As 2021 gave way to 2022, Tyler Perry posted a viral thirst trap that got people talking. The internet savvy creator of the Madea franchise certainly knows how to start a conversation, but apparently he didn’t mean to merely turn the world on with a gym selfie. Which makes a lot of sense, because when clarifying the purpose of that photo, Perry also got into why his old-school dating methods don’t have him out on dates at the moment.
Tyler Perry’s work has him in the public eye once again, as his Netflix film Tyler Perry’s A Madea Homecoming recently made its debut on the streaming platform. Promoting that project on Jimmy Kimmel Live!, the man behind the empire had no problem revisiting the image he posted last December. Further explaining his goal with that selfie, Perry told Jimmy Kimmel about its dual purpose as follows:
You gotta read the caption. See, I was talking about I was in the gym and I had an incident. I’d gained some weight since then… You’ve heard of a thirst trap, right? That’s called a thirstpiration. When you try to inspire them at the same time.
With the full context in mind, the Tyler Perry thirst trap still works. You can’t totally undo the absolute smoulder that Perry’s got going on in that photo, and it’s a great tool for publicity. Reading deeper into the message of how he was inspired by Will Smith’s own “worst shape ever” moment, Tyler Perry’s “thirstpiration” play may have just coined a new term in the internet lexicon.
Though with great thirstpiration comes great thirstponsibility, as flashing muscles on social media is going to lead to those fans who want to take their admiration to the next level. It’s an experience that Tyler Perry seems to know well, as he went on the record with not liking the dating world of the modern age. Here’s why Perry, who’s also riding an awards season high as part of the cast of Don’t Look Up, isn’t exactly the biggest dater at the moment:
No, I don’t like it. No, the rules are different now, man. You know, now you get the Instagram and DMs and you know some people send you stuff and say, ‘Let’s have sex.’ Well can I take you to dinner first? Can I get to know your name?
For someone who’s almost always busy with a new movie, TV show or entertainment venture of some sort, the reason for Perry’s dating woes is rather surprising. With an upcoming slate of Tyler Perry productions that are still in the works or coming soon, you’d think that would his stock answer. Apparently if you want to get to know Tyler Perry better, you should play your cards more carefully, and take things slow.
Strangely enough, “slow” still doesn’t seem like a word in Perry’s vocabulary. You can see just what we mean as you watch Tyler Perry’s A Madea Homecoming and Don’t Look Up, both of which are currently showing on the Netflix streaming platform. For all we know, Tyler Perry might be hiding some surprise titles to drop on that very services; so keep an eye on the 2022 Netflix movie schedule, which always has room for the unexpected.