The latest episode of FX’s Atlanta has everyone talking about Tyler Perry.
The episode, “Work Ethic!”, named after Perry’s now-infamous tweet featuring a picture of several of his scripts written in an extremely short amount of time, was a huge critique of Tyler Perry and his work.
Creator and star Donald Glover, once again wearing prosthetics, plays Kirkwood Chocolate, a Black entertainment creator.
In the episode, Van (Zazie Beetz) has landed a guest appearance on one of Kirkwood’s shows, which leads to Van and her friends being trapped in a Willy Wonka-esque funhouse. Like many of the critiques of Perry’s work, Kirkwood’s projects are rushed and hard to believe. One of Van’s pointed remarks to Kirkwood, according to Rolling Stone, is calling him out “as a con man who exploits the people he claims to be helping by casting them in these melodramatic, unrelatable stories.”
Viewers of the episode immediately took to Twitter to dissect and make fun of Glover's latest commentary on Black culture, with one invoking the popular Euphoria meme of characters watching a play that is actually about their lives.
Tyler Perry watching this episode #AtlantaFX pic.twitter.com/LJyS7r2h9E
— ANTics Velaryon (@Pharaohiic) October 7, 2022
Another wrote that Perry might try to get the episode taken off the air in the same way he had an episode of The Boondocks ripped off the air. In the episode, the Perry-esque character has cast Granddad (John Witherspoon) in his play, but his company is really a cover to be surrounded by shirtless, oiled up Black men.
#AtlantaFX yea tyler perry getting this episode shut down like that #boondocks episode pic.twitter.com/ynD9iV9MOm
— bruhhhhhhh (@some_ban) October 7, 2022
Someone else also invoked The Boondocks, writing, "Tyler Perry has been running the game for so long he got a Boondocks episode and an 'Atlanta' episode."
Tyler Perry has been running the game for so long he got a Boondocks episode and an Atlanta episode #AtlantaFX
— Broke Bwoi (@_AWat_) October 7, 2022
"Yo they're bringing out every Tyler Perry Trope I can't even…[sic]" wrote another viewer. "horrible wigs, the dark male villain, the inconsistent hair, the assembly line production, bro #AtlantaFX I'm wheezing [sic]"
Yo they’re bringing out every Tyler Perry Trope I can’t even… horrible wigs, the dark male villain, the inconsistent hair, the assembly line production, bro #AtlantaFX I’m wheezing ☠️☠️☠️☠️ pic.twitter.com/ZklEjVyvzO
— Christopher A. Padilla (@FilmAgeStudios) October 7, 2022
Another viewer alluded that Glover is going all out because it's Atlanta's last season.
#AtlantaFX Donald Glover really said fuck it its the last season let me get on tyler perry ass
— bruhhhhhhh (@some_ban) October 7, 2022
However, some people didn't like what Glover was saying, with one viewer writing, "Wasn't really funny to me tonight…I don't understand all of the hate Tyler Perry gets. I don't even watch his shows but love how [he] employs many Black folks."
Wasn’t really funny to me tonight #AtlantaFX. I don’t understand all of the hate Tyler Perry gets. I don’t even watch his shows but love how employs many black folks.
— Jay NOLA⚜️⚜️ (@SweetePMagnolia) October 7, 2022
Episodes of season 4 of Atlanta is streaming now on FX and Hulu.
