Just when you thought the feud between Tyler Perry and Spike Lee had died down — the saga continues. In a press conference Tuesday for his latest film Madea's Big Happy Family, the Perry became infuriated at the mention of his fellow director, who has been a vocal critic of Perry and his movies.
"I'm so sick of hearing about damn Spike Lee," Perry said. "Spike can go straight to hell! You can print that. I am sick of him talking about me; I am sick of him saying, 'This is a coon, this is a buffoon.' I am sick of him — he talked about Whoopi, he talked about Oprah, he talked about me, he talked about Clint Eastwood. Spike needs to shut the hell up!"
In 2009, Spike Lee made highly publicized attacks against Perry. "I know it's making a lot of money and breaking records, but we can do better," said Lee. The Do the Right Thing director criticized Perry's shows for taking us back to the "Mantan Moreland and Sleep 'n' Eat" days.
Perry says he doesn't understand why his harshest criticisms come from his own people. "I've never seen Jewish people attack Seinfeld and say 'This is a stereotype'; I've never seen Italian people attack The Sopranos," said Perry. "It's always black people, and this is something I cannot undo." We guess Perry's never heard of UNICO.
Here's a suggestion for people who don't like Perry's movies or shows: Don't watch them. The man makes millions at the box office, so his work clearly speaks to someone. Perry should know by now that you can't please everyone.
Listen to Perry's outburst here.
Read more at Box Office Magazine.
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