# How come no one hates on the Madea movies for false advertising? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 9, 2013, 7:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-come-no-one-hates-on-the-madea-movies-for-false-advertising/646657 "2013-01-09T19:09:13Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![epbrown01](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7ba0ec/32.png) [@epbrown01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/epbrown01)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2013, 7:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-come-no-one-hates-on-the-madea-movies-for-false-advertising/646657/21 "2013-01-12T19:09:25Z")
> [@April\_R](#): > > What makes you think “ghetto” is typical? I think you need to rethink your wording or explain what you mean because it sounds like you think most AA are “ghetto”. My impression is that the author was saying those **portrayals** are typical in movies. In fact, I recall the backlash in the black community that the \*\*Cosby Show \*\* was too unrealistic because the parents were successful, educated professionals. ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2013, 7:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-come-no-one-hates-on-the-madea-movies-for-false-advertising/646657/22 "2013-01-12T19:21:18Z")
What **epbrown** said. AA’s aren’t typically ghetto/poor/gangsta’s/working class, but their portrayals in movies tend to be, and that last is what I got from **Sarabellum’s** post. I respect Tyler Perry. He has his niche, it’s family-friendly, and he understands his audience and his limitations/strengths. ---
**Author:** ![C.Montgomery\_Burns](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ecd19e/32.png) [@C.Montgomery\_Burns](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/C.Montgomery_Burns)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2013, 2:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-come-no-one-hates-on-the-madea-movies-for-false-advertising/646657/23 "2013-01-13T02:31:39Z")
I have a tape of shows from cable with advertisements for Diary Of A Mad Black Woman when it first came out. The early advertisements for it show it as a drama/romance. The later ones show Madea whooping it up. You wouldn’t think they were advertising the same movie. ---
**Author:** ![Absolute](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b2d939/32.png) [@Absolute](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Absolute)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2013, 3:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-come-no-one-hates-on-the-madea-movies-for-false-advertising/646657/24 "2013-01-13T03:07:58Z")
Count me in as another person who doesn’t hate Madea movies for false advertising - because I’ve never seen advertising for them, let alone the movies themselves. ---
**Author:** ![April\_R](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3da27b/32.png) [@April\_R](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/April_R)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2013, 4:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-come-no-one-hates-on-the-madea-movies-for-false-advertising/646657/25 "2013-01-13T04:34:49Z")
Don’t all films employ a level of false advertising? For example most comedy films show you all thir funniest lines in the trailer and it is always a disappointment when you finally see the movie. Or some action flicks are made to seem more exciting than they actually end up being. The Tyler Perry franchise is what it is and if you have seen any of them you already know what to expect so the advertisements don’t really mean much in regards to informing you about the content of the movie. Also Diary of a Mad Black Woman is one of my favorite movies ---
**Author:** ![Snooooopy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ee7513/32.png) [@Snooooopy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snooooopy)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2013, 10:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-come-no-one-hates-on-the-madea-movies-for-false-advertising/646657/26 "2013-01-13T22:05:37Z")
Complaining about not having enough Madea in a Tyler Perry movie would be like ordering a plate of rotten meat with turds on top and then bitching that you didn’t get enough turds. ---
**Author:** ![ministryman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f6c823/32.png) [@ministryman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ministryman)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2013, 2:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-come-no-one-hates-on-the-madea-movies-for-false-advertising/646657/27 "2013-01-14T14:27:16Z")
You are either a fan of TP/Madea or not. If it says Madea on the cover, she will appear. It might be a Marlon Brando appearance, but she will appear. Comedy is subjective. I think Jay and Silent Bob rock. My wife does not. My son likes Jeff Dunham. I think he is played out. We all like Madea. She reminds us of people we know. I suspect that you are not African American, and if you are, you grew up in an affluent family. That might explain why you don’t find Madea funny. ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2013, 2:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-come-no-one-hates-on-the-madea-movies-for-false-advertising/646657/28 "2013-01-14T14:42:53Z")
