Tuesday, November 9, 2010

Black dysfunction porn

Dysfunction Pimp?


So there's a lot of talk about Tyler Perry's latest film, "For Colored Girls". I haven't seen it nor do I plan to. Truth is I've never seen a TP film. I'm just not into Black dysfunction porn. That's what all of his films are about, aren't they, Black dysfunction.

I'm a believer in self-fulfilling prophecies. And I think all of these images of Black dysfunction serve to brainwash many of us into believing that dysfunction is not only normal but the norm in Black lives moreso than for other people. And once we begin to believe this then it's easy to internalize and act out the dysfunction we see portrayed in the media.

So rather than art imitating life, life begins to imitate art.


18 comments:

BigmacInPittsburgh said...

Amen! I'M NOT A FAN AND AVOID HIS MOVIES AT ALL COST.

JStar said...

I like TP...Just because there is always a meaning behind the foolishness...I just look deeper into than the stereotypical views....

Kingsmomma said...

I agree his movies just really aren't that good. The themes are redundant and the action is predictable. I do appreciate the background story and even if I hate his films he truly is the only person employing actresses I enjoy seeing. I think his raw talent took him far but his resistance to growth and maturation keep him pigeon holed. I really wish he'd use his influence to help other filmmakers of color tell their story.

Moanerplicity said...

Interesting terminology, Val. I never quite saw it that way before.

The old showbiz addage for success used to be "you gotta have a gimmick." T.P clearly has found his. And be damned if it continues to promote black stereotypes, or fosters the further demonization of black males in this country! His 'gimmick' has granted him untold riches & his own studio, to boot!

One can hope that he'll soon buck the traditional same ole same ole, & use his powers for the GOOD!

One.

jae october said...

Tyler Perry's movies do reinforce stereotypes and he has built his career pandering to black women's insecurities but those characters in his films are reflections of real people.

There are a contingent of people that get answers and healing from Tyler Perry's films and that is who I think his movies are for. People see themselves reflected on screen, the good, bad, the humorous and the ridiculous.

The men characterized in his films (the insecure, villianous ones) aren't a reflection of me or any of my friends but unfortunately those brothers exist in the real world.

Black Dysfunction Porn is a cool title but before there is a cure, there has to be an examination to determine what the problem is. After seeing Tyler Perry's interview on Oprah there is some dark stuff going on in the recesses of his psyche having been abused the way that he has and I think he is working through his issues in his work.

I am not a fan of Tyler Perry movies, although I enjoyed For Colored Girls, not becauase those familiar themes weren't current but because it was an artistic leap for him, but one thing I've noticed about his movies is that they always have an happy ending and I think Tyler is just searching for his happy ending.

Also, when positive black films are released most of them fail at the box office. Why is that?

I hear some of us complaining about how we are portrayed on screen but when a positive film is realeased *crickets*

? said...

I really dislike his portrayals of black women. Nor do I dig his dressing up like a "mad black woman." We definitely don't need any more of that crap.

Reggie said...

Amen!!!

I'd much rather watch real porn to the shit he actually makes.

I am forever perplexed why people of color continue to go see his films. Given many of the disturbing stereotypical characters I've seen in his films (what little of it I could watch), you'd think he hated us.

Penny Wize said...

Tell us how you really feel, Val!

Hollywood says he's the shiznit; I tend to disagree. Maybe his movies are therapeutic for him, I don't know. I'd like to see him do something uplifting for a change, but that may not be as profitable for him.

Val said...

@BigMac

Same here.

Val said...

@JStar

It's really difficult for me to look past the stereotypes.

Val said...

@Kingsmomma

"I think his raw talent took him far but his resistance to growth and maturation keep him pigeon holed."

I agree.

Val said...

@Lin

Yep, he has a gimmick. It's too bad that gimmick is so destructive.

Val said...

@Jason

I def think he (and Oprah) have some serious issues which they take out on Black people.

Val said...

@?

I agree with you. We don't need Medea not Norbit's Rasputia or Martin Lawrence's Big Mama.

Val said...

@Reggie

I do think he hates Black people. How else could one make such films.

Val said...

