Madea: Difference between revisions

This article has multiple issues. Please help improve it or discuss these issues on the talk page. (Learn how and when to remove these messages) No issues specified. Please specify issues, or remove this template. (Learn how and when to remove this message)

Mabel Simmons, commonly known as Madea, is a comedic fictional character created and portrayed by Tyler Perry. The character is a (6'5"), overweight, older woman. She is quite argumentative and is willing to threaten people with her gun, but generally does not get in trouble since she is a nightmare for the police. She has a unique accent, with catch phrases such as "Heller, how ya dern?" or "Halleluyer praise da lort!" Despite her aggressive manner, the character is usually used to teach a lesson.

Although Madea is featured as a costarring role in most of Perry's plays and films, including Diary of a Mad Black Woman, Madea's Family Reunion, Meet the Browns, Madea Goes to Jail, I Can Do Bad All By Myself, and most recently, Madea's Big Happy Family, she is not the protagonist, but the comic relief. Despite this, she is often a title character. The only exceptions are the films Madea Goes To Jail and Madea's Big Happy Family in which she is the main character.

Madea was born in New Orleans, Louisiana on April 26, 1935. According to Don't Make a Black Woman Take Off Her Earrings: Madea's Uninhibited Commentaries on Love and Life, she had several brothers, two of whom are Frederick (in the book), Joe (who appears in the movies) and an illegitimate brother named Willie Humphrey, to whom she was briefly married.

In Madea's Family Reunion, she had a sister, named Irene, who is dead. Also in the book, she gives details of her mother, "Big Mabel" Murphy, who was also "unusually large". "Big Mable" is described as being very gentle and mild-mannered, a very kind and peaceful woman with a long but dangerous fuse. According to Madea in "Madea's Family Christmas", "Big Mabel" was a hooker during Madea's childhood and not religious. Madea did not grow up with knowledge of Christianity.

When she was 16, Madea's family moved to Atlanta, Georgia, into a shotgun house. She attended Booker T. Washington High School where she was a cheerleader. She mentions in Don't Make a Black Woman Take Off Her Earrings: Madea's Uninhibited Commentaries on Love and Life that her mother and daddy would not let her go out until she was seventeen or eighteen.

Madea's difficult background is seen in the film Madea Goes to Jail (aka Tyler Perry's Madea Goes to Jail, 2009), where it is revealed that Madea raised/supported her children by stripping, poledancing, and professional wrestling, among other things. She is also stated to have a lifelong criminal record, beginning at age 9 with a charge of petty theft, progressing to illegal gambling at age 18, check fraud, identity theft, insurance fraud (presumably related to her 9 deceased husbands), assault and attempted murder, vehicle theft, smashing into other vehicles on roads (as she did to the Cadillac CTS in Madea Goes to Jail), and forklifting vehicles out of parking spaces (such as what she had done to the Pontiac Solstice in Madea Goes to Jail). The film also revealed that Madea has not had a driver's license for 38 years, although a suspended Georgia driver's license issued to "Simmons, Madea" is clearly shown onscreen. Her brother Joe (also played by Perry) calls her a "po-po ho", meaning someone who is a professional at running from the police. In Diary of a Mad Black Woman, she was charged with criminal trespassing, reckless endangerment, criminal possession of a handgun, assault with a deadly weapon, suspended license, expired registration, reckless driving, and a broken taillight upon entering the court with her granddaughter Helen McCarter. She is shown to have different tolerances and her actions depicted vary frequently; from mild (angry phone calls, especially with Cora) to severe (forklifting and dropping a car whose driver cut her off)

Mabel Simmons

c.Cora Simmons

c.Lisa Simmons

m.A.J. Jenkins

c.Tina Simmons

a.Tyrone Johnson

c.Shemar Simmons

c.Michelle Griffin

c.Vianne Griffin-Mitchell

m.Bobby Mitchell

c.Maylee Griffin

c.Keisha Griffin

c.William Simmons

m.Myrtle Simmons

c.Helen Simmons-McCarter

m.Charles McCarter (Divorced)

m.Orlando Moore

c.Jackie Simmons

m.Kelvin

c.Gina Simmons-Harris

m.Dr. Harris (Divorced)

