Tyler Perry

Entertainment Weekly recently ran an article about “black america’s secret culture war”. Apparently it's all due to Tyler Perry: the playwright, author, filmmaker, and actor of Madea fame, who has created a franchise around his name and is also responsible for opening the first black-owned studio in the U.S. in October of last year. Culture war or no, Perry certainly sends sparks flying with the characters he puts on screen - some critics say they're lowest-common-denominator, stereotypical representations of black experience (ie. the complete opposite of the too-elite Cosby's).

What's as interesting is the loyal and resilient audience that Perry has developed for his films. In February, his latest, “Madea Goes to Jail” was the top film in the US, bringing in $41.1 million at the Box Office. Not bad for what was always thought of in Hollywood as a "niche" audience. It’s also worth mentioning that Tyler Perry owns it all, from the movies and video library (he’s sold 25 million DVDs of his plays) to his TV shows.

Read more at www.postbourgie.com

Cinema Audiences

Reuters is covering a Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) report that box office receipts around the world rose 5% to a record $28.1 billion in 2008, inspite of the economic turndown.



The United States and Canada markets reached $9.8 billion in 2008, a 1.7% increase over 2007, and a figure that accounts for 35% of the worldwide total. International box office sales hit a record $18.3 billion, up 7% over the previous year, and accounted for 65% of the global total. (so much for "runaway production.....")

The number of films released in 2008 increased slightly from the previous year to 610 compared to 599 in 2007.

Americans now watch more than 151 hours of TV a month -- an all-time high -- while those who watch video online consume another 3 hours of video per month, and those who use mobile video watch nearly 4 additional hours per month on mobile phones and other devices, according to a report from Nielsen.

The study also noted that men continue to watch video on mobile phones more than women, and women continue to watch video on the Internet and television more than men.....