TMC
12-29-2020, 05:18 AM
Robert Townsend (http://cosblog.cosmelentertainment.com/2010/11/30/the-mother-brain-files-underrated-actors-special-robert-townsend/) was arguably the closest thing to Tyler Perry during the '80s and '90s. Although, Townsend (https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/1997/03/29/townsends-black-gold/9b3f27c7-bfb1-478a-818f-21f6dac70955/) seemed to make a more conscientious effort when compared to Perry (https://www.bet.com/news/celebrities/2011/03/30/robert-townsend-says-2000s-black-film-is-lacking.html), to avoid depicting (https://boxden.com/showthread.php?t=2954535) black people in constant struggle and strife, but that's another topic for another time.
Besides The Parent 'hood (https://blackgirlnerds.com/bgn-tbt-the-underrated-gems-of-the-golden-age-of-black-tv/), he had Hollywood Shuffle (https://theshadowleague.com/celebrating-30-years-of-hollywood-shuffle/), his Partners in Crime (https://www.vulture.com/2019/07/robert-townsend-partners-in-crime-comedy-diallo-riddle-interview.html) specials on HBO, The Five Heartbeats, Townsend Television (https://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:TMSNv-5W7RMJ:https://www.mcall.com/news/mc-xpm-1993-08-06-2934420-story.html+&cd=5&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=us), Eddie Murphy's Raw, The Meteor Man (https://underratedmovieactually.blogspot.com/2014/10/the-meteor-man.html), B.A.P.s (https://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:pmczIXVeA8QJ:https://shadowandact.com/2016/05/18/robert-townsend-wont-make-reboots-for-baps-and-more-except-this-film+&cd=17&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=us) with Halle Berry, Carmen: A Hip Hopra with Beyoncé, Up, Up and Away (https://www.joblo.com/movie-news/awfully-good-movies-up-up-and-away-video-445), etc.
Was Townsend not bigger in the entertainment industry because his brand (https://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:r-43A7ya0FkJ:https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/style/1991/03/31/townsend-from-the-heart/90c99fa2-f906-47b5-9157-d8d7fbd31d3a/+&cd=13&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=us) was considered very safe, wholesome, and perhaps unfortunately, really (https://birthmoviesdeath.com/2014/04/24/old-news-the-five-heartbeats-two-announced-six-months-ago) corny (https://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:h-flHa00m58J:https://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/fl-xpm-1993-08-09-9301280817-story.html+&cd=9&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=us) when you get right down to it? Plus, his projects were not (https://www.avclub.com/25-years-before-black-panther-a-box-office-bomb-broke-1824218854) huge (https://www.facebook.com/iamroberttownsend/posts/2955796697801477) commercial successes at the time.
Do you think that he may have also been overlooked because when compared to his peers (https://chicago.suntimes.com/2019/6/16/18678353/robert-townsend-award-chicago-west-community-music-center-john-singleton), he wasn't as flashy or bombastic as Spike Lee, John Singleton (https://theundefeated.com/features/john-singleton-was-hollywoods-first-hip-hop-director/), the Hughes Brothers or even the Wayans (who were his early co-conspirators)?
Besides The Parent 'hood (https://blackgirlnerds.com/bgn-tbt-the-underrated-gems-of-the-golden-age-of-black-tv/), he had Hollywood Shuffle (https://theshadowleague.com/celebrating-30-years-of-hollywood-shuffle/), his Partners in Crime (https://www.vulture.com/2019/07/robert-townsend-partners-in-crime-comedy-diallo-riddle-interview.html) specials on HBO, The Five Heartbeats, Townsend Television (https://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:TMSNv-5W7RMJ:https://www.mcall.com/news/mc-xpm-1993-08-06-2934420-story.html+&cd=5&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=us), Eddie Murphy's Raw, The Meteor Man (https://underratedmovieactually.blogspot.com/2014/10/the-meteor-man.html), B.A.P.s (https://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:pmczIXVeA8QJ:https://shadowandact.com/2016/05/18/robert-townsend-wont-make-reboots-for-baps-and-more-except-this-film+&cd=17&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=us) with Halle Berry, Carmen: A Hip Hopra with Beyoncé, Up, Up and Away (https://www.joblo.com/movie-news/awfully-good-movies-up-up-and-away-video-445), etc.
Was Townsend not bigger in the entertainment industry because his brand (https://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:r-43A7ya0FkJ:https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/style/1991/03/31/townsend-from-the-heart/90c99fa2-f906-47b5-9157-d8d7fbd31d3a/+&cd=13&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=us) was considered very safe, wholesome, and perhaps unfortunately, really (https://birthmoviesdeath.com/2014/04/24/old-news-the-five-heartbeats-two-announced-six-months-ago) corny (https://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:h-flHa00m58J:https://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/fl-xpm-1993-08-09-9301280817-story.html+&cd=9&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=us) when you get right down to it? Plus, his projects were not (https://www.avclub.com/25-years-before-black-panther-a-box-office-bomb-broke-1824218854) huge (https://www.facebook.com/iamroberttownsend/posts/2955796697801477) commercial successes at the time.
Do you think that he may have also been overlooked because when compared to his peers (https://chicago.suntimes.com/2019/6/16/18678353/robert-townsend-award-chicago-west-community-music-center-john-singleton), he wasn't as flashy or bombastic as Spike Lee, John Singleton (https://theundefeated.com/features/john-singleton-was-hollywoods-first-hip-hop-director/), the Hughes Brothers or even the Wayans (who were his early co-conspirators)?