“Diana Ross refuses to work with ‘lowbrow’ Tyler Perry” links

Diana Ross refuses to work with Tyler Perry, thinks ‘Madea’ is “lowbrow”. [Bossip]
Emma Stone and Andrew Garfield are back to being adorable. [A Socialite Life]
These Adrien Brody pics are ridic. [Dlisted]
I don’t like Colin Farrell’s hair here. [LaineyGossip]
Tom Hardy’s creepy beefiness is selling The Dark Knight Rises. [Pajiba]
Check out these exclusive photos of Ryan Reynolds and Blake Lively over the 4th of July. She’s wearing an old-timey swimsuit & everyone looks adorable. [Pop Sugar]
The Bieb & Selena Gomez were out last night. [Celebuzz]
This dude punched a priest and the jury acquitted him. [Gawker]
Britney Spears looks great. [The Blemish]
Princess Charlene’s looks of the week. [Go Fug Yourself]
Tommy Lee still has fans? Not anymore. [Celebs]
How Scientologist trolls work the interwebs. [Yeeeah]
Katie Holmes has lost weight. [Evil Beet]
Minka Kelly in a tank top. You’re welcome. [Popoholic]
You rarely get to see Catherine Zeta-Jones’s kids. [Celebrity Baby Scoop]
Why would you want to break into Diddy’s mansion? [I’m Not Obsessed]
J.Lo wants a Casper baby. Ugh. [Celebslam]
Dear Kris Jenner: put it away. [Amy Grindhouse]
Jackson Rathbone welcomes a son, named him Jackson Rathbone VI. [Wonderwall]

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86 Responses to ““Diana Ross refuses to work with ‘lowbrow’ Tyler Perry” links”

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  1. RHONYC says:

    I’m a, a diva, hey
    I’m a, I’m a, a diva, hey
    I’m a, I’m a, a diva, hey
    I’m a, I’m a, a diva!

    😀

    • jules says:

      Dang, she looks like Oprah in that first pic

      • Maguita says:

        That is so true!!! I thought Oprah at first!

        On another note, did anyone read what Co$ little cyber-techies do to censor comments on their church?

        Here is what they are commanded to do:

        On each comment if you place your mouse over it,it show up on the bottom right a tag that say ‘REPORT’.

        2. Click the “Report” Tag and a small window show up. Click the tab “Send Note to Moderator”

        3. Once you do that a new window show up and you can send a text of 100 character. You can write something like ‘Violate Your Code of Conduct,’ defames or degrades a group for any reason including on the basis of religion.”

        4. Read the comment from people and pick the ones that fit the violation of the Code of Conduct.

        5. Report the Violation!! That’s it!! You are done.

        Once you got the hang of it it get pretty fast and in one hour you can report of lots of these nonsense comment!

        If is only one person (me) reporting these issues, the Moderator at Microsoft will not take the comment off. if you start to have 10 or 20 people reporting it, they are going to take this down.
        ———————-

        Those Little F-ckers. They will try to give any blogger a hard time wading through real and false reports of abuse!! H

        Now, anyone with suggestions on how to counter-act those little xenutic terrorists?

        EDIT: Xenutic, one who suffers from Xenu lunacy. Remind myself, submit this to Urban Dictionary. Will it be accepted?

      • Lady D says:

        Maguita I read about Jackson Rathbone VI. I was curious about the numbers behind his name. Young Jackson is a descendant of General Stonewall Jackson and his great-granfather was chairman of Exxon Oil. Who knew.
        I’m also completely disgusted by the Co$ PR machine.

  2. Lucy2 says:

    How many Muppets had to die to make that dress?

  3. Jennika says:

    I clicked on that Kris Jenner link, I’m now going to pour bleach over my eyes

  4. Alice says:

    Good for her! And I agree with her 100%!

  5. Riana says:

    It’s a mixed bag.

    On the one hand his movies are terrible.

    On the other he’s the only film maker offering consistent roles to African Americans.

    Seriously look at any of the films gushed about this year and point me to the one with a starring African American that’s not a Perry film.

