Schmitt

= What would Johnson say about Tyler Perry's, Madea? = Madea, a rather large, rather manly woman of our time. Well she is actually a man. Tyler Perry has a women alter ego that he calls Mable Simmons or Madea. He has put out books from Madea's persepective and movies. Not only are these movies based around women and their rights but they also set examples for women who are in bad relationships where women are abused or women with drug problems or troubles with faith. The way the Madea puts things into perspective empowers women and makes men seem like the ones that are under appreciated and controlled in society. However, the fact that Madea is in fact played by a man says something in regards to Allen Johnson's article, "Where are We.? Although Madea is meant to be a women to empower all women she is still played by a man. Johnson mentions some leading movies in his article and the leading rolls in most award winning movies were played by men. This applies here as well. Does Mr. Perry think that an actual women playing Madea won't get his views across as well? If Johnson were writing this then the answer to that question would be yes, however, it seems to me that Perry has another view in his head. Although he has taken over the role of this "large and in charge" women, he seems to do so because it is what's needed for the role not because he believes only men can get a point across in this maleP based society. In my studies on Madea, I've found that some critics don't agree with his teachings. They said things like, **Tyler Perry is simply reflecting the thinking of a lot of uneducated, working-class African-Americans, (**Todd Boyd, professor of critical studies at USC School of Cinematic Arts.) Some believe that his teachings reflect an older style of living for women. Such as times when black women and men were segregated from white men and women. As for Johnson's comments on the topic, I think he would agree with these critics. Although his work has morals and teachings behind it, some of the ways that he portrays his thoughts and teachings can make African American women seem uneducated and grungy. One part at the end of the article which reads, "As such, language mirrors social reality in sometimes startling ways. In contemporary usage, for example, the words crone, witch, bitch, and virgin describe women as threatening, evil, or heterosexually inexperienced and thus incomplete." Often times in Madea's world she uses harsh language and her gun to get her points across. She uses fear to get what she wants which in Johnson's article is what men use to gain social standing in our society through control. By using the language that she does she brings men down to the level that we, as women, are usually at. It is said that there is an actual women that Tyler Perry knows that Madea is based off of. In an interview for a site I found called //Bitch Media//, Perry says that this women has very "mammy" like features. That statement fits with the idea that some of his actions and teaching are out dated and not exactly politically correct. Most of Perry's audience revolves around African American women, the views of these women are what keep him going. While at times, belittling them, he also gives them hope. Most movies or books he puts out give a site or a phone number that allow women who need help with the particular topic he speaks of to get the help that they need. Through jokes and satire Madea gets her points across. They are to be taken seriously, even though at times she makes it hard to get the meaning behind it. While male dominance may not exist in the world of Madea, it does exist within her and around her. The 4 core values of patriarchy are seen through how Madea came to exist. Male identification, control and centeredness is all around and inside of her. She was created to contradict these values. Successful or not, it's the effort that is put forth and the growing popularity of Tyler Perry's work about women that sets him apart from the other male actors and directors out there.

**Works Cited**
1. [] 2. //__Where are We?__//, Johnson, Allen, article

What would Dr. Hassel say? On the topic of transformation of women Madea isn’t the one doing the transforming. In a sense Madea is B.O.B. and the other friends that Ginormica acquires on her journey. The friends that encourage her and eventually lead her to self renewal. One specific movie comes to mind from reading this article and that is Tyler Perry’s //Diary of a Mad Black Women//. Although there are no aliens, talking blobs, or missing links, there are women that struggle with themselves as a single person much like Susan did in //Monsters vs. Aliens//. A women named Helen spent many years with a rich and powerful lawyer named Charles. Charles beat Helen both physically and verbally throughout the years of their marriage. However, Helen felt if she tried as hard as she could to be a good and faithful wife Charles would stop and return to the man he once was when they first met. Unfortunately, Charles began a new life with a new women and threw Helen out on the street. She headed to her Aunt Madea’s house where she worked through her pain and finally channeled her anger. After much encouragement and finding love and trust in a good man named Orlando, Helen finds the path to herself and a life that doesn’t rely on men for success. Starting out much like Susan, Helen was completely dependent on her husband. She had no idea what to do with herself without Charles. She was sad and lost, but Madea was there. In her own way Madea pushed Helen to get out there, get herself a job and begin to trust in herself to make her way in life. As Susan became more comfortable with becoming Ginormica, she began to see her inner strength and what she could really do with her life, Helen did the same. Madea’s idea of Helen becoming herself is to beat the crap out of Charles, literally. She eventually did this but it wasn’t just because of all the pain Charles had caused her, it was because she realized that she could. Before she begins this she states “OLD HELEN IS GONE!” This was when her transformation was complete, the same instance happened as Susan was kicking Derek to the curb. She says, " I'm happy now, Derek, without you." This was also apparent when Susan takes on her new name of Ginormica.