Irene Andrews (deceased)

c.Victoria Breaux

c.Vanessa Breaux

m.Frankie Henderson

c.Lisa Breaux

c.Sonny Andrews

m.Wanda Andrews

c.Sheila Andrews

m.Troy Jackson

c.Angela Simmons

Joe Baker

m.Fantasia Baker (Divorced)

c.Brian Baker

m.Debrah Baker

c.Tiffany Baker

c.BJ Baker

c.Donna Simmons

c.Jamecia

Pete Watkins

c.Bam Watkins

n.Shirley Watkins (deceased)

c.Joyce Watkins

c.Tammy Watkins-Jones

m.Harold Jones

c.Harold Jr.

c.Will Jones

c.Byron Watkins

a.Sabrina

c.Byron Jr.

c.Kimberly Watkins-Calloway

m.Jason Calloway

c.Donnie Watkins

n.Margaret

c.Eric

c.Lucy

a.John Mansell

c.Unknown

c.George

Madea has an older sister named Irene Andrews, who has a son named Sonny Andrews. Family Reunion begins with everyone leaving Irene's funeral. It's shown that Madea didn't care much for her; in fact, not only does Madea claim she's happy Irene died, but she also says Irene probably died on purpose to get out of repaying Madea a loan. In Madea Goes to Jail, Madea helps out Sonny by letting him stay at her home rent-free. Irene also has a daughter named Sheila. Madea's first play is in I Can Do Bad All By Myself.

Madea's first husband, the father of Michelle and William, was Johnny Simmons (deceased). He seems to have been active in the upbringing of granddaughters Vianne and Maylee, based on conversations about him in I Can Do Bad All By Myself. Madea implies that she was glad when he died and that their marriage wasn't good. Johnny's niece Vickie appears in Family Reunion; she is the mother of four sons.

Madea's daughter, Michelle Griffin, was born when Madea and Johnny were teenagers and grew up to be a prostitute and neglectful mother of two daughters, Maylee and Vianne, who appear in the play I Can Do Bad All By Myself and might have different fathers. Vianne's father was a drunk who didn't spend enough time with her. Madea explains that Michelle did not know the father of Maylee and called her Maybe because she was sleeping with 4 or 5 men when she got pregnant. Madea changed it to Maylee when she took her and Vianne out of the projects to raise them. Maylee has a 14-year-old daughter Keisha, who is also seen as pregnant.

Madea's daughter Cora Simmons is her most recognized and only child to appear in most of the plays and movies. Cora is a devout Christian and is often in the company of Madea's neighbor Leroy Brown.

Tina and Lisa only appear in Madea's Family Reunion, but are the only granddaughters to be mentioned all the time. Cora thought that Johnny was her daddy until Class Reunion, in which Madea is reminded that Cora was the product of a one-night-stand with Leroy Brown during their prom in 1953, making her 62 years old in her first appearance, as well as Class Reunion when her parents attend their 50th class reunion. Once Cora learned the truth, she became closer to Mr. Brown, visiting his family (in Meet the Browns) and taking him to the hospital in What's Done in the Dark. Their father/daughter plotline is shown on movies in Meet the Browns, the TV series Tyler Perry's House of Payne, and its spinoff series Meet the Browns In the movie Tyler Perry's Madea's Big Happy family, Cora enlists the help of Maury Povich to find out if Leroy Brown is in fact her father, after a blood test proves he is not. DNA tests reveal that Leroy Brown is NOT the father of Cora.

Madea's youngest, her only son William, is married to Myrtle. Depending on the chronological order of the plays, he could be older than Cora. His oldest daughter Helen is in her mid-to-late 30s during Diary of a Mad Black Woman, which makes him in his 50s, whereas Cora is only 50, being born in 1953 when Madea was 18. Myrtle, portrayed by Tamela Mann appears only in the reboot, Diary of a Mad Black Woman play but mentioned in I Can Do Bad All by Myself play.

In the film "Diary of a Mad Black Woman", Myrtle is portrayed by Cicely Tyson, enabling her to appear more than once in the film version. In both versions, Myrtle is the wife of William, Madea's only son and the mother of Helen, Jackie, and Gina, all of whom have either appeared or been mentioned in one of the plays (though only Helen is mentioned in the movie). In the film timeline, Myrtle is in her 70s, and is placed in a retirement home. This shows a natural propensity to disregard timelines humorously, because Madea herself is only in her mid-70s.