    Sucks.

    • k says:

      True.

    • MaiGirl says:

      Couldn’t agree more, Riana, with everything you said. Also, there are often some good scenes, good dialog, or really incredible acting (he gets good people because jobs for Black actors, especially women, are so hard to find)in even the worst of his films, so that keeps me a consistent TP DVD renter. For example, Taraji killed her dramatic role, absolutely murdered it, in I Can Do Bad All By Myself, which was a pretty terrible movie otherwise.

    • Craigory says:

      Think Like a Man- never saw it- was a huge hit and had nothing to do with Tyler Perry.

      • Riana says:

        True, but name another movie besides it and I’m not trying to be snotty when I say that.

        Outside of movies that are primarily intended for black audiences there are no to few films with an ensemble cast that have black actresses or actors who are not big stars.

        Sure Denzel or Halle will get a movie but outside of them how many black faces have you seen in the movies you’ve attended this year?

        Diana has the option of not wanting to work with him because she’s already a star but if she was a struggling black actress a Perry film would be a relief.

      • Jordan says:

        Takers was #1 in it’s opening weekend wasn’t it?

      • Maggie says:

        @ Riana, totally agree!

    • nue says:

      Safehouse with Denzel

      • michkabibbles says:

        i loved safehouse, but denzel was the pretty much the only black actor in the film. it wasn’t an ensemble.

    • Aiobhan says:

      Spike Lee mainly casts black people in his films. He has a film coming out soon Beasts of the Southern Wild has an all black cast. Yes, it is slim pickings but Tyler is not the only one working.

    • NewPaltzGal says:

      Read my mind. African American man who was once living in his car is now a multimillionaire writer, actor,and producer with his own movie studio..that is amazing

      However, the movies and shows are a bit much, even tho i have laughed at occassional scenes lol

    • Emma - the JP Lover says:

      I actually liked “The Family that Preys” (2008) with Alfre Woodard, Kathy Bates, Sanaa Lathan, Cole Hauser, and Taraji P. Henson. It was a really good story and the cast was exceptionally good. Tyler Perry wrote, directed, and acted in that one too. He was married to Taraji P. Henson’s character, who played one of Alfre Woodard’s daughter (Sanaa Lathan played the other daughter).

      I highly recommend the film.

  6. Mdawg says:

    Is it bad to say that seeing Blake Lively with cellulite makes me feel better about myself? lololololol

    • Maguita says:

      Oooooh, but I find the Lively calculating!

      Notice how old-fashioned and very-very much unlike any of Leo DiCapreo’s little-bikini wearing models she is???

      I bow to the master. I bow to the master!

      @originalKitten must see this as well!

      Have a great w/e Mdawg, and who cares about cellulite, it’s everywhere when it isn’t photo-shopped.

    • Nessa says:

      No, because I was noticing a little pooch in front, too! I don’t think it’s a flattering bathing suit, even on her. And the dress with her nipples hanging out in front of her family… Kinda gross and trashy.

  7. Aubra says:

    Good!

    I get pegged a hater all the time for how I see Tyler’s work, but it is what it is. I give TP props for making a living and coming far in life.
    However, I don’t like that his movies come off with this agenda against black women. Sure these are personas that people REALLY do carry, I won’t deny that at all, but the HEAVY FOCUS on it is VERY suspect to me. It’s almost as if black women are subliminally being pegged as one extrememe or the other if we are with a partner who does well in life and somehow said partner is all of a sudden shown to be an abuser or crook, and now the woman must be saved by the blue collar guy who is her only hope and was always her only hope, and she realizes it when it’s too late or in hindsight. Or the blue collar guy gets revenge by beating and smacking said woman around…the formula is so cookie cutter now and the fact that his built in fanbase eats it up, shows and proves that the majority of the black movie going audience doesn’t look for anything more than typical dumbed down material to entertain them.

