Madea
Mabel "Madea" R. Simmons is a fictional character created and played by Tyler Perry. She is an aggressive, threatening woman who will argue with anyone. This is reflected in her tag line, "Purnch You in the Face!" However, she is also part of a large family, with many children and grandchildren. Her name is spelled variously as "Mabel" and "Mable," probably in order to confuse government authorities and others when applying for jobs, getting credit cards, etc.
Personal Life
She was born in Greensburg, Louisiana in May of 1937, but at some point in her early life relocated to Waycross, GA, a small town in South Georgia. Mr. Deacon Leroy Brown took Madea to the Waycross African American High School prom in 1953 and that night they had sex and later had a daughter, Cora. They did not marry because Madea did not find out that Cora was Brown's daughter until her class reunion in 2003. Some of her extended family includes Parker Osgood, her cousin; Vickie, a niece; and several more relatives. In 1953, she married and relocated to metropolitan Atlanta where she still resides. It is not known if she has moved to a newer home, but in "Madea Goes to Jail" the set-up of her home was new, and the houses seen in the background look to be examples of the current architectural style rather than the old-type of her former home.
She has three children, one boy and two girls, named Victoria, Cora, and William. But according to Madea's Family Reunion, Victoria is Madea's sister's daughter, Irene. She is the sister of Joe, Joseph, and Irene, who decreased and who also slept with one of Madea's seventeen husbands.
In Madea's Family Reunion, Madea took in Nikki, she had a choice to do so or go to jail because she took off her house arrest bracelet that she wore in Diary of a Mad Black Woman.
Madea is 68. She has had about seventeen husbands, one by the name of Johnny. When each dies, she collects his life insurance checks. She either shoots or poisons by sweet-potato pie those for whose death she is unwilling to wait.
Though mean and threatening, she teaches women about how they are treated by men, what to do about a mistake, and forgiveness.
Madea's home is a spacious, early-1900s style place on a street corner on Avon Avenue in Southwest Atlanta. The house number is 1197, as can be seen in both "Madea's Family Reunion" and "Diary of a Mad Black Woman." There are at least five bedrooms, and Joe sleeps in a room downstairs (seen in "Diary of a Mad Black Woman" when Madea answers the front door at night). The kitchen is on the left when you walk in the house, and beyond that is the living room where Joe seems permanently implanted. Outside, the yard is fenced and Madea's green 1970 Cadillac is parked on the street. Joe can't drive.
Madea is employed as a school bus driver within the Cobb County School District.
Quotes
- (To granddaughter Helen)" You can get dat money one o' two ways, from his checking account voluntarily, or his insurance policy, involuntary manslaughter. Which one'll it be?"
- (To Brenda, Helen's husband's new girlfriend) "I ain't scared a no po-po. Call the po-po, ho!
- (To great-granddaughter Keisha) "I told you to clink-clink! Lock down!"
- (To anyone) "I ain't lyin', I ain't lyin'!
Some of Madea's most prominent scenes are found in the movies Diary of a Mad Black Woman and Madea's Family Reunion. The following are a few scenes that feature Madea:
- The Calculator: Madea whips out a calculator to find out how much her granddaughter Helen's husband owes Helen. According to Madea's calculations, Helen should be compensated for cooking, "cleanting" (cleaning), "havin' sex wit him when he wanted," (a major deduction from Charles for this) and, when Helen tells Madea that Charles hit her, she says "hoo hoo hoo hoo hoo hoo" and endlessly taps the calculator.
- "I Said Come On"/Through the Gate: After Madea uses the calculator, she tells Helen they are going to their house. Helen says the guard will never let them in. Madea says "Ah said come on!" and grabs Helen from the table. The scene then cuts to the gatehouse and Madea's ancient car, which she drives through the gate and breaks it.
- Rip It/Clothes Closet Madness: Madea and Helen go to Helen's closet after the gate escapade and Madea starts remarking about the clothes. "Seven hundred dollars fo' a %@#& rag!" she exclaims, then wiping and scratching Helen's mirror with the "rag," really an expensive shirt. She then sees a wire hanger, screams "a wire........HANGER!!!!!!!!!", and coerces Helen into taking and throwing all the clothes around the whole room. One of the most hilarious parts of this whole scene is the time when Madea, in a fit if excitement, yells, "THIS IS FOR EVERY BLACK WOMAN WHO EVER HAD A PROBLEM WITH A BLACK MAN!" and tosses shoes over her shoulders.
- Half a Every Thing In Here belong to Her: Madea takes a chainsaw into Charles' living room, declaring that everything should be divided between him and Helen. Needless to say, she divides everything with the chainsaw, and she and Helen go to prison, then court.
Trivia
- Other scenes in Diary of a Mad Black Woman include the court scene with Madea and the scene in which Madea is visited by Myrtle and Helen. Judge Mablean Ephriam of Divorce Court fame makes a cameo in the scene where Madea and Helen are charged with a variety of misdemeanors.
Extras
Perry has also written a book in her persona entitled Don't Make A Black Woman Take Off Her Earrings: Madea's Uninhibited Commentaries On Love And Life, which was published April 11, 2006.
The Family Tree is different in the movies than in the plays. Also the Diary of a Mad Black Woman play's family tree is different than the other Madea plays because in DOAMBW, cora isn't Madea's daughter but her daughter in-law, and in the other plays Cora only has 2 daughters named Tina and Lisa.
See also
External links
Template:Actors in Tyler Perry Plays & Television
ReligiouS pROGRAMMING