Marlon Wayans Once Shared How Tyler Perry Inspired the Wayans Family
Comedian Marlon Wayans and his family have made a fortune off of their projects, many of which they’ve developed and produced themselves. But their form of self-sufficient entertainment is a hustle that business mogul Tyler Perry is more than familiar with. Like the Wayans family, Perry built his empire largely by creating his own creative works as well. Although Perry achieved his fame a bit later than the Wayans family, he’s someone Marlon and his loved ones can’t help but look up to.
Marlon Wayans considered Tyler Perry a pioneer
Marlon Wayans and his family didn’t just break through the entertainment industry; they managed to carve their own paths. Their older brother, Keenen Wayans, helped kickstart their legacy by creating projects like The Hollywood Shuffle and In Living Color. Like Keenen, his younger brothers Marlon and Shawn thrived in Hollywood by creating their own hit franchises. Their contemporary, Perry, followed a similar trajectory to success.
Perry started off writing stage plays in his earlier years before translating them into global franchises like Madea. Given their similarities, with both the Wayans and Perry specializing in comedy, it’s easy to see why they respect each other so much. According to an interview Marlon did with The Grio, he sees Perry as an innovator.
“I also feel like he’s opened a door for us,” Wayans said. “It’s good to have these different people of color, your peers, in some capacity outshining you because then you look and go — ‘Oh! That’s the way.’ Tyler has a great business model, and so he’s a pioneer in his own right. He’s actually inspired us.”
Marlon Wayans defended Tyler Perry from dress criticisms
Because Marlon has such glowing respect for Perry, he’s been both passionate and sensitive about the criticisms leveled against the mogul and their contemporaries. A common criticism Perry has faced over the years is his habit of putting on dresses to play his character Madea. Some have felt that Perry’s Madea costume perpetuates the stereotype of Black comedians putting on dresses and emasculating themselves to connect with mainstream audiences. Perry has responded to this kind of scrutiny in the past and doesn’t share the same opinion as his detractors.
“Nobody owned that dress but me,” he once told T.I.’s ExpediTIously podcast. “Nobody told me — a $2 billion franchise, nobody told me to put it on. Nobody makes me put it on. It was all on stage. Black man owned the whole show; it was my choice,” Perry once said according to Vibe.
“I’m not a man who enjoys wearing a dress,” the mogul added. “For me, as an actor, it’s a costume. It’s like if somebody goes to work at Walmart, they put on their uniform. For me, that’s putting on a uniform, going out, and making people laugh. Lifting them up. Encouraging them. The good that it does for so many people.”
The Wayans brothers have faced similar kinds of feedback for putting on dresses in projects like White Chicks. But like Perry, Marlon doesn’t find it offensive at all for comedians to wear dresses to entertain their audience.
“I don’t agree with if you put on a dress, that’s coon-ism or whatever,” Marlon said. “There’s no vanity in comedy. I put on a dress; I’ll shrink myself down to size; I don’t give a f***. If it’s funny, I don’t care. Don’t tell me what’s funny because you don’t dare to have the balls to go be funny. So, let me do what I need to do to evoke laughter.”