    • Playlist says:

      I saw one Tyler P. movie (drama) on DVD. His low opinion of women was so obvious and disgusting I didn’t make it half way thru the movie before I stopped it. I had no idea that I would be subjected to so much violence when I chose the DVD. I will never watch another movie of his, even a comedy. The man has serious issues about women and it’s disturbing that he makes money from it. I would think black men would be fed up with how they are portrayed as well. I’m glad Diana R. has taken a stand against him. She gets a cheer from me.

      • crtb says:

        Really? Then you don’t know much about his movies. Watch these and you may change your mind.

        For Colored Girls
        Good Deeds
        Precious
        The Family That Prays Together

        I think you have forgotten that he is also a producer.

      • Emma - the JP Lover says:

        @crtb …

        See my post above. “The Family that Preys” is an awesome movie with an incredible cast! 🙂

  8. Agnes says:

    diana ross is a legend. she can refuse to work with anyone she pleases. 🙂

  9. Rhiley says:

    I like that Colin Farrell is a man who enjoys a good power walk. He is such a sweetie.

    • Maguita says:

      Not that you need liking him more,

      but he likes power walks, and enjoys marathon sex.

      My kind of man.

      Have a great w/e!

  10. jj says:

    Blake Lively looks pregnant

    • Rhiley says:

      I think she has been looking pregnant for a few weeks now. There were some photos them shopping at Whole Foods recently (or some such WASPy grocery store), and she looked pregnant. I thought she might be overindulging a bit in vanilla ice cream and martoonis, but maybe she is pregnant.

    • Sisi says:

      Yeah she does. And there are several pics where blake or ryan is touching her belly, are they trying to sell a story? (I assume they arranged the pap-situation)

  11. NerdMomma says:

    Ehhh I read the Tommy Lee post and it made me kind of like him (not that I am a fan or anything). He has some really good points, and it doesn’t seem douchey or anything. I hate having my picture taken though so maybe I just empathize 😀

    • Happy21 says:

      Well I am a fan – well I was a fan until I read this last week. He’s an asshole. I love Motley Crue they are my fave band and have been since I was 6 freakin’ years old! I went to a show a few years ago and waited and waited to have my photo taken with someone. Not because I’m owed it but because I frickin’ adore these guys! I never got the photo with Crue but did get one with DJ Ashba of Sixx AM and Guns n’ Roses fame.

      God I was so pissed at Tommy Lee for writing this. I hate getting my photo taken too but if I was in the position that he is (a million adoring fans who buy the records, the concert tickets, the books, etc.) I would give them a photo because if it weren’t for those fans I would be nothing.

      LOL, sorry. I ranted. Not at you but at him. I don’t think I’ll be buying anymore music or going to anymore Motley Crue concerts 🙁

  12. Stacie says:

    Kinda surprised .B/c , most people today (younger folks) know Tyler Perry and NOT Diana Ross. She should be grateful that he would want to do a project with her .She’s been barely relevant in the last 20 years .

    • Esther says:

      I doubt she cares wether young people know who she is or not, she is not catered to young people and if she were trying to get the younger demographic a Tyler perry movie wouldn’t be the way to go. I wouldnt be so sure that a lot of young people know who tyler perry is they may know his movies and who madea is, but they probably couldn’t name him if they saw a picture of him. Also even if she isn’t relevant with the younger crowd she is still relevant to music, she has an impact on the music industry. I don’t think there is anything wrong with her not want to do a Tyler perry movie, he constantly perpetuates stereotypes and only feeds the view the media and society has on black people.

    • Onyx XV says:

      Excellent point. I mean, I’ve been a Diana Ross fan since I was a kid in the 70s, and she has no equal. She’s not wrong that his movies do tend to be on the lowbrow side, ….BUT – bottom line, ^^^Stacie^^^ is right. GF hasn’t had work in years, she should be grateful that such a successful director is interested in her, get off her high horse, grab her sense of humor, and go work with him. Why not? Maybe she could elevate the quality of his work, who knows?

    • Jordan says:

      Ah, the Kim Kartrashian School of Fame…it doesn’t matter what you do, as long as you’re known!

