Are we as black people capable of congratulating each other on our triumphs? I wonder when we as a people are ever going to live and let live. It seems we have this sense of entitlement. When one of "ours" makes his or her way to the top "we" feel like that person is responsible for taking us there too. Nothing this person does will be enough. Someone will be left out, and then there will be hell to pay. Success does not come with peace for African-Americans.
What am I talking about? Well, yesterday I read an apology letter from Tyler Perry. He's coming out with a new movie. People are upset because he chose to cast Kim Kardashian for this movie. They're going to boycott it. As someone who has never seen a single episode of "Keeping Up With the Kardashians" and doesn't see 99% of Tyler Perry movies until either BET or TBS airs them I have a question: WHO REALLY CARES? There are so many more important things we could be boycotting (like Kroger and Wal-Mart). Why are we targeting this man? He wrote, produced, directed, and probably even starred in the movie; he can put whoever he wants to in it. An explanation is not owed to a single one of you miserable souls. So what if Kim Kardashian isn't black and made a sex tape? So what if she's divorced? So what if she's not an actress? It's Tyler Perry's movie and Tyler Perry's money.
Which brings me to my next point. There is so much hatred toward this man simply because he's successful. Daily I hear what he doesn't do for black people. I'm not going to get into defending him, because I don't care. My thing is, why the ____ is he apologizing for it? This letter he wrote was a page of the biggest Bologna I've ever experienced in life. As an artist I was infuriated. He is a writer who is in the moment of bringing his words to the big screen, and he feels the need to say sorry for the end result. Seriously? Does he apologize for his dreams as well? Listen, if and when "Consider Your Ways" ever gets to the big screen I don't care what a single one of you has to say about who I choose to cast, what message you don't like, etc. Every time an artist completes a project it is like giving birth. The criticism it receives is comparable to someone having something to say about one of our children. Not once have I ever apologized to someone because he or she didn't like how my children have turned out.
So, Mr. Perry, you have lost cool points as an artist. Stop trying to please people and do what you do. Keep black films coming. You are doing a great thing by proving loyalty and leadership. No more letters to the impossible to please, please?
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