Tyler Perry offers Tyler Perry's explanation of why Tyler Perry cast Kim Kardashian in Tyler Perry's movie
Most Tyler Perry films actually have to premiere before they’re derided as cheap or crassly opportunistic, but then, most Tyler Perry films do not star Kim Kardashian, whose recently dissolved marriage to the Abominable Snowman soured an entire nation that no longer knows what the human heart is for. Their unfortunately timed divorce has created an ironic twist for the already ironically titled The Marriage Counselor, one that will surely eat up lots of minutes of press junkets, minutes that could have been spent listening to Tyler Perry talk more shit about Spike Lee or praise Jesus or something.
But more importantly, for the first time ever, apparently, Tyler Perry finds himself forced to take to Tyler Perry’s blog, and provide Tyler Perry’s answer to the people who actually matter—i.e. people like “the cutest little old woman,” who recently stopped him in a Mexican restaurant to berate him for hiring that “KAR-DAT-CHE-NEM” woman—instead of just doing whatever it is he normally does when faced with criticism, like hole up in his special, lavender-and-sandalwood-scented sweater closet and hum softly to himself. In Tyler Perry’s Tyler Perry words, Tyler Perry began:
I could not have imagined I’d be getting all these emails about Kim Kardashian. I HAVE SEEN THEM!! YOU HAVE BEEN HEARD!! …LOL. Now, may I say something? Can a brother get a word in?….LOL. Y’all gave me a new movie title, Tyler Perry’s Diary of a Mad Black Woman Cause You Hired Kim Kardashian, Don’t Make Me Take Off My Earrings and Boycott Yo A**. …LOL. Some of my ladies are upset. Ok, all jokes aside, can I have my say?
After confirming that a) even Tyler Perry enjoys coming up with fake Tyler Perry’s… movie titles, and b) Tyler Perry laughs out loud at his own jokes, Tyler Perry hunkered down and had Tyler Perry’s say. Specifically, Tyler Perry said that Tyler Perry’s The Marriage Counselor was simply too important not to feature Kim Kardashian, because otherwise our children just wouldn’t learn anything:
After I finished writing this movie, I sat back and re-read it. Half way through my read, the gravity of what I had written hit me. I knew that this message was not only for my age group, but for all audiences, especially the youth. ESPECIALLY THE YOUTH!! YOUNG FOLKS NEED TO SEE THIS!!! And not just the young people that follow me, but the young people that are following other young people, as well… About two months ago, long before I even heard about Kim’s marriage or divorce, I was trying to finish up the casting. I said to one of my producers, “who else is out there that young people are looking up to?” One of my producers showed me pictures that his daughter had taken of several hundred kids lined up around the corner to get into a Kardashian store. They wanted to meet Kim. I thought, what better person! She literally has millions of young people following her.
I thought and still do think, that it would be very responsible of her to be a part of this film. To have the young people that look up to her, see her in a film that is about, what happens in life when you make the wrong choices. Whether you’re aware of it or not, to be honest with you I wasn’t, millions of young people adore her and are following her every move. If one of those young people see this film and find the strength to live a better life and not go through what these characters went through in this movie, then we have all done what I feel I’m being led to do here. I hope you understand. I really do!
Tyler Perry really does hope you understand—ESPECIALLY THE YOUTH that have for so long looked up to Kim Kardashian, and have thus been primed to learn that making the wrong choices in life always, always has repercussions. Okay, we’re being slightly sarcastic there, because sex tape. But Tyler Perry also points out that Tyler Perry’s decision was influenced by more than just Kim Kardashian being a living teachable moment. Tyler Perry also sees his film as a path to her own redemption:
And lastly, because I believe that my films speak from the inside out, why wouldn’t Kim Kardashian be invited into a film about Faith, Forgiveness and the healing power of God? What is wrong with that??
Indeed, why wouldn’t Kim Kardashian be invited to bathe in the baptismal fount of Tyler Perry’s forgiveness? Tyler Perry’s God works in mysterious ways, after all, and if those ways happen to include exploiting the name recognition of a famous tabloid star with next-to-no genuine acting credits, just to draw attention to His instrument on Earth, Tyler Perry, who among God’s ladies is going to take off their earrings and boycott his ass, LOL? [via Movieline]