      • Esther says:

        What if she doesn’t want to be mainstream again she probably isn’t looking for validation in her career. It’s possible she only wants to do things she believes in or what she feels will benefit her.

    • Kim1 says:

      No younger people that I know go. To Tylers movies

    • Cherry says:

      Diana Ross is 68 years old. She probably doesn’t even work that much anymore, and couldn’t care less about her career such as it is, or whether young people still like her. This woman is a living legend. She has earned her stripes, and then some. Who cares that she hasn’t been ‘relevant’ in the last few decades? I certainly wouldn’t, if I were her. She has earned the right to just do whatever she wants, work with whoever she pleases. And by the way, I have never heard of Tyler Perry. Must be an American thing.

  13. Anon says:

    I admire Miss Ross immensely for her refusal in this regard. Some black folks are starved culturally for Art; sick of kitsch.Art gives that intangible which cannot be reduced to mere money. She gets that. Bless her.

  14. RocketMerry says:

    “Katie Holmes has lost weight”

    And quickly! I hope she does not let the stress of her public divorce get in the way of her health. She needs her strength for herself and her child.

  15. Hipocrisy says:

    Geez, the woman got nominated for an Oscar for Best lead by an actress for one of the best iconic movie and one of my all time favourites :’Lady Sings The Blues’, portraying the legendary Billie Holliday with the iconic Billy Dee Williams.

    She has nothing to do with Tyler Perry stupid movies.

    I hope directors like Steve Mc Queen will keep on doing what he does and include more Africans or Afropeans or African Americans in his movies.

    Especially for us Afropeans who don’t have many of our people in movies done by Europeans from african descents, movies with another athmosphere than what Perry does, also with more mixity representing more the european mixity trend these days.

    • Jo 'Mama' Besser says:

      I hear ya. I’m a born and bred black Canadian who lived in one of the snow belts of the St. Lawrence Lowlands until moving to Toronto at the age of 23.

      This is a huge novelty to many non-Canadians (‘Silly, there aren’t black people in Canada.’ You’d know champ). I get asked by a lot of (usually older, but not exclusively) well-meaning white people who wonder how I manage to bear the weather. I’m no snow bunny, because it’s not because I’m physiologically incapable of not turning into a Scott-sicle with every layer added. I can tell the difference between malice and naivete, so I don’t get bent about it.

      Of course…

      A few years ago I was travelling home for Christmas, and had that conversation with some gentleman who I’m pretty sure had a six degrees of David Lee Roth going. It was two days before Christmas, late night, I had packages and it was -30, windy, and a blizzard was starting up (I don’t understand fahrenheit beyond -40 and 212 degrees and to be frank, it seems like the lunacy of the skies when I encounter it).

      Long story, short: He offered me the cab he had called before we met and I freaking took it. See, merry Christmases can happen if the meteorology is accomodating.

      *

      Anyway, I don’t see myself in the cinema for myriad reasons, but sometimes it’s easier to pick the battles–it’s not I’m going to star in Hollywood: Part Movie.

  16. A Girl Named Mikki says:

    So what black artists have to just settle for ANYTHING simply because they’re black??

    Like someone else said, Diana Ross is a legend…and a DIVA!! Her standards are her own and I applaud her.

  17. Dana says:

    To be fair, the supreme slut is intimately acquainted with low brow. Was Mr. Perry knocking Ms. Ross’ door down with offers?

  18. MorticiansDoItDeader says:

    Mmmm. Adrien Brody. I bet that nose is good for more than just smelling!

    • Blue says:

      Hehehehe 🙂

    • Szenyorabenyomva says:

      That girl gives a new meaning for gold digging.
      What the hell was she searching in Brody’s shorts? A sea cucumber or a hotter guy?

  19. Sisi says:

    When I glanced at the title I thought it said Katy Perry

  20. Janet says:

    I have never been able to stand this woman since the Supremes first hit the airwaves in 1964. She’s a mediocre talent voice-wise, and she can’t act her way out of a paper bag.