As Helen reaches her new found strength in herself, Charles becomes scared. He shows signs of weakness when faced against her. This can be compared to when Dr. Hassel says, " Link is the most threatened by Susan's newfound strength and power." When Susan progresses Link is seriously troubled and to him it seems as if hes losing his glory. All of the other team members looked up to him and now they are moving onto Susan. Role reversal is a common theme in these two movies.

One thing I noticed regarding the Cover of //Monsters vs. Aliens// is that B.O.B. is the very prominent on the cover of the movie but the majority of the movie is about Susan. " Advertising for the film sometimes, but not always, includes Ginormica, but is more typically subordinated to the glamorous, science-fiction conventional monsters that appeal to a male viewing audience." (19) Making the movie appeal to more of a male audience may sell more things, but essentially that is false advertising. The same type of occurrence happens on the cover of //Diary of a Mad Black Women//, Madea is featured up front instead of Helen. Could this possibly be because Madea is actually a man or is it because of her shear size compared to the rest of the actors? Dr. Hassle would say this was because she is actually a man. Gender role inversion in her character doesn't excuse the fact that under it all she is still a he.

Although the emphasis isn’t focused on Madea, she aids in leading Helen to her true self. She helps bring her to the surface when she had no idea that a life of happiness was possible.

**__Works Cited__**
1. [] 2. []

What would Shrum say?

Kelly Shrum's, "Teena Means Business" focuses on //Seventeen// Magazine and its influence to young girls and its advertising throughout the years. Although Madea doesn't fit into the typical //Seventeen// glam girl her influence on girls is just the same. Taking a side note quickly I'd like to bring up Madea's alternate side, Tyler Perry. Much like the ads in //Seventeen// that influence girls to buy their products or spend money to dress like the stars, Perry influence producers to make the Oscar winning movie Precious a reality. He and Oprah made quite an effort to get //Precious// on the map and parcially because of them it did. One critic says "[|'Precious: Based on the Novel Push by Sapphire,'] is a harrowing story about a young Harlem teenager who is pregnant for the second time by her drug-addicted father and also suffers abuse at the hands of her cruel mother." (Knolle) Much of the publicity was brought around by Perry and Oprah taking interest in the movie, just like companies taking interest in //Seventeen// for their ads to be put out to the public.

Shrum says, " The influence of school and peers, combined with the growing prominence throughout the early twentieth century of professionals who advised on family life and child-rearing practices decreased parental authority." Madea see's evidence of this one girl by the name of Nikki. In "Madea's Family Reunion," Madea is posed with the choice of either taking in Nikki as a foster child or going to jail for some public misdemeanors she had acquired over the years. In the end she chose Nikki, not by choice but by force since the alternative was going to jail. Nikki's mom had taken off and she felt as though she was trash in her school and community because of her mom's history. When put under Madea's roof her whole outlook on life changed. She was filed with anger and sadness and felt she didn't need to listen to or respect anyone. Madea changed that by forcing her to go to school, helping her with her homework and telling the other kids to lay off of her and be nice. Her influence on Nikki changed her outlook on life and how she should live it. Nikki felt she wasn't smart enough to go to school or even think about going to college but with Madea's help she did better in school and began to realize that she could do whatever she wanted with her life, regardless of her past.  Madea's ideas on fashion and femininity oppose those of //Seventeen Magazine//. According to her she see's no need for name brands or special feminine products. Anything will work in her eyes. One she is firm on is not making a black women take off her earrings. Madea's Uninhibited Commentaries on Love and Life express her views on everything from love to kids to anything little thing in life. One thing she preaches in there is living life for yourself and not for any man or anyone else. At times //Seventeen// says the same but only when said by a celebrity that everyone models their life after. Although that may not have been true in the 1950's version of //Seventeen// it certainly is today.

