Madea-Man and the Impatience of Exhaling

¿Is Tyler Perry becoming what Terri McMillan was in the 90's, a trendy, in-the-moment, fleeting manifestation of superficial pseudo-intelligent Black middle class expression that has a limited shelf life of relevance or is he here to stay?

Well, i'll say this: i've never been fond of his ... "art" (for lack of a much better word) but it's not hard to see that Madea-man is a hard-worker with a good business head (but, then again, so are the Wal-Mart Waltons and Viacom Sumner Redstones and the McDonald's and the other purveyors of high-volume goods and services of the low-brow variety).

To successfully transition from the chit'lin circuit of latter day vaudeville to the silver screen and a syndicated television show less than a decade into it is a rare achievement ¿but at what cost?

¿Does shuckin' and jivin' one's way into commercial success equate with dignified and lasting achievement upon which an entire community with a continuing history of historical and cultural and social trauma can grow?In other words, it is not hard to figure out that very soon TPerry will eclipse the success of TMcMillan (if he has not already done so) but ¿is that a good thing or a more dangerous one?

Tyler Perry finds himself at a point where is he fast arriving at a moment where he can put all of the chips of his commercial success on a horse of greater artistic relevance. Certainly it is a risk but ¿does he have the mettle, the acumen, the will, the desire, the vision, the courage to take it?

Hollywood, like any other exploiter will not put any dollars in anything artistic unless it has proven to be commercially successful - especially when the art is not "white enough." [reference Spike Lee]

But if one's art find an audience that shows its appreciation of said art with dollars on enough projects of that ilk, then Hollywood may come around. [reference Spike Lee again]

But what if one has already demonstrated to Hollywood that "art" is a word of little significance, little importance? Will Hollywood bother to see what the reformed artist, visionary wants to show?

Or will it be too late?

Ask William Parker and he'll tell you that James Baldwin has to come to the rescue....