For the love of Spike.

[Benjamin Jones]

Shelton Lee, better known as Spike, is a man that generally divides people into one of two sides - you either love him or hate him. I fall into the "love him" category. I can't lie, I am a proud card carrying member of the Spike Lee fan club. I wanted (and still want) to be be Spike Lee when I grew up. Before throwing all my efforts into being a writer I wanted (and, again, still want) to be a film director and, to me, then as now, Spike is the gold standard when it comes to directors and, especially, African American directors. I could go on and on and on about Spike Lee and how he, to this day, influences my writing but that's not the topic of this post.

I've always been bothered by the seeming lack of respect for Spike and his varied body of work over the last 24 years. Did you read those last three words - 24 years. The man is almost a quarter of a century in and his box office success (or lack of) has never caught up to the critical success he has received. Why is that?

In my opinion, African American film audiences have never embraced Spike with the same love (at least at the box office) as they do a Tyler Perry film. Check the numbers of their first 10 directorial efforts - the numbers are staggering:

Tyler Perry

Diary of a Mad Black Woman Budget = $5.5 million Gross = $50,652,203

Madea's Family Reunion Budget = $6 million Gross = $63,308,879

Daddy's Little Girls Budget = $10 million Gross = $31,068,283

Why Did I Get Married? Budget = $15 million Gross = $55,862,886

Meet The Browns Budget = $20 million Gross = $41,975,388

The Family That Preys Budget = unknown Gross = $37,105,289
Madea Goes to Jail Budget = $17.5 million Gross = $90,508,336

I Can Do Bad All By Myself Budget = $19 million Gross = $51,733,921

Why Did I Get Married Too? Budget = $20 million Gross = $60,095,852

For Colored Girls Budget = $21 million Gross = $30,920,000 (so far)

Mr. Perry is working with an average budget of $14.888 million (not counting The Family That Preys) and the above films have grossed a total of over $620 million so far for an average of over $62 million which, considering the relatively low budgets, are nothing short of blockbusters.

Let's analyze Spike Lee's first 10 directorial features:

She's Gotta Have It Budget = $200,000 Gross = $7,137,502

School Daze Budget = $6.5 million Gross = $14,545,844

Do The Right Thing Budget = $6.5 million Gross = $37,295,445
Mo Better Blues Budget = $10 million Gross = $16,153,600
Jungle Fever Budget = $14 million Gross = $43,882,682
Malcolm X Budget = $33 million Gross = $48,169,910
Crooklyn Budget = $14 million Gross = $13,642,861

Clockers Budget = $25 million Gross = $13,040,603

Get On The Bus Budget = $2.4 million Gross = $5,731,103

Girl 6 Budget = $12 million Gross = $4,903,000

Mr. Lee has an average budget over those ten films of $12.36 million and the above films have grossed a total of $123,420,000 with an average of only $12,342,000 for each feature. So, based on the figures, Spike's movies actually are LOSING money, granted that changes if you take Girl 6 out of the equation.

How is that audiences, over the first 10 films of their respective careers, have given Tyler Perry more almost $500 MILLION more dollars than they have to Spike? Is it that movie audiences are unwilling to support something that's new to them or different? My problem with Mr. Perry's films have been that, to me, they've all been the same - you've seen one you've seen them all; only thing that changes is the location. The formula is the same: black person + tragedy/crisis + a dash of humor (ie Madea) + a sprinkle of religion = box office gold.

If you analyze spikes films they are never the same and they always offer a different perspective. In the first ten films alone you have a story about a woman and her three lovers, a story about light skinned vs. light skinned blacks, hate and bigotry in Brooklyn, a jazz musician, interracial love, a WONDERFUL biography of Malcolm X, a portrait of a family in 1970's Brooklyn, drugs, the Million Man March and finally ending with the story of a woman who is a phone sex operator. We haven't even gotten to He Got Game, Inside Man, Summer of Sam, 4 Little Girls, Miracle at St. Anna, etc...

So what does this say and what is it saying about our movie habits? What it tells me is that the numbers don't tell the whole story. What it tells me is that we're stuck in a box, afraid to venture out of our comfort zones and would rather give our money to see men in dresses (Tyler Perry as Madea and Martin Lawrence in Big Momma's House) instead of supporting one of the greatest film directors of the last quarter decade.

There needs to be a balance. I can't lie, 90% of the music and movies that I see that are produced by African Americans is pure GARBAGE. Just because something is made by someone that has the same skin tone as you doesn't mean that it's good. I hate hearing people say that "support such and such because they're black". My answer is why? Just because that person looks like me doesn't mean that they have talent. I'm not saying that Tyler Perry doesn't have talent as he wouldn't be where he is today if not for talent but we've got to start supporting Spike (and other up and coming artists of all races) who are just as talented (if not more so) but aren't reaping the same benefits that they have deserved.

Next time you're at Blockbuster or on Netflix pick up one of Spike's joints and re-discover Spike Lee. I guarantee you that he has something for you. Don't wait until he's gone like everyone did when Michael Jackson passed away to proclaim how great he was - show it today by not forgetting about him while he's still alive. If it wasn't for Spike, chances are there would be no Tyler Perry.