So I just got back from seeing the new Tyler Perry Film, For Colored Girls… and I really enjoyed it- well, not the horror stories told in the film, but the narrative of the film. It was a well-told, well-depicted film with good acting and thorough character development for the fact that there were several main characters. The rising action in the film flowed naturally as viewers’ minds were stuck on the film (no one got up to use the restroom, get snacks, etc.). There were no cheesy lines and no fairy tale endings. It was just plane good!
But that’s on the surface, and not what I came here to talk about. Before I got to see the movie, I was bombarded with discussions of Tyler Perry and his dissemination of negative black stereotypes. Everywhere I turned (facebook, radio, book talks, daily conversations- all in one week), everyone had a comment on Tyler Perry and how the stereotypes depicted in his film are “damaging” to the black community. Despite my oppositional tone, I do agree that stereotypes are problematic. Depending on them has created some cultural conflicts that are lasting and harmful to society. Where I take issue with discussions of stereotype is that they dominate the discourse when it comes to films portraying social issues related to black people in America. In order to be fair and truthful, I have to admit that I heard many people say they were pleased with this film. That statement was generally made in comparison to Perry’s other film, Precious. Why does this film deserve comparison to Precious? Because people I talk to thought that Precious played solely on stereotypes while For Colored Girls used stereotypes, but at times countered those stereotypes with positive characteristics.
Stereotypes, stereotypes, stereotypes. Can’t get enough of those stereotypes!
Maybe it’s the fact that I’m caught up in the ivory tower, full of academic elites and folks who read a lot of cultural/ critical theory. This takes us away from practical conversations that we could be having about the films content. Both For Colored Girls and Precious contain social issues that are more than just stereotypes, but real and serious issues in black communities. With the portrayal of problems such as illiteracy, teenage pregnancy, poverty, violence, and sexual abuse, we could have meaningful conversations that seek to kill these issues rather than stereotype. I personally think that the aforementioned issues are more dangerous (directly) than stereotype threat. Darlene Clark Hine, who teaches African-American Studies at Northwestern University, talks about a “culture of dissemblance.” This means that people (in this case- and in the case illustrated by Hine- black people) don’t want to talk about their problems in front of others. Instead, we march on pretending as though we don’t have these problems just so we don’t have to address them in front of others because of the damages that would occur from admitting to having those problems.
Well my black brothas and sistas, our secret is out. Whether or not we choose to address it head-0n is up to us. It’s the difference between being in denial and facing reality. If we work towards resolving the issues, the stereotypes wouldn’t have as much power as they do. Stereotypes only have power because there is some truth behind them. Having conversations about sexual violence in our family (as an example, not an essentialized view of black American problems) would be more helpful to us breaking cycles of their occurrence. Our pride is keeping us down. We need to stop pointing the finger and start the dialogue that turns into direct action. Stop bashing Tyler Perry and his films solely on the basis of negative stereotyping. The man has power, but not as much as we’re projecting onto him. And of course if your sense of taste is different from his, you could always make your own film- one that might bring about meaningful conversations that would help elevate black folks.
