Petition Launched to Remove Tyler Perry’s New Shows from OWN: ‘Stop Supporting Racist Stereotypes!’

Uh, oh. Somebody’s Aunti and second cousin is none too pleased with Tyler Perry’s two new shows on Oprah’s OWN Network. And you know what we do when we don’t like something on TV, take our complaints and talents to Change.org.

So what’s the issue here? Last week, TP’s soap opera The Haves and The Have Nots, debuted earning 1.77 million viewers in its first hour and the second drawing 1.8 million viewers — the highest-rated debut in OWN network history. His second show, a comedy , Love Thy Neighbor followed with the second highest debut in the channel’s history, with 1.8 million viewers of its own.

But critics say despite ratings, they have serious beef with his content being heavily sexist, elitist and racially insensitive. The author of the petition writes:

For decades Oprah Winfrey has used her television show to educate, empower, and uplift people of all races to be better versions of themselves. OWN has committed to be an extension of this work. Where it is clear that neither Oprah or Tyler Perry are not experts on race and racism, they have also refused to utilize feedback from the conscious Black community and scholars on racism regarding the damage that Tyler Perry and his brand of entertainment perpetuate against the Black community. Stop supporting racist stereotypes on OWN and remove Tyler Perry programming!

With a little over 200 signatures, it doesn’t seem to be having much of an impact–yet. But what are your thoughts–do they have a point, in suggesting Tyler Perry’s content does’t belong on OWN? Or is this just another tired petition that has little to no merit? 

[Madame Noire, Photo: Essence]