  21. alison8701 says:

    I know not a lot of you are interested, but Jackson Rathbone and his “burlesque” dancing girlfriend welcome a new baby… aka… Jackson accidentally knocked up a stripper. Kind of obvious= “burlesque” “monroe” but I also know his cousin.

  22. please says:

    Diana (don’t look me in the eye) Ross should be the last person to be judgemental anything. Look how she got on top, by backstabbing(the other supremes), messing around with married men (Barry Gordy) and having a child with him and other stuff that I don’t have time to type so please!!

  23. Nava says:

    I would NOT want to be sitting behind Ms. Ross at a Tyler Perry movie, or any movie. Imagine all the things you could hide in that hair..

  24. Gerry Bordy says:

    Yeah, it was Diane(a) who poured the booze down Flo’s neck and the coke up Mary’s nose that made her into the international star that she is today, 50 years on. How the heck can Miss Ross still get the headlines without any discernible talent is beyond me….

  25. jwoolman says:

    Well, she’s right that Madea is low-brow. But really funny! In a rather scary sort of way. Madea steals every scene better than a kid or a dog, since it’s impossible to take your eyes and ears off her. Tyler Perry’s shows and movies tend to be spotty (some brilliant moments, some not so much), but his Madea creation always hits it right.

  26. blah says:

    Whatever. He’s one of the most successful indie filmmakers of all time who started out self funding his projects as opposed to sleeping his way to the top. For the most part, his films are pretty cheap and rake in a crazy amount of profits. Film is primarily a business, not an art form, and if his stuff isn’t to Ross’s taste she doesn’t have to be a bitch about it. I hate Adam Sandler movies but admire the guy’s business savvy.

    Also, Perry’s crap is paving the way for more, potentially “high brow”, film projects through him establishing a market for black centred movies.

    • A says:

      I’m sure she sees it for what it is: A degradation of black American culture.
      And isn’t it interesting how it’s always these type of movies that get funded and green lighted?
      Why is it always “pain porn” when it comes to African American films? I see various different takes on “Precious” constantly, same theme, different faces.

      African American culture is now defined by the lowest common denominator.
      The African American underclass have now taken over and African American culture is now HipHop, gangbang,rap, thuglife,out of wedlock children,crime…etc. And you know it. Everyone knows it.

      And the only thing Tyler Perry movies are paving for is more Tyler Perry movies.

      • blah says:

        lol, he’s an independent filmmaker whose movies are co-productions with Lionsgate that his own company partially funds. Hollywood is hardly going out of its way to “greenlight” or fund black centred movies of any kind. It’s his company making it happen, and only because there’s a market for it.

        The rest of your post is so creepily racist and reductionist that I don’t even know where to begin, so I’ll just point out how you completely make no sense. Firstly, the movies Tyler Perry stars in and directs primarily deal with black, middle class culture. Not “poverty porn”. It’s the buffoonery antics and shrill portrayal of African American women people take issue with. It’s also quite telling you equate hip hop and rap, both very respected forms of music, with crime and gang banging. I’m sure Common, Grandmaster Flash, John Legend, Andre 3000, hell even Will Smith would have plenty to say about that.

        Even if Tyler Perry movies are only paving the way for more Tyler Perry movies, so what? He’s employing a lot of black actors, and catering to a demographic in America that nobody else really gave a shit about prior. He’s also encouraging black filmmakers like Dee Rees and Steve McQueen to get out there and counteract his Adam Sandler broad humour crap with more “highbrow” stuff. Oh and FYI- “poverty porn” Lee Daniels’ latest film screened at Cannes, was nominated for a Palme D’Or, prominently featured black actors, and heavens to betsy! It wasn’t about society’s underclass. You really think he’d have been able to direct it had Perry not helped him out with Precious and gotten him nominated him for an oscar?

      • A says:

        “blah” I’m black myself so I know what I am talking about.
        His movies are all the same, buffoonery and portraying black people as caricatures One dimensional stereotypes.
        Many black people loathe him for it and wish he could go away.
        His movies almost always portray the dysfunctional black family.