__**Works Cited**__

1. http://www.thegrio.com/news/oprah-and-perry-team-up-to-promote-new-movie-precious.php 2. http://insidemovies.moviefone.com/2009/11/06/precious-movie-reviews/ 3. Srum, "Teena Means Business"

What would Heilman and Donaldson Say?

Heilman and Donaldson view that Harry Potter books as something that would be considered sexist and a bit feminist. In regards to Madea I think that they would change their views. One specific example in the article, //From Sexist to (sort of) Feminist Representations of Gender in the Harry Potter Series//, they say, "Hermione is so wrapped up in Harry's goals that hers may be suppressed and unrealized." This may be true for //her// in some aspects, but if the articles had been written on Madea the idea that she would put her goals aside for someone elses, especially a man, is completely outragous. Although throughout her life Madea has always done what she wanted she focuses herself now on mainly other women and helping them face their goals in life.

The idea that Heilman and Donaldson pose is that Harry Potter being one of the biggest Pop Culture phenomenons since 1998 is read by many of all ages. They say that these books are putting out the wrong idea for women and girls in regards to their male friends. Throughout the article they bring up many examples in the books that portray the women as weak and accessories to the men. In comparison I'd say that Madea compares to a mixture of Prof. McGonall and Bellatrix. She a teacher of sorts but also has her own form of an evil side, which on occasion is used for good. Madea's out look on life is to not care what people think of you and to make your own way or work for what you want. She doesn't match the characters that Heilman and Donaldson pose as examples of female weakness.

Another topic to touch on the subject is the Body and Appearance section of the article. "The message to girls is: get a makeover. You're not okay." Later in this section the topic of Hermione making herself over for the dance she is attending is brought up. Heilman and Donaldson find this notion of outer beauty irrational. In this way there worlds would probably going something like this if he topic had come up about Madea, "good for her for not caring and wearing what she wanted." Many times, more often than not, Madea's appearance consists of this, an old over sized dress, rolled down stockings and messed hair. Her appearance is not "up with the times" and it seems she prefers it that way.

Madea has her ideals and her morals and follows them to a T. She lets no man rule her or have her adventures for her. On an emotional level that majority the she puts out is anger in various levels. Instead of crying about things, like Hermione or Cho, she gets mad and channels her rage into something she could use. For example, when her husband cheated on her, she didn't cry about it, she made hot grits and threw them in his lap. "The relative powerlessness of females" is a statement that would never have entered the mind of Madea. Females should have all the power and strengths that they can stand and should obtain and sense of good self love from it.

__**Works Cited**__

Heilman, Elizabeth, Donaldson, Trevor; //From Sexist to (sort of) Feminist Representaions of Gender in the Harry Potter Series//; Ch. 8

What would Zipes say?

Zipes would consider Madea a phenomenon because she is something ordinary that are turned into the extraordinary. She started her "scene: with plays then moved to make those plays into movies. Soon these movies became TV series and books. Zipes would say that Madea is a "person that conformed to the tastes of the hegemonic group." In simple terms Zipes sees things that are phenomenal as things that are simple or common and then become praised and successful. Madea being a much older women (if only seen by the cover would give off a grandma figure) teaching things to girls about life is rather common.

However, because of the media Tyler Perry made Madea into something of a lesson taught through humor to appeal to the masses. As Zipes says many of the people or things that are phenomenal contain happy endings. Almost all of Madea's movies or shows contain happy endings where the character involved either fall in love with a truely good man or save themselves from the ones that intended to harm them in one way or another. Zipes would say Madea fits the "socialcultural trends" that, so often, are what the media looks for.

