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Today, SAG National Board member and TV actress Anne-Marie Johnson made this statement public on the Writers Guild website: "
As a unionist and 11-year National Board member of the Screen Actors Guild, I was extremely disappointed to hear about the current situation facing the four fired House Of Payne writers. As an actor who occasionally appears on Mr. Perry's show, I am conflicted and angry. I realize that speaking publicly in support
of the writers will jeopardize my recurring role, but Mr. Perry's firing of writers, for negotiating for fair WGA coverage, including health insurance, does not speak well for a man who claims to believe in family, pride in one's race and artistic equality. It's time he steps up to do the right thing."
- Photos: WGA Pickets Tyler Perry Studios
- TV Showrunners Tell Tyler Perry: Firings For WGA Activity "Simply Not Acceptable"
- WGA vs Tyler Perry Productions, Contd
- Tyler Perry's Alleged Role As Union Buster Becoming Big Obama Embarrassment?
- Tyler Perry Fires 4 Writers For Union Activity; Perry's New Studio Picketed
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It’s nice to see that there are some people who actually will stand up for a cause where they may actually have an impact, as opposed to one for which they simply get good PR for themselves. It is so much easier to speak out about issues far removed from one’s own country, life, and career than it is to speak out about issues in your own backyard. Cheers!!
Way to walk the talk, Anne-Marie! Thank you!
More than ever, we need fairness and justice in this World. Thank you for “Doing the right thing!”
I admire Anne-Marie for speaking out on this. I wonder what she thinks of the well-known performers and athletes (Oprah, Ruby Dee, Sidney Poitier, Barry Bonds) who elected to attend the opening and, in doing so, crossed the picket line.
Once again, thank you for your personal support and your Union, SAG’s support. You’re awesome!
While I appreciate that Anne-Marie is, “…conflicted and angry.”I still have a slight problem believing that she didn’t know that the writers were having such a difficult time with the Mr. Perry. I mean, she does talk to the writers once in a while while on set, right? Surely this subject might have come up in casual conversation once in a while…That aside, I’m deeply disappointed to read that the protest [of Mr Perry's actions] didn’t effect the likes of Oprah–Obama declined to attend the opening of Perry’s new studio (pretty smart for a guy courting the union vote)–or Will Smith and the like from attend the gala studio opening event…
Whodda thunk it, turns out rich black folk hate unions too.
Here’s hoping she suffers no retaliation for speaking out for the right thing.
I’ve felt that for a man who plays to one of the lowest common denominators in “black” entertainment, he’s cashed in nicely. Is he an embarrassment? Yes (I won’t go there in detail…his work speaks for itself). He is the BET mentality in a nutshell yet it’s made him rich beyond his “talent” or his wildest dreams. Good for him.
Yet he cannot learn that anyone who works, deserves a fair slate.
Anne-Marie has been toiling as a working actor for 20+ years (if I can remember right) and has a ton to lose yet the one thing she will never lose by speaking out is her dignity. I feel blessed that she has the gumption to stand up. She’s not a star. This can hurt her during a financially tough time in our country but because of that, I take my hat off to her.
@ Questionable…
Will, Oprah and Obama aren’t black anymore. They are celebrities. If they ever got in trouble, they’re black. I am black myself but I know the bourgeois from my upbringing (I lived in the area right below an upper middle class area) and unfortunately when we come up so to speak, we distance ourselves. Tyler is an example. Also we don’t know how that “studio” is set-up. It’s not always the case that the actors and writers have a ton of words together. As I said, she’s not a star. Her input would probably towards the head writer, director or Tyler? I would think.
Why do y’all keep bringing up race?! This a labor dispute. Sue his ass! Fine him! But stop attacking him because of his race.
Obama was not at the opening.
Tyler directs all episodes. I doubt the writers are even on set. She probably spoke to TP.
to Questionable at best — in my experience, the writers usually try to stay away from the actors on set…especially guest actors.