In Madea's Big Happy Family, Madea visits her niece Shirley (''Chandra Currelley'') to help her with her children and to tell them about her health-terminating issue. Shirley lives with her Aunt Bam and son who later is revealed to be her grandson to daughter Kimberly who was raped by her Uncle at the age of 12.

Madea's family tree is different in the films than in the plays.

Cora is still Madea's daughter with two daughters of her own who were referenced in the film version of Meet the Browns. While Helen remains the same, her mother, Myrtle, is now in her 70s, not 50s. It could be assumed that Madea's age and the age of her son, William, has increased as well. In "Madea Goes to Jail" there is no apparent relation between Leroy Brown and Cora other than friends.

In addition to these changes, Madea now has a niece named Victoria who has two daughters, Vanessa and Lisa. She has a brother named Joe who has two children named Brian and Donna. Brian (a defense attorney also played by Perry) is married to Debra and has two children, Tiffany and BJ (Brian Jr.). Donna is the daughter of Joe who appeared in Madea's Family Reunion and is married to Isaac.

Joe's family is the newest addition to the Simmons family tree. In the film version of Madea's Family Reunion, Madea took in Nikki. Madea had a choice to either do so or go to jail because she took off her house arrest bracelet that she wore in Diary of a Mad Black Woman.

Madea seems to have adopted Nikki permanently as she appeared in the very first episode of TBS television series Tyler Perry's House of Payne still being taken care of by Madea. Nikki did not appear in Madea Goes to Jail and there was no mention of her whereabouts. In fact, there is no mention of any of this in several of the films, chiefly "Meet the Browns" and "Madea Goes to Jail" (2009).

Madea is 68 in the first play I Can Do Bad All By Myself and in Madea's Class Reunion, which is about her 50-year class reunion. Her ages in the other plays are unknown because they take place between these two plays, and there is no continuity offered by Perry. As stated already, Madea is around 74 or 75 in "Madea Goes to Jail" (2009). She has buried 19 husbands; among them, Jimmy, and Johnny, Madea's second husband. When each dies, she collects their life insurance checks. Madea claims to have shot some of them (or poisoned them with sweet potato pie). After each husband dies, they are buried quickly. Madea's tagline is, "I'm tryin' to get to the insurance company by five, and the casino by nine!" She has a very hard time trusting people, and wary to those that are strangers. In the film version of I Can Do Bad All By Myself she is asked to welcome in her home the three troubled kids that vandalized her house. They are forced by their aunt to help Madea with chores so they can earn her forgiveness. She is very hesitant to let the thieving strangers into her house and tells their aunt that she does not trust them, and for all she knows, they might be Sandinistas.

In spite of her less-than-glowing reputation with her marriages and the law, Madea helps people realize how badly they are treated by their partners and will instruct them about the mistakes they have made in their life choices and leads them toward the path of forgiveness and improvement. In the film Madea Goes to Jail, while in jail she attends an anger management church meeting under duress, then lectures all the women to stop being victims and whining. She is emotionally strong and offers great advice to those for whom she cares. She has a vehement hatred for the rude, lazy and stupid. She is a firm critic of men that sag their pants, believing that it looks cheap and sloppy. She generally has four methods of attacking people: (1) insulting them with her sharp wit. (2) Stabbing them with her lit cigarette. (3) Strangulating and pounding them with her hands and elbows. (4) Firing her sidearm, although she just shoots around them, as she prefers to scare them straight instead of injuring or killing them.

Madea also helps others shed some light on their own lives instead of looking at someone else's. On numerous occasions she has accepted family members into her home of her own accord, including granddaughter Helen (the movie Diary of a Mad Black Woman), granddaughter Vianne (I Can Do Bad All By Myself), Vanessa and her two kids (Madea's Family Reunion), and ex-convict Bobby Mitchell (I Can Do Bad All By Myself).