Zipes expresses that belief in the //Harry Potter// book characters "fulfilling stereotypical roles," he would say Madea fits that same type of role. Madea is black women who, like many are seen in the media, was brought up in the ghetto, carries pistol in her purse and speaks with language that doesn't seem to go passed an 8th grade level. Hermione is the stereotypical weakling, book worm and Madea is the stereotypical black women in society.

Zipes also says something along the lines of //Harry Potter// being a little repetitive in its themes based on "sexist and white patriarchal biases of classical fairy tales." Zipes would say that same on Maea's work, however, that fairytale aspect would alter to reality scenarios. Many of Madea's things are based on black women that are beaten or abused by men. Although it is spun of different way in each movie or book it still puts out the same message; the message the women are helpless only when they choose to be. Zipes would see this as one of the facts that makes Madea phenomenal. Many things or people today that are considered phenomenons are just repeats in different way, basically the same stories but spun different ways to make them seem different. However, the stories may be a bit different but the messages and underlying themes remain the same. For example Harry and Ron often go on adventures while Hermione does the book work. Some could argue that she is brains of the operation and that they couldn't have done those things without her. In one way or another this same occurrence happens nine times out of ten in all of the //Harry Potter// books, they just happen in different ways so to not seem repetative. Madea fits this same form. If Zipes were writing on Madea he'd have a lot to argue about with the media.

__**Works Cited**__ Zipes, Jack; "The Phenomenon of Harry Potter, or Why all the Talk?"; 2001

 What would Inness say?

In the "Anit- Barbie's" article Inness talks about American Girls dolls being an opposite to the typical Barbie doll. These dolls represent history for girls rather than just fashion and hair styles. However, the cost of "history" in this case is more than most families can afford. Inness says," Although the toys carry a more socially acceptable educational message than Barbie, they are also products that are sold with a calculating eye on the upper-middle-class pocket book." (169) The cost of an American Girl doll plus all of her accessories can reach upwards of 800 to 900 dollars. This is outragous. Although, Madea doesn't promote history, she shares family values throughout her books and movies. The cost of which is under $25 a piece. Unfortunately Inness would proably say that Madea isn't a very good comparison to American Girl products because, one she was never made into a doll or action figure suitable for little kids and two because she is also geared around teenagers and adults, leaving little room for parents to buy her movies or books for the children. However, later in the article Inness brings up the ideologies of the politics of advocacy, attack, and assent. But, before i touch on those I would like to address one more idea that Inness is very assertive of, the idea that "toys, are deeply influenced by adult ideologies about how children should mature." (171)

By buying American Girl dolls for their kids, parents are promoting a certain image of girls to their little ones. Things involving slavery, poverty, and wealth are all promoted in different dolls that are sold. Inness would say that Madea promots a specific types of image to girls as well. Although there is never talk of her being in slavery, she does promote the image of the stereotypical black woman growing up in the ghetto and making a life for herself and her kids. Some say she has the typical "mammy" image as well that she is giving off though her shows and books. Inness might say that girls her image is not suitable for girls to use as a role model in life, much like they do for the American Girl dolls.

The politics of Advocacy, which are described as " pleading for and promoting a specific cause or upholding a particular point of view or course of action as being valid and right." (172) Basically "attempting for inforce conformity to a set of behavioral norms." (172) Inness says that the American Girls promote a good sense of multicultural understanding. If Inness were looking at Madea she may have an opposite feelings in this aspect. Although she (Madea) promotes a lot of understanding about African American culture, she does not promot a lot of multicultural ideas. There are simply no inter racial couples or friendships in any of her work that i have seen. Many times the politics of advocacy are used in positive ways, such as the idea of multicultural relationships and, in the case of the American Girls, history that can enrich our kids lives. Madea however, is not a very good example for the politcs of advocacy.

