Why Did I Get Married: Demographic Groups

Courtesy of IMDB

Some of the language in the play Why did I Get Married, by Tyler Perry, represents slang, a popular term relevant to the African-American culture. Janet Jackson, one of the characters in the movie, referred to one of the couples as “y’all”, and she also told someone that they were “frontin'”. Is this language appropriate for the screen when teachers are trying to teach children the scholastic language of today’s society? Does this vernacular make it hard for people to follow?

In today’s society, we have become accustomed to shortened words when talking with friends and close family members. The use of these words in the movie, however, did not take away from the meaning being displayed. Danny Baldwin says that such words “always prove distracting and unnatural”. The use of this language in the film did not affect everyone, unless you have never heard this new slang. Even then it is not difficult to incorporate what the characters mean when they use certain words.

This new language does not pertain solely to Southern African-American demographic groups. There are other demographic groups who display this type of language as well. The comment by Danny Baldwin is an understatement. For most people, the language was not distracting at all. Most of them did not notice it until it was pointed out by the critics. I interviewed Jamie Johnson to get another person’s opinion. Jamie says that she was so caught up in the laughter that she did not recognize the slang language. It has become a part of everyday language especially in text message; most people do not notice the language.










Courtesy of IMDB

Most young adults enjoyed the movie, older adults did as well. Many of them are still talking about how successful the outcome of the movie has been over time. Some of them also said that they would pay money to go and see the movie again. The experience is different from the plays that Perry produces. In the movie, he is able to demonstrate his ideas within as himself. He does not have to put on make-up and play Madea. Self-expression is the best way for Perry to demonstrate how much he has grown throughout the years as a producer, writer, and actor. GROWTH is the best word to describe the changes that Perry has made, and he continues to make this journey down the path of success.

Rafe Telsch, a reviewer of the movie, states that some of the language used by the character Angela (Tasha Smith), “gets old really quick”. She is referring to the way Smith refers to her husband's “baby mama” and other female characters. Of course, this type of language kept the audience laughing! If this movie is PG-13 and it teenagers are allowed in the theater without supervision, should Perry use this language to get a message across? Most teenagers pick up the negative and not the positive information that a movie tries to display. Young adults (teenagers) learn by seeing and doing, so should Perry be careful with the way he promotes language within his movies and plays?

Telsch also states “I’ve never enjoyed Perry as Madea, his cross-dressed grandmotherly alter ego, but here he shines”. In their opinion, Perry does a better job when he portrays himself. Although the character Madea is hilarious, it is much better to see the type of talent Perry has with playing a role that he can relate with experiences in his life. Perry’s role as Madea is totally different from this role. He was more expressive with his emotions and he demonstrated the difficulty that marriages face when two partners have successful careers. Instead of being the character that loves to fight, he tool the situation to another level; he demonstrated a sense of frustration and disappointment with his wife. The concept of his story is appreciated by a lot of individuals, and the audience took notes!

This movie was filled with life lessons that relates to all generations. Although some people have their own opinion about the movie, for the most part, a majority of the people who watched this movie believes that it is superb. It demonstrates how married couples are supposed to communicate with their partners on a daily basis. You should not keep secrets from your partner because it could backfire when the truth is revealed. It makes you react on a level that denotes the content of their character.