Keshia Knight Pulliam Lands Coveted Role of 'Imprisoned Hooker' Opposite Tyler Perry

Tyler Perry Merely Capitalizing On Our Basic Human Need To Laugh At A Grown Man In Dress

We admit not devoting much thought to the sensation that is Tyler Perry's Madea franchise (Diary of a Mad Black Woman, Madea's Family Reunion, and this week's Meet the Browns among others) beyond the actor-writer-director's garish drag stylings and Lionsgate's savvy in attracting one of moviegoing's most underserved audiences back to theaters every couple years. Thank God for Salon's James Hannaham, who today breaks down the Perry phenomenon for the controversial throwbacks to minstrelsy, misogyny and all-around insensitivity old Madea may actually represent:

Leno, Conan Win First Round Of Late-Night Ratings Fight Without Writers

· Overcoming the apparently mild inconvenience of putting on shows without their striking writers, Jay Leno and Conan O'Brien still triumphed over fully staffed talk-show rivals David Letterman and Craig Ferguson in Wednesday night's Nielsen battle. In fairness to the WGA-approved programs, however, it should be noted that many viewers might have chosen to tune in to Leno out of irresistible curiosity about how unfunny the host would be on his own. [THR]
· Though the Golden Globes briefly harbored hope that the Writers Guild might give them a waiver for their rapidly approaching awards show, the WGA isn't going to cut them a break and still plans to picket. [Variety]

Lionsgate Presents: Tyler Perry's When Did I Become The Biggest Box Office Draw in Hollywood?

Let the weekend box office numbers be your much-needed rays of sunshine on this gloomy Monday morning:

1. Tyler Perry's Why Did I Get Married - $21.5 million
Reacting to the third number one opening posted by the producer/actor/director/playwright/media mogul behind Why Did I Get Married?, Lionsgate president Tom Ortenberg somewhat ominously warned all of Hollywood, "My strong hunch is that this is the last time anybody will underestimate Tyler Perry."