> [@TriPolar](#): > > People watch those movies?!?! I was at the theater going to a different movie on the opening day of one of these movies. A bus pulled up and it was full. A church had a trip to go see the movie. The target audience knows exactly what they are going to see. > [@epbrown01](#): > > My impression is that the author was saying those **portrayals** are typical in movies. In fact, I recall the backlash in the black community that the \*\*Cosby Show \*\* was too unrealistic because the parents were successful, educated professionals. The Huxtable family was pretty unrealistic no matter what demographic you are talking about. ---
**Author:** ![Justin\_Bailey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/justin_bailey/32/8792_2.png) [@Justin\_Bailey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Justin_Bailey)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2013, 2:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-come-no-one-hates-on-the-madea-movies-for-false-advertising/646657/29 "2013-01-14T14:48:03Z")
> [@C.Montgomery\_Burns](#): > > I have a tape of shows from cable with advertisements for Diary Of A Mad Black Woman when it first came out. The early advertisements for it show it as a drama/romance. The later ones show Madea whooping it up. You wouldn’t think they were advertising the same movie. Have you ever seen the DVD cover of the Special Edition? > **[Amazon.com: Tyler Perry's Diary of a Mad Black Woman The Movie (2-Disc Special...](https://www.amazon.com/Tyler-Perrys-Diary-2-Disc-Special/dp/B000OONQ8K)** > > Product Description Helen McCarter has everything a woman wants: a nice house and rich husband. But after her husband Charles throws her out of the house for admitting to an affair, a distraught Helen turns to her mother, grandmother Madea... Wouldn’t look out of place as the cover of an Oscar bait movie, would it? ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2013, 6:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-come-no-one-hates-on-the-madea-movies-for-false-advertising/646657/30 "2013-01-14T18:03:56Z")
> [@grude](#): > > Then what is the purpose of the deceptive advertising then? I think the point is that it tells people that this is a “Madea movie” - ie a family friendly comedy about a black family - rather than a movie that features Tyler Perry playing Madea as the lead role. Think of Madea as being like [Billy the puppet](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:TheSawpuppet.jpg). If Billy’s featured in the ads you know what kind of movie it will be, even if Billy only appears in a few minutes of the film. ---
**Author:** ![Swords\_to\_Plowshares](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b38774/32.png) [@Swords\_to\_Plowshares](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Swords_to_Plowshares)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2013, 8:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-come-no-one-hates-on-the-madea-movies-for-false-advertising/646657/31 "2013-01-14T20:23:42Z")
Tyler Perry movies basically function as a sort of travelling circus - they go from city to city, playing in certain theaters, often to sold-out crowds. Unless you’re a part of the group that goes to these shows, then yeah, you’re not going to understand it. ---
**Author:** ![ministryman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f6c823/32.png) [@ministryman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ministryman)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2013, 8:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-come-no-one-hates-on-the-madea-movies-for-false-advertising/646657/32 "2013-01-14T20:29:33Z")
> [@epbrown01](#): > > The irony is as much as everyone loves Madea, I’ve never met a black person that saw them in theaters; my sisters and cousins have ALL the bootlegs. I don’t remember any of the guys in the family mentioning them, and my brother than I have long wondered why a black guy in drag is supposed to be so hilarious (since Flip Wilson’s Geraldine). Then we should meet. I have all of the plays and movies (NO BOOTLEGS), and have seen three plays live. bwahahahahahahaha. ---
**Author:** ![Odesio](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/odesio/32/20003_2.png) [@Odesio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Odesio)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2013, 8:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-come-no-one-hates-on-the-madea-movies-for-false-advertising/646657/33 "2013-01-14T20:52:53Z")
> [@April\_R](#): > > Don’t all films employ a level of false advertising? For example most comedy films show you all thir funniest lines in the trailer and it is always a disappointment when you finally see the movie. That’s a very broad definition of false advertising. A comedy that shows their funniest lines in the trailer isn’t an example of false advertising. After all, they’re letting you know the movie is a comedy. A movie like _Bicentennial Man_, for example, is advertised as a comedy. The trailer focuses on the wacky antics of a robot who wants to be human. Although the movie had some funny moments it was not a comedy. The advertising campaign for that movie was a blatant bait and switch. I’ve never seen a Tyler Perry movie. I don’t tend to judge what other people enjoy for entertainment because I think a lot of what I like is pretty damned stupid. For whatever reason, Perry’s movies attract some people to it. Good for him. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-come-no-one-hates-on-the-madea-movies-for-false-advertising/646657.md?page=1)