The politics of attack is defined as " generated by the author's sense of amusement, outrage, or contempt when they encounter something that runs counter to their concepts of right and wrong, good and evil, justice, fair play, decency, or truth." (173) Inness says that this can also be a positive things in the aspects of cildrens toys and books, however "the difficulty is who should decide what is or is not to be attacked." (173) Madea usually carries a handgun in her bag for protection and fear. Inness would say that this would be acceptable beacause racism and persecution of minorities exists in the childrens books of today. Addy, one of the American Girl dolls, was a slave for some of her life until she and her mother escaped and started a life of their own. However, their life was spent in an unsafe neighborhood with little to no money. The politics of attack are saying that it's ok for kids to read about this because it's our history and it teaches them, but some sensorship is given to protect them from getting the idea that that's how it still is today. Madea promotes that idea that it's still like that today, hence the ideologies of Inness would be difficult to fit here as well. It's sort of a half and half agreement.

Finally, the politics of Assent, "which works to affirm ideologies generally prevelent in the society." "The politics of assent not only affirms the status quo but continually reinforces it, by inhibiting change and supporting tradition, it has great potential impact on the shape of society, for good or for ill." (175) Inness says that hardest things about the politics of assent is that fact that we cannot recognize it in the readings, it's undetectable. A common trend between the American Girl books, dolls and other things is that they are promoting an "American-centric" view. If Inness took a look as some of Madea's works, she'd say one thing that is prevelent in those that their promotion of African Americans as a collective. She says things like "Us black women gotta stick together these days." It's almost the opposite of the American Girl dolls. Madea makes it seem like black women and men need to continue to act as the minority because that's all they'll ever be in her eyes. This is something I hadn't even noticed in her work until now after reading the "Anti-Barbies" article.


 * __Works Cited__**

1. //Anit-Barbies//, Inness (left the cover page at home, fix later)

What would Hager say? 

If Hager was commenting on Madea I think she'd have a few insteresting comments. Hager talks about the Powerpuff Girls having "Diva Citizenship." Hager says " These types of citizens have the power to challenge the state from within, even as they are always being recuperated by the state. Moreover, since these citizens are always within the law to which they refuse to submit, they draw attention to the radical potential of citizenship in general." (65) Basically this "diva citizenship" gives these girls with superpowers the legal right to fight crime and beat up bad guys and not be charged with assault or blamed for taring up the city. While this may work for these super human little girls, for Madea, this is not the case. Throughout her life she's encountered men who beat up women, robbers, and many other instances where she needs to protect herself or others from harm. After doing so however, she is charged with many different things that eventually land her in jail for a while. Although some of these charges were not right to be charged to her, some of them were. Madea has the mentality from living the life that she has that she can do what she wants when she wants, this includes things like not having to go the speed limit or not having to sit behind someone who is going speed limit and getting around them by any means possible. In this sense, Hager would say that the Powerpuff Girls may need to bring Madea in.

Another point to touch on with regards to Hager would be the "Powerpuff Girls can momentarily revise, redefine, and re-evaluate the discursive construction of both girlhood and heroism." (65) These girls are very young and play a part that is usually played by older, more mature women or older, stronger men. They redefine what is means to be a super hero. "The girls physically embody, or rather exaggerate, the wide-eyed innocent little girl." (69) As does Madea. She is roughly 65 years old and saves people all the time. Although she cannot fly and does not have super strength, she does have a loaded gun and shear size. Plus, Madea is one to use her brain over her brawn. Being 6ft tall she could seem quite strong and angry but more often then not she doesn't use her strength but her fear and whit to save people. She tells stories of things she has done in the past, such as being so mad at one of her late husbands that he was buried 8ft under instead of the usual 6. This was because Madea was so mad at him that she beat him down another two feet. However, In all the works that Tyler Perry has put out there, not once has Madea literally beat someone up. She saves women from trouble and helps anyone who asks. The Powerpuff Girls are usually very happy to help, however, Madea will initially sound as if she is "put out" by this but still does whatever is needed and in the end she's happy to do it.

