I finished up my summer job at Movie Gallery yesterday and one of the things I'm glad I'll never have to do again is listen to / watch that promo video we have to keep playing all day long. To be honest, this month's promo video was a lot better than last month's (no Welcome Home Roscoe Jenkins or Witless Protection this time around) but one of the things that I couldn't stand on this month's was the promos for Tyler Perry's movies.
That's right, somehow Perry managed to get not one but two of his movies on our latest new release promo video: Meet the Browns and Why Did I Get Married? The previews for the movies are pretty God awful in their own ways but that's not the reason for this article. The reason for this article is that Perry comes off as a self-obsessed prick in the promos.
For example, did you know that his name is mentioned four times in the Why Did I Get Married? promo? Four times, people (and if you don't believe me, you can watch the trailer below). What's the point of that that? Yeah, Tyler Perry was involved in this film, I get it. It's "Tyler Perry invites you..." and "Starring Tyler Perry..." and "Tyler Perry's Why Did I Get Married?" and "Written and Directed by Tyler Perry." Get over yourself, man. Seriously, what's so special about you?
No, seriously, some one please tell me, what is so special about Tyler Perry? Why are his films so successful / popular. No, I've never watched one but they are all trashed by critics and look terrible. The promo for Meet the Browns is all over the place in regards of focus and tone. One minute its about a mother trying to make it without any money and the next it's about Tyler Perry in drag as this Madea character in the middle of a police chase (in which it is painfully obvious that it was filmed in on a studio stage). Um, what? What is this movie trying to be? All his films look this way: they're about African Americans (mostly families or couples) trying to get through some negative situation where everything seems to work out in the most stereotypical and mawkish way while Perry is off being silly while dressed up in drag.
Really, I don't get it.
But that's besides the point. The point is that the guy puts his name over everything and has it mentioned a billion times in his trailers because he thinks he's some kind of big deal. Well, you know what, Tyler? You ain't nothing. The only other person I know that used to put his name above his films so prominently was John Carpenter and, as far as I'm concerned, he deserved it because his trademark style and direction was stamped all over his projects. Despite this, in a retrospective documentary on the Christine DVD, Carpenter admits to seeing his name above the film title on a big billboard in L.A. when the film was coming out and feeling disgusted at himself. He said that he felt like an arrogant prick and decided to never put his name above anything for the rest of this career.
Tyler Perry should take notes.
I know that it may seem insane that I'm basing all of this on some promos on a Movie Gallery new release reel (and since I've never seen any of the guy's movies) but, after hearing his name repeated a billion times in one day, I had to say something. His promos were starting to feel like some kind of brainwashing propaganda that I was being subjected to on a daily basis and if I didn't put my feelings into writing I would lose my mind.
So here's hoping for a future where I won't have to walk into a video store and hear "Tyler Perry wants you to see Tyler Perry act as Madea in Tyler Perry's [Insert Film Title Here]... a film that was written and directed by Tyler Perry... oh and Tyler Perry edited this promo as well."
3 comments:
any "man" that has to dress up like a woman just to get there career started is gay so therefore tyler perry equals the epitome of gayness thank you tyler perry for encouraging men with no acting career to dress up like a woman just to have one.... thanks for having no balls and thank you wesley for having balls to write this article!
I have never understood the Tyler Perry phenomenon. And now just the mention of his name alone is enough to sale tickets and DVD's. We are living in a sad time for cinema guys. And Thank you Daniel for making me laugh out loud.
I do not understand the Tyler Perry thing either, but I do understand why he has his name said so many times. I don't believe he does so because he is an arrogant prick, which he might be, but he does so because HE is the selling point for the film.
After "The Diary Of A Man Black Woman" came out people wanted more and he keeps putting out more and more crap, such as the aforementioned film. The thing is, these things don't always have Tyler Perry in drag so to let people know they just HAVE to see this movie he has his name said so many times that anyone who has heard it and put his name in good terms with a movie viewing experience will go and see the movie.
It's simple business, and it obviously works.
Post a Comment