Questionable at best, how sure are you of that? Can’t you for once applaud someone for standing up and voicing an opinion. Even if she knew, it surely wasn’t her business until they got fired. Do something brave it will help you with those… feelings
Good for you Anne-Marie. Takes courage to risk a gig to say what’s right.It’s been my personal experience that, sometimes, black people in the industry do not treat each other well(I’m a black actor). It’s not true of all,of course,(I also have experience with the exact opposite,having black industry people really try to look out for me) but, there is an issue there; The same standards of professionalism, respect, etc(I know, respect in the industry, LOL, but, still) that would be adhered to in a more “mixed” environment are not adhered to. In my humble opinion, if those writers were white, Tyler Perry would not have pulled this shit.
Who knows, maybe these writers deserved to be fired. We are not inside the inner workings of this production studio and I think if this really was a “labor dispute” all of the employees would be out there hand in hand, sign by sign. When a place is unfair to its workers, everyone knows…everyone. There would at least be rumblings from the inside to the press but I just don’t see it or hear it.
I have three words to say to you, Anne Marie: You go, girl!
OMG! An actress who steps up to the plate, speaks the truth, and risks a paying gig. Anne-Marie, we love you!!
I am so tired of people saying Tyler Perry is a hack and a disgrace for his stereotypes and then in the next breath say “but he’s made a lot of money so good for him…” and then go on to condemn the man.
Honor and integrity mean nothing anymore. Any scumbag can now get respect if he can make money. Why not give props to greedy Wall Street bankers? Sure they’ve mortgaged out futures and ruined the economy but they mad a mint! Good for them.
Tyler Perry knows there’s a market for his stereotypes among black and white consumers. Hollywood has stopped making black films for the mainstream and he saw an opportunity and took it. Perry does his minstrel shows then buys it back with Jesus. It’s a cinematic fraud and a cultural sham. Many other filmmakers could have gone the route but their integrity would not let them. I guess they’re fools because they didn’t make money, right?
The celebs who attended know Perry is a hack but they were there to pretend they still have a connection to regular black people. Ironically, Perry may have finally lost that connection for good. We’ll find out when he puts the dress back next year.
I ask every in advance of that film to ignore this clown. How can anyone really feel that we’ve earned a black President when this fool of a filmmaker is the face of black cinema?
You go, girl!
I’ve only seen her in that Jackie Collins mini-series but she clearly has enough balls to confront La Perry when certain other people I could mention are too afraid to. She must be a Republican because no Democrat could ever bring themselves to say anything remotely negative about one of Obama’s pals.
I was just watching Entertainment Tonite.
They were covering Tyler Perry and his freinds Oprah etc…not one mention of any Union busting…
It would have been interesting TV if ET asked the Stars there what the Writers Guild stands for.
I enjoy Tyler Perry movies I hope he makes the right decision re-hires the four fired House Of Payne writers
Bravo to Anne Marie for standing up for the writers!
I honestly don’t know about any of these accusations??? Perhaps Mr. Perry is telling the truth, perhaps not, but it seems that this ganging-up against Mr. Perry, without real actionable evidence, is starting to seem racist. Now, even with a black actress atttacking Perry, it seems to me that this same type of knee jerk reaction would not be aimed at a white producer or star without ample evidence to prove such allegations, and certainly I have never heard of said actress voicing such strong words against another producer or star before, including those who are white???
As far as evidence to back these accusations, so far, I haven’t seen any??? This seems more a case of Hollywood sour grapes over the fact that Perry has been besting certain meanstream studio releases and has an exclusive deal with one of the smaller studios, hence the need to make an example out of this upstart who is turning Hollywood on its ear!!! Again, is Perry strike breaking, maybe??? I’m Pro-Union BTW, but all I have heard are one sided accusations with zero evidence to back any of it up…hence I can’t, and won’t buy any of this until I do.