As Hager says, " The girls seemingly contradictory positions- as protectors of the law as superheroes and disruptors of the law as super- empowered little girls." (70) Previously stated Madea works is much of the same way. She's a protector but also a disruptor. However, these girls disrupt because they are protecting while Madea disrupts sometimes just for fun. In this way she contradicts Hager's view. Also the fact that Madea is a 65 year old black women challenges the ideologies that Hager puts forth for these three very small little white girls. Although the girls are portrayed as anime figures, they still have the general image of 8 year old girls with everyday chores around the house and school to attend. Neither are suited for crime fighting statistically, however they both choose to do it. A question one could pose is why are we putting little girls in the line of fire and telling out children that they are the ones to look up to and follow? The image is acceptable to small children because of their attitudes and actions on the show but the reality of it is that girls that age in real life could not do these things. Chemical X gives the girls their advantage and this takes away the danger for them. Madea on the other hand, only has her guts and manliness. A typical women of her age couldn't do the things she usually does. There are even occasions where she gets winded but she keeps going on. These heroes are what our generation has to look up too, is it sad or is now socially acceptable for 65 year olds to fight our battles?

What would Beavis and Charles say? 

Beavis and Charles say that video games are predominantly male. By doing a study with kids to using The Sims, which is a reality based video game they looked at different reactions, game play settings and approaches taken by male and female players. The Sims allowed the player to basically run a household and build it to their liking. Looking at these aspects in relation to Madea and her world agrees with what Beavis and Charles say about video games in general.

" Location plays an important role both in the construction of meaning and the formation of identity and community." (356) For many playing games in the home setting is impossible, that is for women at least. When women are home they tend to put off the fun time until they are done with chores or whatever work needs to be done around the house. While guys will come home and forget about whatever else needs to be done until a few rounds of video games have been played. The male perspective is much more lax when it comes to game and a lot of what draws them in is that they are prodominantly aimed toward a male idea of what is a fun in game experience. Looking at Madea in this sense is the opposite. Her movies can be based around a male or female audience. Tyler Perry plays a women so that he as a man can appeal better to women in what he wants to talk about. However, the male audiences can appreciate the humor that she puts out in his/her show. Unlike most video games made today though, Madea's movies, while they can appeal to men, predominantly the issues are female based. Touching on topics such as abuse on women, relationships, and often times the hardships of black females in the world. This contradicts what Beavis and Charles when they said, "women's activities in domestic spaces can in fact have the effect of reifying the notion that media technologies are part of a "masculine"culture." (357)

If Madea's setting were a video game players would see a female run household. One things that Beavis and Charles ran across in their data was one students comment on the their gaming experience. "It is cool to build a house, however, the pleasure of house making is that it's "unrealistic" and " you can just do a whole lot of crazy stuff." (361) Building a household in real life is not easy or always fun. In Madea's case she grew up in a rougher neighborhood leaving little room for extra money to burn or ability to do what she wanted with her house. The early years of Madea aren't touched on a lot so knowing how she came in possession of her house and things is unknown, but she runs it now as if everything must stay in pristine condition but still get used. In game experience lets you act the part of a house wife or whatever you would like to be. Compared to real ife, it's cake. Important things in the game consist of feeding yourself, going to work and making money. That the everyday routine there. In Madea's world it is family based. You care for yourself and your family too. She makes what she needs to survive and helps who she can along the way.

<span style="color: #008080; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 144%;">What would Brumerg say? <span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">

There isn't much that Madea has to do with a menstruation period except for the fact that she is a women and at one point in her life she did menstruate. The one thing that would relate the two would be family. Brumberg talks about how menstruation used to be a big ordeal that some family members would be involved in. A girls menarche marks the time of her becoming and women and means that she is then capable of giving birth and starting a family. Much of Madea's life is her family. Although there isn't talk of menstruation between the women, everyone gathering together is a once a month ordeal, much like an average menstruation cycle.

