The Untold Truth Of Spike Lee

Spike Lee's not known for biting his tongue because he's usually too busy making biting remarks. In 2011, he turned his fangs on Tyler Perry, the mind behind the Madea series. Per NPR, Lee characterized a lot of current black films, Perry's work included, as "coonery and buffoonery." "I know it's making a lot of money and breaking records," he continued, "But we can do better." A pissed-off Perry said (hopefully in the Madea voice) that Lee "can go straight to hell."

Clearly, this is a sensitive issue. Anyone familiar with the mammy caricature knows that black women have historically been derisively depicted as "obese, coarse, maternal figure[s]." Perry's Madea character arguably echoes that pattern. Others besides Lee have also taken issue with the character, with one author calling Perry "the KFC of black cinema." But those kinds of soundbite-worthy jabs may be overlooking something important about Madea and what she represents.

As MSNBC contributor Goldie Taylor noted, Perry's Madea character isn't just played for laughs. She appears in films that feature domestic abuse, incest, and financial struggles. The fact that Madea, a character you might not take seriously, is the hero in these serious situations is arguably subversive in an empowering way. Besides, as Spike Lee once wrote, "For any artist, it would be emasculating to let others dictate his or her work."

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