Madea's home is a spacious, early-1900s style house on a street corner at 1197 Avon Avenue in southwest Atlanta, Georgia. There are at least five bedrooms, and Joe sleeps in a room downstairs (noted when Madea answers the door at night in Diary of a Mad Black Woman, the movie). The living room is where Joe can usually be found, smoking marijuana in spite of his need to be on oxygen. ("God made this for us", he tells Cora and Mr. Brown, "God made this little tree, Viagra and oxygen. Put them all together and you can take a woman to heaven and back!")

To Madea's constant annoyance, the hilarious Mr. Leroy Brown is her next-door neighbor, who owns a barking dog. Madea solves this by feeding it sleeping pills. Madea's best friend, Ella Kincaid, is Madea's next-door neighbor also (though this character is totally absent from several of the films). Madea cherishes her gold 1970 Cadillac DeVille, which she keeps parked on the street. In Meet the Browns, Madea inexplicably steals a 2001 Toyota Avalon from a girl, Sachiko Ijuin. This made her angry, so she called the police on Madea, placing her in a car chase. In Madea Goes to Jail, she finally accepts her license suspension of 38 years, but she began driving again as soon as Cora neglects her daughterly duties. While riding with Cora, she became so mad that she threw her daughter's Chevrolet Uplander into full throttle without Cora's intention, causing it to crash into the Cadillac CTS. In Madea's Big Happy Family, her Cadillac became a lemon during her jail sentence, but she continues to drive it (risking “climatic discomfort and Carbon Peroxide poisoning”), once in a drive-thru, where she smashes through the glass and attacks an employee after she did not receive her breakfast because of the service.

Madea's Witness Protection — 2012

Madea's Big Happy Family — 2011

I Can Do Bad All by Myself — 2009

Madea Goes to Jail — 2009

Meet the Browns — 2008

Madea's Family Reunion — 2006

Diary of a Mad Black Woman — 2005

Madea has made occasional appearances on the TBS television series Tyler Perry's House of Payne. Madea resides in Atlanta, and serves as the adopted mother to Nikki. Madea first encounters the Payne family when her adopted daughter has an altercation at school with Curtis Payne's great-nephew Malik. Curtis takes a particular disliking to Madea, who—as expected—is not intimidated by Curtis at all. Ever since, Curtis has become afraid of Madea and has nightmares about her.

A year later, Curtis tries to stop everyone from having the Christmas spirit so when Curtis falls asleep he dreams that Madea is the ghost of past, present, and future, and she tries to teach him a lesson.

About another year later, Curtis' wife Ella chastises him for taking her for granted. That night Curtis has an extended nightmare where he is married to Madea instead of Ella.

On another TBS series, Meet the Browns, Madea is said to be the mother of Cora Simmons, as the result of a one-night stand with the show's lead character, Leroy Brown. Madea is made fun of many times by Mr. Brown and mentioned many times by daughter Cora. She is an unseen character throughout the series.

Perry has written a book in the character's persona titled Don't Make A Black Woman Take Off Her Earrings: Madea's Uninhibited Commentaries On Love And Life, which was published April 11, 2006.

Entertainment Weekly put the character on its end-of-the-decade, "best-of" list, saying, "Whether she's going to jail or just opening up a can of whupass, Tyler Perry's Madea is the profane, gun-toting granny you never had but (maybe) wish you did."^[1]

Perry has been accused of minstrelsy and playing into black stereotypes with the Madea character, most notably by fellow black director Spike Lee. Perry's argument with Lee dates back to a 2009 interview in which Lee referred to Perry's films as "coonery buffoonery".^[2]

Lee equated the Madea movies with the old-time minstrel shows which lampooned black people as dim-witted, lazy, buffoonish, superstitious and happy-go-lucky^[3][4], and further stated that if a white director made a movie depicting black people in this manner he would rightly be ostracized.^[2]

Tyler has responded vehemently that his films are meant as entertainment and should not be taken so seriously.

"I am sick of him talking about me," Perry said. "I am sick of him saying, 'This is a coon, this is a buffoon.' I am sick of him talking about black people going to see movies. This is what he said: 'You vote by what you see' -- as if black people don't know what they want to see."

"I am sick of him. He talked about Whoopi, he talked about Oprah, he talked about me, he talked about Clint Eastwood. Spike needs to shut the hell up!"^[5]

• Cross-gender acting

• Official website
• tylerperryworks.wikia.com/Madea