        Most mainstream hiphop/rap is sexist, misogynist (c)rap and degrading towards women, especially black women.

        And I don’t care if Perry supposedly caters to the “middle class”, the black middle class has been taken over by the lower class dressed up as the middle to upper middle class.
        They’ve hijacked the black middle class family.
        African Americans are headed towards permanent underclass status in America and it’s very worrying.

        I’m glad Steve McQueen is making more mainstream films but most of his films feature white actors and actresses and Steve himself is black british.
        Lee Daniels will never be forgiven for the hate filled pain porn that was “Precious”. Disgusting how that film got Oscar nominated.

        In short, I agree with Diana Ross. Finally someone black and famous said what many of us were thinking.

      • blah says:

        Honestly, I really don’t know how you being black qualifies a good many of the sweeping generalizations and grandiose statements you’ve made. For all you know I’m black too ooOOOoo.

        I’m also sorry to say that your “black middle class has been taken over by the lower class dressed up” is similarly confusing without examples or qualifications. How exactly? Are you talking in terms of culture or income bracket? If what you’re saying is true, I’m not really sure how Perry is perpetuating the socioeconomic situation of African Americans by making movies about dysfunctional black families. He’s certainly not glorifying them, and like it or not is creating discussion about how African Americans are portrayed in film. People don’t like how he’s portraying black culture, and are being encouraged to remedy the situation.

        It used to be that people were concerned that black actors weren’t featured on screen, period. Yeah it would be nice if Perry was making afro-centric Blade Runner or Citizen Kane, but Rome wasn’t built in a day. I’m also not sure why Steve McQueen being British is even pertinent. He’s a black filmmaker making movies where race isn’t an issue.

        Hip hop certainly can be construed as misogynistic, but that’s not how it was intended. The fact that people like Common and Andre 3000 are successful shows that people are working to change hip hop culture.

        I’m also confused as to who refuses to “forgive” Lee Daniels for making an oscar winning film about marginalized black people. It certainly hasn’t affected his career in the slightest. Last I checked he’s still being honoured by diversity celebrating organizations and working with people like Macy Gray. He’s got a pretty diverse palette as a producer and director, and doesn’t limit himself to “pain porn”.

        As an afterthought, it’s pretty hilarious Diana Ross is criticizing Tyler Perry for being “lowbrow” considering her incredibly dodgy journey to success.

  27. eric says:

    I always found Tyler Perry humor to be forced and crass, you can easily classify all his work as mediocre, including that horrible show “Meet the Browns” him and Adam Sandler are basically putting out the same crap by the bushel. No one in Hollywood will call him out on this crap because they don’t want to sound racist. But he does absolutely nothing to reinforce unique black voice in today’s cinema other than reinforce black stereotypes with redundant storytelling and clichéd plots.

  28. DAVID MISCAVIAGE says:

    I’m with Mrs. Ross – Tyler is the Gaga of the film industry – LOW RENT CRAP. Life or ART is about the QUALITY of what you GIVE – not how much CASH you make for peddling crap.

    • blah says:

      WHAT HAVE YOU DONE WITH SHELLY?

    • Maguita says:

      WHY DID YOU NOT ALLOW L. RON HUBBARD’S DESIGNATED LEADER, HEBER JENTZSCH, TO ASSUME HIS ROLE AS A PRESIDENT IN PERSON, NOT JUST IN TITLE???

      WHERE DID YOU HIDE THE BODY??

  29. palermo says:

    Ever since Tyler Perry pulled the race card when the Atlanta police stopped his vehicle because he was doing something ILLEGAL I am disgusted by him. By his own words his windows were black, so they didn’t know he was black when they stopped him. Of course they let him go because he’s rich and famous like they do with all of them.

  30. phoenix says:

    Not a tyler perry fan. The one movie i was thinking of seeing “for colored girls” got such awful reviews. The others look like budget “big momma’s house” but without nia long to me. Plus i heard he’s an ex gay christian which i think’s uncool.

  31. Mario says:

    Good for her, his movies are terrible.