@Penny Wize

I think his films are more vengeance than therapy. He def has some serious problems so hopefully he'll get therapy so he can leave us alone.

Don said...

Man.

Jason broke it down in a way where it will remain forever broken.

I love how Tyler Perry's FCG has created much discussion over the past few days. I was fortunate to watch the film before it opened in theaters & I expressed how it wasn't clear, and many attacked me. Lol.

I feel somewhat vindicated. Although as Jason said, it's a decent film with pretty good acting performances.

Better than anything Tyler Perry has done, beforehand.

Val said...

@Don

I'm pretty sure TP will continue with Madea and films like that, unfortunately.

Buy Life!

Buy Life!
click on Alicia for info

Check out some of my other posts below

Related Posts with Thumbnails

Val's Library

1963 (1) 1982 (1) 1984 (1) 2011 (2) 2012 Election (3) 50 cent (1) 52nd Street (1) 60 Minutes (1) 900 Number (1) 944 Magazine (1) A Verse by Val (2) Aaliyah (3) Abbey Lincoln (1) ABC (6) Actresses I'd like to see work more (1) Adina Howard (1) Adrian Fenty (1) Africa (1) African American Family (1) African Americans (7) Al Di Meola (1) Al Green (1) Alicia Keys (21) Aliens (1) Allergic To Vanilla (2) Aloyisus Leon Higginbotham (1) Alpha Kappa Alpha (1) Amazon.com (1) Amazulu Montego Bay (1) Amber Rose (1) America's Next Top Model (1) American Slavery (1) American War in Iraq (1) Amour-propre (1) Amy Winehouse (2) Andy Garcia (1) Angela Bofill (1) Angela Davis (1) Angela Simmons (2) Anika Noni Rose (1) Apple (1) Archie panjabi (1) Archie punjabi (1) Arizona (1) Arrested Development (1) Art Deco (1) Arundhati Roy (1) Ashton Purvis (1) Atlanta (4) Awards (1) Ayaan and Idyl Mohallim (1) Barack Obama (13) BART (1) Baseball (2) BBC Radio (1) Beautifulness (1) Ben Franklin (1) Bethany Storro (1) Beverly Peele (1) Beyoncé (3) Bill Withers (1) Billie Holiday (1) Birthdays (11) Births (1) Bishop Eddie Long (1) Black Ball (1) Black Farmers (1) Black History Month (5) Black Men (4) Black Panther Party (3) Black Women (25) Blair Underwood (1) Blanka Vlašić (1) Blogger (1) Blogs (4) Blu Cantrell (1) Bobby Womack (1) Bolero (1) bombs over baghdad (1) Boo Berry (1) Books (1) Boris Kdjoe (1) Bosnia (1) Boycott (1) Boycott Target (1) BP (2) Brandy (1) Breaking News (1) Brick (1) British Petroleum (4) Brittney Griner (1) Brownstone (1) Buffalo Stance (1) Burqa (1) Bust Magazine (1) California (3) Canada (2) Cape Cod (1) Carl's Jr (1) Carmen De Lavallade (1) Carolina Chocolate Drops (1) Cassie Ventura (1) Catholicism (1) CBS (6) Cell Phones (1) Cessna Citation X (1) Chad (1) Change (2) Charlayne Hunter-Gault (1) Charles Rangel (1) Chicago (3) Chill Rob G (1) Christianity (1) Christine Beatty (4) Chubb Rock (1) Chuckii Booker (1) Cinco de Mayo (1) Civil Rights Movement (1) Coke (1) Colonel Abrams (1) Colts (1) Columbus Day (1) Comedy (1) Common Sense Val (1) Complex Magazine (1) Concert (1) Congo (1) Constance Jablonski (1) Corinne Bailey Rae (1) Corporate America (1) Countermeasures (1) Crazy but true (1) Crime (1) Crystal Waters (1) Curtis Mayfield (2) Curvy Gurl (1) Darfur (1) Daylight Savings Time (1) Dazz (1) De La Soul (1) DEA (1) Death Penalty (1) Debbi Morgan (1) Debbie Dunn (1) Democrats (1) Denise Williams (1) Deon Estus (1) Depression (1) Desertflower (1) Desirée Rogers (3) Detroit (5) Disco (1) Dolly Freed (1) Dominique Reighard (1) Don't Stop The Music (1) Donell Jones (1) Donna Summer (1) Dorothy Dandridge (1) DRC (1) Earthquake (2) Ebonics (1) Ebony (2) Ed Lover (1) Education (1) Edwidge Danticat (1) El-Hajj Malik El-Shabazz (2) Elaine Brown (1) Ella Thomas (1) Elle (1) Eminem (1) England (1) Erykah Badu (1) Espana (1) Esperanza Spalding (1) Essence (2) Ethel Waters (1) Facebook (4) Fame (1) Famous People (1) Fashion (4) Fatima Siad (1) Favorite Models Series (8) Favorite music videos of all-time (1) Favorite stuff (1) Film (5) Five Star (1) Flashback Friday (45) Floetry (1) Food (5) Football (1) Fox Cough News (1) Foxy - Get Off (1) France (1) Freegan (1) Frida Kahlo (1) Friday Quote (1) Friday Quotes (1) Fugees (1) Further/ Farther (1) G20 (1) Gabourey Sidibe (2) Gary Coleman (1) General Stanley A. McChrystal (1) Genocide (1) George Benson (1) George Orwell (1) Georgia O'Keeffe (1) Ghetto Boys (1) Glow of Love (3) Good Morning America (1) GOTAN PROJECT - TANGO 3.0 - Peligro (1) Gotham Magazine (1) Grammy Awards (1) Grape (1) Gregory Porter (1) Groove Theory (1) Gulf of Mexico (8) Gypsy Woman (1) Haiti (17) Halle Berry (2) Hardee's (1) Harold Dow (1) Harriet Tubman (1) Harvard (1) HBCU (1) Higginbotham (1) Hillary Clinton (1) Hinduism (1) Hip Hop (1) History (1) Holiday (5) Holidays (1) Holly Robinson Peete (1) Hoosegow (1) Howard University (1) Hurricane Katrina (1) I Can't Wait (1) Idiot Rappers (1) If You're Girl Only Knew (1) India (1) iPad (2) Iran (1) Ireland (1) Irene Cara (1) Islam (2) Islamophobia (2) Isley Brothers (1) J. Cole (1) Jade (1) James "D Train" Williams (1) James Baldwin (1) Janelle Monáe (1) Japan (1) Jasmin Guy (1) Jason (1) Jay z (1) Jazz (2) Jean-Michel Basquiat (1) Jennifer Lopez. Halle Berry. (1) Jermaine Jackson (1) Jermaine Stewart (1) Jesse Jackson junior Harold Ford junior (1) Jessica Ennis (1) Jesus Christ (1) Jet Magazine (4) Jimmy Smits (1) Jodeci (1) Jody Watley (2) Joe Public (1) John Coltrane (2) Jonathan Butler (1) Jr. (1) Juan Williams (1) Judy Marte (1) Julianna Margulies (1) July 4th (1) Jurnee Smollett (1) Just a Laugh (1) Just a thought (1) K'naan (1) Kama (1) Kamala Harris (3) Karyn White (1) Kelis (1) Kelly Rowland (1) Keri Hilson (3) Kerry Washington (1) Kindle (1) King Pleasure (1) Kool and The Gang (1) KPFA (1) Kwamé (1) Kwame Kilpatrick (1) Lady Gaga (1) Lady T (1) LAPD (1) Las Vegas (1) Latice Sutton (1) Lauryn Hill (1) Lauryne Hill (1) LaVena Johnson (1) Lee Morgan (1) Left Eye (1) Lena Horne (1) Lenny Kravitz (2) Lesbian (1) Letterman Show (1) LGBT (2) LGBT Rights (1) Liam (1) Life and Style Magazine (1) Lil' Wayne (1) Lin A Woman (1) Lindsey Lohan (1) Lisa Bonet (1) Lisa Jackson (1) Lisa Lopes (1) Lisa Stansfield (1) Liya Kebede (2) Lolo Jones (3) Los Angeles (2) Love (3) Luther Vandross (3) Magazines (13) Malcolm X (1) Malcolm-Jamal Warner (1) Malia Obama (1) Malika Saada Saar (1) Manic Monday Music (1) Manu Dibango (1) Mariah Carey (2) Marion Jones (1) Marriage (1) Marshall Mathers (1) Martha Reeves (1) Martin Luther King (1) Marva Whitney (1) Massachusetts (1) Maxine Waters (1) Maxwell (1) MC Solaar (1) McDonald's Restaurants (1) McGhee sextuplets (1) Media (20) Medicine for Melancholy (2) Mel and Kim (1) Mellow Wednesday (1) Memphis (1) Mental Illness (1) Meryl Streep (1) Mes Deux Cents (1) Meseret Defar (1) Mexico (1) Mi Corazón (1) Michael Boatman (1) Michael Jackson (1) michelle Obama (2) Middle class (1) Miguel Jontel (1) Mireille Durocher Bertin (1) misogynists (1) Miss America 2010 (1) Miss Black USA (1) Miss Haiti 2010 (1) Miss Universe (1) Miss USA (1) Missing Person (3) MIT (1) Mitrice Richardson (5) Mizrepresent (1) MLK (1) Models (3) Money (1) More Than A Woman (1) Mos Def (1) Mother's Day (1) Music (10) Music for a Tuesday (1) Music Video (5) Mya (1) Natalie Stewart (1) NBC (7) Nellie (1) Nelson Mandela (1) Neneh Cherry (1) New Jersey (1) New Orleans (2) New York City (5) New York Series (1) Newark (1) News (18) NFL (1) Nice Shoes (1) Nicki Minaj (6) Niqab (1) No Wedding No Womb (1) Noémie Lenoir (1) Noisettes (1) Nothern California (1) NPR (1) Nu Shooz (1) Numero Magazine (1) NYC (5) Obama (9) Obscure Heroes (1) Octavius Catto (1) Of Monreal (1) Off the beaten path (1) Oil Spill (2) Oil Spll (3) Olympics (2) Omar al-Bashir (1) One In A Million (1) Opinion (16) Oprah (4) Osas Ighodaro (1) Oscar Grant (1) Otis Mathis (1) OutKast (1) Ownlee Eue (1) Pacifica Radio (1) Pam Grier (1) Paris Vogue (1) PBS (4) Pebbles (1) Penny Wize (1) Petroleum (1) Photo (6) Photo de Jour (23) Phyllis Hyman (3) Pink (1) Pink Friday (1) Plutocracy (1) Police Brutality (1) Politics (32) Poor (1) Possum Living (1) Poverty (1) Prince (2) Private Jet (1) Prop. 8 (1) Prophet Muhammad (1) Public Schools (1) Punk Rap (1) Punk Rock (1) Queen Latifah (2) Question de Jour (5) R and B (1) Race (1) Radio (1) Random Sunday (1) Rant (1) Rape (1) Ravel (1) Rebbie Jacson (1) Religion (2) Republicans (5) Reverend Jesse Jackson (1) Reverend Jesse Jacson (1) Rich (1) Right On Magazine (1) Rihanna (1) Rima Fakih (1) Rosa Parks (1) Rose Cordero (1) Run DMC (1) Rwanda (1) Saddam Hussein (1) Sade (17) Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtian (1) Sam Cooke (2) Same-gender marriage (1) San Francisco Bay Area (3) San Francisco Giants (1) Sarah Palin (1) Sarodj Bertin (1) Sasha Obama (1) Saturday Flashback (2) Saturday Funk (6) Saudi Arabia (1) School Daze (1) Seattle (1) Selita Ebanks (1) Serena Williams (1) Shalamar (1) Shari Headley (3) Sharon Brown (1) Sharone Simpson (1) Sheila E (1) Sheila Escovedo (1) Shoes (1) Sidewinder (1) Sinbad (1) Singers (1) Skin (1) Snap (1) Solange (2) Somalia (1) Sophie Okonedo (1) Soul Makossa (1) SoulSonic Force (1) South Africa (1) Space (1) Spain (1) Spelman College (1) Spike Lee (1) Sports (9) Spring (1) Stacey Dash (1) Stacyann Chin (1) Stereotypes (1) Stuff (30) Sudan (1) Suleka Mathew (1) Summer music (1) Sunday Music (3) Superbowl (1) Supreme Court (1) Surface (1) T Pain (1) Tamara Taylor (1) Tammi Terrell (1) Taral Hicks (1) Tea Party (1) Technology (1) Teddy Pendergrass (1) Teena Marie (1) Tell Me (1) Teresa Gueyser (1) Tevin Campbell (2) Texas Rangers (1) Thanksgiving (1) The Academy Awards (1) The Boondocks (1) The Bronx (1) The Good Girls (1) The Good Wife (1) The Power (1) The Simple Life (1) The Stoning of Soraya M. (1) The Sunday Report (2) The Twin Towers (1) The U.S. Outdoor Track and Field Championships (1) The United Nations (3) Then and Now (4) This Masquerade (1) Thursday Music (2) Tiger Woods (1) Tisha Campbell (1) Tje Jimmy Fallon Show (1) Today Show (2) Toronto (1) Toshiba Electronics (1) Tracee Ellis Ross (1) Tracey Heggins (3) Track and Field (8) Trains (1) Travel (2) Travis Barker (1) Treat'em Right (1) Trial (1) Trina McGee-Davis (1) Trudie Hall (1) Try Again (1) Tuck and Patti (1) TV (12) TV Theme Songs (1) Twitter quote (1) Two4er Tuesday (8) Tyler Perry (3) Tyson Gay (1) U.K (1) U.S Oil Companies (1) UN Peace Keepers (1) Unemployment (1) United States (1) Usain Bolt (1) Vacation (1) Val Recommends (4) Val's Links (1) Val's week in review (1) Valentine's Day (1) Vanessa Williams (2) Venus Williams (1) Verses by Val (2) Video de Jour (1) Violence (1) Virginia (1) Vogue (3) Vogue Italia (1) Wakeema Hollis (1) Wanda Jean Allen (1) War (3) Waris Dirie (1) Washington DC (2) Weather (1) Weddings (2) Weekend (2) White Women (1) Whodini (1) Will Smith (1) Willow Smith (1) WNBA (1) Woman (1) Women's History Month (4) Word de Jour (1) Word Play (3) World Cup (1) World Series (1) World Trade Center (1) WTF Files (13) Yarbrough and Peoples (1) Yasmin Warsame (1) Yo MTV Raps (1) YouTube (1) Zap Mama (1) Zoë Isabella Kravitz (3)