<span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">This once a month event is going to be the closest that Madea gets to a menstrual cycle, not just because she's 65 but because in all actuality she is a he. Madea is played by Tyler Perry and he being a man, he cannot experience what it means to be a women <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">in the menstrual sense. This complication puts Madea in a gender confused role when relating to that of a woman and her period. It seems that the topic of a girls menarche or period is never brought up in any of Madea's works because of this. Brumberg says that " Mother's not doctors, taught adolescent girls how to "fix themselves" in order to prevent displays of blood and soiled clothes." (np) Being a man, underneath the costume and the make-up, means that Madea lacks that motherly wisdom that would allow her to give this advice to her kids or other females that would ask this of her. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;"> A major point that Brumberg talks about is that sanitation issue involved with having a menstral cycle. Girls were seen as unclean when they had their period. Other girls loved talking about periods but if you had your period, everyone knew, boys, and girls. "Menstrual rags were considered dangerous, precisely because they facilitated a dangerous missing of germs and gases in a warm place." (np) A lot of times girls had to sit out of gym class because of having their period, this would single them out, much like where a big, red sign. In one case something like this applies to a girl in one of Madea's movies, //Madea's Family Reunion//. Madea is forced to take in a foster child because she has been sentenced to jail or foster mothering. This girl was having issues in school to the point where kids were always making fun of her and singling her out because of her grades and her background. They said her mother was a "whore." and constantly picked on her. This may have happened to some girls that had their period, not for the same reasons but because at the moment she was different then all the rest of the girls. Again, in this moment Madea stepped in and yelled at the kids on the bus to leave the girl alone or deal with her. She used her manly violence to scare the kids away from the girl, which was very un-motherly of her.

<span style="color: #008080; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 140%;">What would Kyra Gaunt say?

Gaunt talks about the African American <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">incorporating music with hand clapping and choreography. Many times this is done for entertainment but also girl relate through these "games." Madea, doesn't usually participate in these kinds of games but one significant theme throughout on of her films is the role of a the community in church. Specifically a young black girl (Madea's niece) that wanted to sing in the church choir. The choir is filled with African American females and males but they don't just sing, the words that they produce in the song create an energy that causes dance and high emotion in the church. Gaunt says, " the appropriation and adoption of familiar musical ideas is actually the basis of most popular, gospel, and folk music production within black communities." (3) The entire community attends this church and the majority of the community within the church is black.

Gaunt also touches on the idea that these games aren't about the words behind the music but the they are "signified through the interperative and dramatic realms of rythm, gesture, and movement." (5) Continuing on with Madea's nience, she wanted to sing in the choir but her dad was reluctant to let her because, he mother that sang in that same choir had become a heroine addict and he was afraid if he allowed her to follow in her mother's footsteps that she would end up that way too. It had nothing to do with what she wanted to do, only that the meaning behind her singing, to him, was that she would end up where her mother was. Madea insisted on letting her sing because it was the right thing to do. She said singing in that church would be good for her and eventually she was allowed to sing. Black girls show that the hand games and music were a part of their past and are being passed down from generation to generation. The wording was different years ago but the general basis of chanting, dancing and gestures is the same.

During //Madea's Family Reunion//, the entire family gathers for a get together and the elders sat around and watched what the younger generations were doing these days and what they saw appalled them. Girls were walking around with their stomachs hanging out and booty shorts on, they were also dancing very provocatively to diff kinds of hip hop music. One older women commented on how that's not how we acted in my day (regarding the dance and dress) but another scene showed girls from different ages doing double dutch at various speeds to see who could survive the longest at the faster speeds. Bringing in the music and dance to the picture showed how music had changed over the years but still certain childhood aspects had stayed the same, like double dutch. "Black girls public musical experience begins with learning to embody practices passed down by siblings and peers at home, then perhaps at block parties and family reunion picnics, and also at wedding and funeral gatherings." (8) Taking this quote into consideration, they may not have just been playing. These skills are passed on from generation to generation and continuing them could have been important to black culture.

Thinking back, there is hardly any hip hop in any of Madea's shows or movies. This this way she contradicts Gaunts ideologies in the sense that she states recently black girls music is based more around the music and the body. Many of the songs used in any of Madea's work is generally soul or gospel music. The majority is soul or jazzy soft music. Maybe the future of her movies will take over more of a hip hop scene but as for now they stay very tasteful with the music they choose to fit with the African American actors. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">

1. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NnFOxGsC1wU, 5/11/10
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