I feel about Tyler Perry the way Spike Lee did before they both called a truce on bashing each other in the media, which is to say, with rare exception, I’m no fan of Perry’s work.

I respect that many good people are Perry fans. Case in point: Perry has four shows on OWN, including the über-popular soap opera The Haves and the Have Nots, which returned for a new season Tuesday night. Perry is also currently starring in Madea on the Run, his 20th touring stage play in 23 years. No doubt because of Perry’s huge popularity and the timing of his latest venture, New York magazine sat down with the entertainment mogul to pick his brain about his latest projects and the never-ending controversy that seems to surround Perry’s every move.