke Palmer’s wildly successful podcast, Baby, This Is Keke Palmer, on July 23, the director defended his personal storytelling style.
Explaining to Keke as she expressed that “you can’t win” with Black people when films are dramatic, comedies or any other genre and keep your “authentic voice,” Tyler refuted, “No, no, no, no, no, you gotta drown all of that out, because if you let somebody talk you out of a place that God has put you in, you are going to find yourself in hell,” he asserted. “I know for a fact that what I’m doing is exactly what I’m supposed to be doing because, for everyone who is a critic, I have thousands of — what used to be — emails from people saying, ‘This changed my life. Oh my God, you know me. Oh my God, you saw me. How did you know this about my life and my family?’ That is what is important to me.”
Tyler maintained his resolve in his disdain for uppity niggas talking wildly about his work, and while high fallutin’ niggas turn their noses up at regular people’s shit, Black folks are just trying to survive and be happy.
“A large portion of my fans are disenfranchised, who cannot get in the Volvo and go to therapy on the weekend. So, you’ve got this highbrow negro who is all up in the air with his nose up looking at everything, then you got people like where I come from, and me, who are grinders, who really know what it’s like. Whose mothers were caregivers for white kids and were maids, housekeepers…beauticians. Don’t discount these people and say their stories don’t matter. Who are you to be able to say which Black story is important or should be told? Get out of here with that bullshit.”
Keke responded, “Like you said, it does reflect more about you, and I don’t know if you got a chance to see the musical, A Strange Loop, but it came back to. Because there was criticism of that show as well,” she concluded saying that the director of that show had the same full-circle revelation Tyler had.
The director of Diary Of A Mad Black Woman also credited his “discipline” for his success.
“Divorce In The Black” Reception
His latest film, Divorce In The Black, has received crazy backlash, evidenced by its 0% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Despite the harsh reviews, Tyler didn’t give a damn.
Tyler’s conversation with the Baby, This Is Keke Palmer host highlights his fixity of purpose in the face of criticism. By staying true to his authentic voice and continuing to create opportunities for Black actors, Tyler remains a significant and influential figure in the film industry, whether you highbrow negros like it or not.
Divorce In The Black is now playing on Amazon Prime.
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