ABSTRACT HUMANITIES MEGGS, MICHELLE RENEE B.A. JOHNSON C. SMITH UNIVERSITY, 1993 M.DIV. WAKE FOREST UNIVERSITY, 2003 “OH, SHE RATCHET”: AN EXAMINATION OF TYLER PERRY’S MADEA AND CHRISTIANEE PORTER’S MISS SHIRLEEN CHARACTERS AS AGENTS OF BLACK WOMEN’S LIBERATION Committee Chair: Stephanie Y. Evans, Ph.D. Dissertation dated July 2019 This purpose of this dissertation is to utilize womanism and ratchetness to determine how the actions of Tyler Perry’s Madea and Christianee Porter’s Miss Shirleen characters represent Black women’s agency through their ratchet actions. This dissertation analyzed two Tyler Perry films and five Miss Shirleen videos to determine whether their actions conveyed cultural and liberative significance beyond entertainment. This research discovered that both characters engaged in resistance to disempowering narratives through actions that embraced a radical subjectivity and subsequent dismissal of respectability politics that embraced the strengths of Black womanhood in affirming, creative, and audacious ways. This dissertation also found that ratchetness and i womanism as liberative agency leaves room for Black women to redefine themselves and evolve based on their own indigenous knowledge and create a language that is familiar and uplifting for themselves. Moreover, Black women can be ratchet, womanist, and respectable simultaneously regardless of class status thereby rejecting a pathologized Black womanhood. ii “OH, SHE RATCHET”: AN EXAMINATION OF TYLER PERRY’S MADEA AND CHRISTIANEE PORTER’S MISS SHIRLEEN CHARACTERS AS AGENTS OF BLACK WOMEN’S LIBERATION A DISSERTATION SUBMITTED TO THE FACULTY OF CLARK ATLANTA UNIVERSITY IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF DOCTOR OF ARTS BY MICHELLE RENEE MEGGS DEPARTMENT OF HUMANITIES ATLANTA, GEORGIA JULY 2019 © 2019 MICHELLE RENEE MEGGS All Rights Reserved ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS This dissertation would not be possible without the faith and strength God provided me and sent to me through others when mine was not enough. I want to honor Dr. Josephine Bradley who started this journey with me. Although she now walks with the ancestors, her spirit remains ever present. I want to acknowledge Dr. Viktor Osinubi for his constant encouragement. Also, this dissertation exists because of support from my parents Hugh and Roberta Meggs. Without them none of this would be possible. Their ever present emotional, spiritual, and financial support throughout this process made the difficult moments easier. I want to recognize the support of my family, friends, colleagues, sorority sisters, the supportive communities I belong to, and my church families. There were angels that God and the ancestors sent along the way to help and whisper an encouraging word when I needed it most. All of whom provided love, kindness, and a reassuring word that this work was possible. I would like to acknowledge my dissertation committee, Dr. Stephanie Y. Evans, Dr. Daniel Black, and Dr. Maisha I. Handy for their guidance, feedback, patience, and support. They continued to press me toward the finish line with humor and wisdom. I am eternally gratefully for their support. iii TABLE OF CONTENTS ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ............................................................................................... iii CHAPTER I. INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................1 It’s Madea not Medea, Honey ............................................................................5 The Chitlin Circuit and the Theatre Owners Booking Association ...................8 Minstrelsy and Drag Performance ...................................................................12 Who is Tyler Perry? .........................................................................................18 Who is Madea? ................................................................................................26 Madea as Mammy ............................................................................................27 Who is Miss Shirleen? .....................................................................................31 Womanism Defined .........................................................................................38 Womanism and the Politics of Respectability .................................................41 Ratchet .............................................................................................................43 Significance of the Study .................................................................................47 Research Questions ..........................................................................................49 Methodology ....................................................................................................50 Theoretical Framework ....................................................................................55 Dissertation Organization ................................................................................57 iv CHAPTER II. LITERATURE REVIEW ................................................................................58 Respectability Politics ......................................................................................62 The Idea of Ratchetness ...................................................................................72 The Relevance of Womanism ..........................................................................78 III. MADEA’S RATCHET AND WOMANIST ACTS ......................................102 Oh No He Didn’t: Critiques of Tyler Perry and his Work .............................103 Madea’s Ratchet and Womanist Liberative Power ........................................108 Diary of A Mad Black Woman Film Summary .............................................113 Diary of A Mad Black Woman Scene One: Rip It ........................................114 Diary of A Mad Black Woman Scene Two: Please Hit Her..........................121 Diary of A Mad Black Woman Scene Three: Which Half do you Want? .....126 Madea’s Family Reunion Film Summary ......................................................130 Madea’s Family Reunion Scene One: Foster Mother – Stop Popping That Gum................................................................................................................132 Madea’s Family Reunion Scene Two: School Bus Bully ..............................133 Madea’s Family Reunion Scene Three: Grit Ball ......................................... 139 IV. MISS SHIRLEEN’S RATCHET AND WOMANIST ACTS ...................... 147 Miss Shirleen and Respectability Politics ..................................................... 148 Miss Shirleen and Ratchetness ...................................................................... 149 Miss Shirleen and Womanism ...................................................................... 151 Womanist Theology ...................................................................................... 154 v CHAPTER Miss Shirleen’s Ratchet and Womanist Liberative Power ............................159 A Ratchet and Respectable Language ............................................................161 Miss Shirleen First Video: You Done Let the Devil Use You ......................164 Miss Shirleen’s Ratchetness .........................................................................165 Miss Shirleen’s Womanism ...........................................................................168 Miss Shirleen’s Second Video: Sounds Like a Question Straight From Your Grandmother ..................................................................................................172 Shirleen’s Ratchetness ...................................................................................173 Shirleen’s Womanism ....................................................................................176 Miss Shirleen’s Third and Fourth Videos: Pineapples and Shirleen Would Rather go Hungry than go out with Adults with Baby Hair ..........................178 Shirleen’s Ratchetness ...................................................................................181 Shirleen’s Womanism ....................................................................................181 Miss Shirleen’s Fifth Video: Hershel out my Face ........................................184 Shirleen’s Womanism ....................................................................................185 Shirleen’s Ratchetness .................................................................................. 188 V. CONCLUSION ............................................................................................ 192 Ratchet Is…Ratchet Ain’t ............................................................................. 192 You Still Acting Womanish? Good! ............................................................. 195 Findings on Madea ........................................................................................ 197 Madea’s Ratchetness ......................................................................................198 Madea’s Womanism ......................................................................................200 Findings on Miss Shirleen .............................................................................202 vi CHAPTER Miss Shirleen’s Ratchetness ..........................................................................202 Miss Shirleen’s Womanism ...........................................................................203 Why This Matters - Ratchetness