“Don’t Make a Black Woman Take Off Her Earrings” Tyler Perry

    In “Don’t Make a Black Woman Take Off Her Earrings” Tyler Perry provides social commentary on relationships, both familial and romantic. Especially, the decline of romance and the complexity of dating and the importance of owning your past and living in the moment. He does this by speaking to the reader as both Tyler Perry and Madea. In combining his and Madea’s stories he is able to reach a broad audience and make everyone laugh; those who understand the layered humor and those that don’t. He understands that Madea’s brutal honesty is expected by audiences and has become a source of humor and nostalgia. The popularity and history of the character allows him to utilize Madea as a medium for social commentary and unfiltered advice because people would accept brutal honesty from Madea, but with Perry the creator it may be a hit or miss. It ensures that the audience is always relax and absorbing the content with its desired intent. The creation of Madea is explained by Tyler Perry, while the rest of the book is written through the perspective of Madea. There are streams of thoughts, so its fully unfiltered. 

    Madea discusses double standards and the realities in dating and relationships. For example, equating men to dog training. She uses brutal honesty in increasing self-worth and transforming people’s insecurities or weaknesses into strengths. Humor through brutal honesty; it sounds shocking because you expect people to sugarcoat it or let you down gently, but all she’s doing is telling the truth (incongruity theory). She gives advice to people of all ages. For example, peer pressure, lack of flirting skills, age, physical appearance etc. Additionally, there is a tad of self-defeating humor about her body, not necessary humorizing insecurities; rather being confident about her past and current body enough to find humor in the difference. Through discussing peer pressure, she reveals the reality of teen pregnancy, the lack of or inadequate sexual education in America. Honestly, this is one of my favorite books that we have read thus far, I’ve laughed at some point during every chapter. It motivates and empowers you while making you laugh the whole way through!