Mr. Perry is innocent until or if proven guilty, something that many in Hollywood have conveniently forgotten, in order to serve their own agenda. As well, this part of U.S. Constitutional Law, it seems, this actress forgot about before putting out such a one sided and mean-spirited statement against Mr. Perry, et al. And that is a very dangerous thing to do considering there are very few blacks in Mr. Perry’s position…just look around behind the scenes on 99.9 percent of all Hollywood sets. Now that should be the point of outrage of those assailing Tyler Perry!!! Perry is an easy target, but it takes courage to tackle widespread bigotry in this industry, and that is not happening here, save for this one letter!!!!
That’s not playing the race card, when the entire deck is already in play, by the hand of others!!!
Tyler Perry IS a no-talent hack who’s claim to fame is a poor man’s Eddie Murphy drag act. Everybody knows this. TP kisses the right asses and greases ($$$) the right wheels- and that is all.
I would say he is a dreck success miracle- but Hollywood gave us all Paris Hilton and far worse- Tyler Perry tops this no talent list!.
No surprise Perry is snuggling up to Obama. Both men (for want of a better word) are only where they are because Her Highness Oprah demanded it so. God knows what other piece of shit she’s going to foist upon Americans next.
Hallelujah! People are finally starting to wake the flick up and stop worshipping Tyler Perry like he’s the pharaoh of Egypt!
I knew he was a phony Christian when he started hanging around Oprah. He’s a male counterpart of her.
Money is his new God and like the Bible’s Nebezzchanezzar, the king of Babylon who thought that he ruled the world and have not humbled himself before the Almighty God, who caused him to fall and be chased out of his kingdom and went to live with the animals.
Until God deemed it time, let the king have his right mind again and with it came a new wisdom and a new awareness of God’s power to control him and his life.
Tyler Perry isn’t the saint that he protrays. He has betrayed the writers who helped him become the millionaire that he is. He’s running a million dollar street hustle scam twice a year to get more of naive and gulliable people’s money. I was one of those folks who supported his hustle but, I woke the flick up and read between the lines. He’s setting himself up to be taken down and back to the homeless situation that he came from. Because, he’s a lying, manipulative, drama queen and a cockroach from the street. I hope that the writers sue and get their compensation. Make an example out of Tyler Perry and let it be a lesson to all rich and greedy filmmakers to not trifle with the little people. If David can make Goliath fall, then, the working poor writers can do the same thing. All they need is support and courage to fight. They need to be employed and treated fairly. That’s what unions are for.
Wow……….some things never change. It is amazing how we as black people jump on the band wagon to tear-down our own people. If Tyler is wrong, then yes he needs to make it right, but who are you to judge a matter that you know nothing about? Then to make matters worse, some people brought God into the picture and start quoting scripture to justify their ignorance. I guess as long as Tyler was sleeping in cars and barely eating he was a brother. Now, that he has been diligent and determined in his quest to succeed, he’s every name in the book. We really ought to be ashamed. Black folks will stand-up for and defend the ones who don’t look like them and frankly don’t care about them, but kill their own. When will it stop? Usually, people who have all of the negative words to say are the ones who haven’t done anything with their life. They are mad about their broke-down, going nowhere life and somehow find pleasure in dogging out others. How can you dislike someone because of their success? Nobody gave him anything, he earned it. He worked hard for it. When will that ever be enough? Oh, and I can’t forget about the comments concerning Obama. A black man actually making it to be the Democratic Nominee, and all we can say is “he ain’t black” or “he wouldn’t be there if it wasn’t for Oprah”. I guess you are the only one who serves a God who is able to do exceeding, abundantly above all that we can ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us. I guess you are the only one that prays for God’s diven purpose to manifest. Why can’t this just be his time and his season? Why does it have to be anything else other than he and his wife positioned themselves through their education, leadership, family commitment and public offices, to one day become the president of the United States?
I caution those of you who find it so easy to criticize and judge others. Be careful beause the same pit that you dig for someone else will be the same one that you fall in. Check that out in the scriptures. Maybe if we all had a mind-set shift, and started tapping into our gifts, talents and abilities, we could be the next Tyler or Obama. The best thing any of us can do is pray for Tyler, the writers and all of those involved. Prayer changes things, but idle gossip and finger pointing creates problems and destroys relationships.
Empowered to Succeed,