| Tyler Perry grew up very poor in New Orleans, | | | | movie having that effect on her. That play made a |
| Louisiana. Like many others who grew up poor, I am | | | | million dollars in just five months. From there, Tyler |
| sure he knows what it is like to have to use a | | | | Perry went on to write "Diary of a Mad Black |
| neighbor's hose to run a bath after the water got shut | | | | Woman", "Madea's Family Reunion" and "Meet the |
| off in the middle of the night or when the fridge breaks | | | | Browns" all sellout and all hit plays. |
| and the rented fridge has cockroaches. Unlike me | | | | Since Madea was the driving force behind much of his |
| however, Tyler Perry was abused mentally and | | | | early success, let's take a look back at the history of |
| physically. When I say abused, I am not talking about a | | | | famous Black actors in drag. There was Flip Wilson as |
| slap on the hand for hitting your sister; I'm talking about | | | | "Geraldine", Eddie Murphy in "The Nutty Professor" and |
| concussion type abuse. | | | | "Norbert", Martin Lawrence in "Big Mama's House", |
| Until about the age of 19, Tyler Perry blamed his lack | | | | Wesley Snipes in "Too Wong Foo", and of course you |
| of success on the abuse he suffered as a child. Then | | | | had Marlon and Shawn Wayans in "White Chicks". |
| one day he found himself at home watching an | | | | Now just think for a second is this all that different |
| episode of Oprah, that told depressed people to write | | | | from having us perform in black face? Yeah, I know |
| down their feelings on paper. Now I know, most guys | | | | many will say Whites do it too just look at John |
| are saying Tyler is really starting to sound suspect | | | | Travolta in "Hair Spray". My response to that is Whites |
| since he is at home watching Oprah and writing down | | | | also put on black face. |
| his feelings. Guys don't go out like that though...the | | | | Now since I am probably losing my Tyler Perry fans, |
| process really works. It wasn't easy, but his writings | | | | let me focus back on his achievements. All the before |
| became plays and the plays became movies. | | | | mentioned plays have become big movie hits making a |
| Tyler was 19 years old when he decided he had to | | | | combined seventy-five million dollars. Now one movie |
| leave Louisiana. While in Atlanta, he decided to put all | | | | and play I did not mention was "Why Did I Get |
| the money he had and even money he did not have | | | | Married". I saw the play and movie; I have to say I liked |
| into his first big play "I Know I've Been Changed." When | | | | the movie a whole lot more. That was probably |
| I say all, I do not mean all like if this thing does not work | | | | because I could only afford the cheap seats for the |
| I can get some money out of my 401K or all if this | | | | play and people kept getting up in front of me, so I did |
| does not work I can call my parents and they will wire | | | | not really get to appreciate it. |
| me some money, no I am talking about all like if this | | | | To wrap this up, Tyler Perry had shut down the |
| thing does not work I am homeless. Well, that is | | | | theater business with his record setting plays. Then he |
| exactly what happened. Only 30 people showed up to | | | | shut down the movie business with his record setting |
| his opening. He lost his twenty thousand dollar | | | | movie debut, so now he was ready to take on |
| investment and became homeless. | | | | television. You know there is an old boys network that |
| Now for one minute put yourself in Tyler Perry's | | | | says Black can star in roles, but they cannot produce, |
| shoes. You left your family in Louisiana to pursue your | | | | write and direct their own show. By now you know |
| dream of writing plays and then because of that | | | | Tyler does not let anything stop him. He went back to |
| dream you become homeless. I think 99.9% of you | | | | Atlanta, built a film and television studio with his own |
| who are reading this would have quit at this point, but | | | | money, wrote, produced and directed ten episodes of |
| not Tyler Perry. He lived in his car for five years and | | | | "House of Pain" and then just gave it to a local Atlanta |
| seeing as though he is 6'5, I am not sure how that | | | | TV station. He asked them to just put it on and if the |
| worked out but maybe he had a van. While living in his | | | | people like it, give me a deal if they do not, then just |
| car and on the streets, Tyler Perry kept writing and | | | | give me my tapes back. Do you know how raw that |
| eventually had his first hit at Atlanta's House of Blues. | | | | is? Will Smith, Denzel Washington and Jaime Foxx |
| That place has a really good Gospel brunch but back | | | | have been in this town making hits for years, but none |
| to Tyler. After his first big hit, he hooked up with Bishop | | | | of them have ever built a television studio. You have |
| TD Jake's to do "Women Thou Art Loosed." I took my | | | | got to give it up for Tyler, he is a true hustler. Let me |
| Mom to that play and I can remember her crying | | | | close this out by promoting Tyler's current hit "Meet the |
| afterward. To this day I can't remember a song or a | | | | Browns" in theaters March 21. |