Recently, Jordan Peele, direc-
tor of the hit movies “Get Out” 
and “Us,” got a lot of attention 
for saying that he plans on con-
tinuing his pattern of casting 
Black people for his leads. He 
goes on to say that he has noth-
ing against white guys, but won’t 
use them in his films because he 
has “already seen that movie.” 
When I saw somebody post his 
words on Instagram the other 
day, I was shocked that he was 
so blunt about his decisions, but 
also glad that someone powerful 
in the entertainment industry is 
dedicated to opening the door 
for Black representation.
When I read through the com-
ments, the reviews were mixed. 
There were some who were 
against his words, (arguing the 
typical “but if someone of a dif-
ferent race said this, it would be 
seen as racist) while there were 
some who appreciated his stance 
in the same way I did. The com-
ment that struck me the most 
was when someone went on to 
say that his Peele’s comment 
and subsequent actions were 
no problem because Tyler Perry 
has been doing the same thing 
for years. In this context, they 
were right. However, in general, 
I wouldn’t even think to equate 
the two. In my mind, Jordan 
Peele is no Tyler Perry. And the 
proof is in what they produce.
Almost every prominent art-
ists has trademark aspects of 
their works. Peele’s is social sat-
ire and elements of suspense/
thrill. Perry’s, on the other hand, 
is baby mama drama, unfaithful 
partners with STDs and domes-

tic violence. Now don’t get me 
wrong, I’ve enjoyed my fair 
share of Tyler Perry movies and 
sitcoms (I used to watch “Meet 
the Browns” very faithfully). 
I also get that these stories are 
real for some people, and they 
deserve to be told. However, it 
is pretty obvious the different 
manners in which these power-
ful men have chosen to regularly 
represent the Black community.

This is something that hs 
actually 
started 
to 
disgrace 
Tyler Perry in recent years. For 
decades now, Black people have 
been typecast into negative por-
trayals. Most of the roles we are 
set to play are either characters 
that are a personified version of 
our stereotypes, some kind of 
villain, or an irrelevant sidekick. 
The only exception to this is 
when we are slaves. So it’s start-

ing to rub people the wrong way 
(myself included) that this Black 
man with a multi-million dollar 
platform is using it to reiterate 
demeaning images. And these 
images continue to impact how 
we are seen on the screen, but 
also how we are perceived in 
real life. I understand that his 
extremely successful platform 
wouldn’t exist in the first place 
without the type of work media 
that he creates. However, many 
artists change their tune after 
accumulating 
enough 
main-
stream success. For example, 
Beyoné played it safe for so many 
years. But when she became a 
bonafide and irreplaceable icon, 
her music started to showcase 
her as one of the most overt-
ly pro-Black musicians in the 
industry today. Perry has/had 
the option to do this, but he 
hasn’t.
Peele, on the other hand, 
has built his empire by casting 
Black people in more unique and 
inspiring roles. He puts them in 
positions that include charac-
ter development and relatabil-
ity. You go through the movie 
actually rooting for somebody. 
His films have introduced Black 
people into new roles and new 
genres. He entertains his audi-
ence without having to bounce 
around in a dress.
Tyler Perry’s works definitely 
have a time and a place. They 
definitely serve as a good source 
of 
entertainment 
sometimes. 
However, with Perry being one 
of the only Black directors in 
Hollywood, I needed a break 
from the typical. And that’s 
what Peele is.
To me, it is obvious that Jor-
dan Peele is no Tyler Perry. And 
to be quite honest, I’m glad.

9

Thursday May 16, 2019
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com MICHIGAN IN COLOR

Jordan Peele is no Tyler Perry

We know no cause for

KAYLA THOMAS
MiC Blogger

OMAR UDDIN
MiC Columnist

PHOTO COURTESY OF Rich Fury/Invision/AP

Every day is a battle
for a war
with no known cause

We arm the trenches,
rifles in hand,
toying with the spiritual symbols
around our necks,
shooting invaders —
sometimes alone and
other times in masses —
that seem to live for our
suffering

Out of ammo,
we fall victim 
and they ravage the city
we’ve built behind us,
pillaging

And once we’ve found
and neutralized them, 
we look ahead once more
to rebuild
a city we know no cause for

There are times we feel helpless
watching as the demons 
destroy everything,
unsure of whether we should or can
rebuild —
what the whole point of it is

One might be compelled to think
all this suffering
and hassle
is to one day realize
why that city ever existed,
clinging on to that bliss that might be

With Perry 
being one of 
the only black 
directors in 
Hollywood, 
I needed a 
break from the 
typical. And 
that’s what 
Peele is.

