Tyler Perry comes under fire for using women’s pain to fuel his films

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Popular film director and mogul Tyler Perry faces backlash from fans and detractors for using women’s pain in his movies.

This is fresh off the back of his latest release, Straw, which has been the best-performing Netflix original since February.

TYLER PERRY PUTS BLACK PAIN IN FOCUS

A number of his films rely on the anguish of Black women. Whether they have to endure single parenthood, domestic abuse or infidelity, Perry does enjoy weaving these motifs into his work.

Critics say these narratives enforce and perpetuate struggle and hardships. His depictions of Black women flourishing without having to endure are said to be too few and far between.

WHAT IS TYLER PERRY’S LATEST FILM, STRAW ABOUT?

His latest project stars the always sensational Taraji P. Henson alongside Janiyah Wiltkinson.

As you might expect of Perry, in Straw, a struggling single mother has to do her best to keep things together when her entire life unravels in one day. Whose life spirals out of control in a single day?

Janiyah Wiltkinson is doing her best to cope with a demanding life. She holds down a low-paying job while looking after her chronically ill child.

On the day things get particularly demanding for her, she is confronted with an eviction, and she is then also humiliated at her job.

This puts even more strain on her finances. Child Protective Services stepped in to relieve her of custody of her daughter, which is the proverbial straw that broke the camel’s back.

WHAT TYLER PERRY’S RESPONSE HAS BEEN

Critics have lamented this plot, and it has made people relook at his catalogue of cinematic offerings, with many finding fault with the actor and director.

Perry remains steadfast and defends his approach vehemently.

“I say nothing to those who criticise my films for focusing on Black women’s struggles, because they’re right. They do. But that’s reality, and I want to honour the women who raised me,” he explained in a recent interview. He maintains that these depictions draw from his experiences in witnessing his mother go through abuse.

STRAW IS STILL A SUCCESS

Straw is doing phenomenally around the globe on Netflix. His leading lady, Taraji P. Henson, whom Perry has worked with on many occasions, came to his defence.

“These women exist. Their stories deserve to be told,” Henson reportedly said.

It is the role of art to reflect society, and the stories he tells are regular occurrences, the world over. The debate rests around his using narratives of this nature as a creative crutch and whether this is a slanted representation.