Tyler Perry: rags to riches

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2009/10/22/60minutes/main5410095.shtml

The above is a link to the interview with Tyler Perry that aired on 60 mins a few nights ago. During his interview he discusses the "Chitlin' Circuit", which ties into our weeks discussion on men and work. Tyler states "There's this great thing called the 'Chitlin' Circuit,' which I started my shows on and back in the day when, you know, Ray Charles and Billie Holiday and Duke Ellington, they couldn't get into white establishments, so they went on this circuit and toured. They were huge stars in their own community, you know, and that's pretty much my same story."Here we see an example of the intersections of oppression, Tyler Perry was not accpted in the white media and therefore had to create his own space. This space started when Perry directed his play Diary of A Mad Black Woman. He discusses why he needed to use his own money as needing to be in power. Thus Perry draws the conclusion that having money equals power even in creative feilds.

All in all this interview touches on other aspects that are very interesting: representation of women, men in families, black families, and even brings up the issue Spike Lee has with the Madea charachter.