Friday, March 10, 2006

Is Tyler Perry Gay?

In an article featured in the Pacific News Service, a commentator asserts that black audiences seem to flock to movies like Medea, which stars a man wearing drag, but seem to run from the real-life representation of gay or transgendered individuals.

The author continues, that RuPaul was a cross dresser who reached international acclaim but mainly from white audiences. Also, RuPaul was openly gay - a factor this author thinks prohibited RuPaul's success from trickling over to the black community.

Madea is a man dressed as a female, plain and simple. No matter how many feel-good religious messages Tyler Perry feeds his audiences, black Christians are embracing cross dressing as a form of entertainment. Which is not problematic, except for the fact that black Christians are known for their homophobic views toward anything remotely gay.

But what if Tyler Perry were gay? Would Madea continue to be as popular among black churchgoers? Probably not. At least with his assumed heterosexuality, Christians can rest at ease that they are not supporting anything gay because it is, after all, just a role.

RuPaul, while a great performer, was openly gay and therefore never found the widespread acceptance and fame that Madea has.


What do you think?

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

...RuPaul was not a movie director....

Anonymous said...

so what if Tyler Perry is gay, he's human and it's his life and it's not my place or anyone's to judge he for is lifesyle. it's for GOD to do not man's, he has made a good life for himself and he pit's positive things in the films and programs that he makes. i lke him, i am not looking at his lifesyle...keave him alone, love, don't hate. the man snd his work is GOOD, you can't deny that fact.