Soldier Of Love

I've lost the use of my heart
But I'm still alive
Still looking for the life
The endless pool on the other side
It's a wild wild west
I'm doing my best

I'm at the borderline of my faith,
I'm at the hinterland of my devotion
In the frontline of this battle of mine
But I'm still alive

I'm a soldier of love.
Every day and night
I'm soldier of love
All the days of my life

I've been torn up inside (oh!)
I've been left behind (oh!)
So I ride
I have the will to survive

In the wild wild west,
Trying my hardest
Doing my best
To stay alive

I am love's soldier!

I wait for the sound
(oooh oohhh)

I know that love will come (that love will come)
Turn it all around

I'm a soldier of love (soldier of love)
Every day and night
I'm a soldier of love
All the days of my life

I am lost
But I don't doubt (oh!)
So I ride
I have the will to survive

In the wild wild west,
Trying my hardest
Doing my best
To stay alive

I am love's soldier!

I wait for the sound

I know that love will come
I know that love will come
Turn it all around

I'm a soldier of love
I'm a soldier

Still waiting for love to come
Turn it all around
(4x)

I'm a soldier of love
I'm a soldier

Still waiting for love to come
Turn it all around
(3x)

Still waiting for love to come

Miss Keri Baby!

Tracee!

Solange!

Solange!
The only interesting Knowles

un·for·get·ta·ble: Earning a permanent place in the memory; memorable: an unforgettable experience.

Alicia says...

Rest in Peace Mitrice

Rest in Peace Mitrice
Mitrice Richardson