Mabel Simmons, commonly known as "Madea" is a fictional character created and portrayed by Tyler Perry. Based on Perry's mother and aunt, Madea is an aggressive, grey-haired, bespectacled black matriarch. She will argue with anyone, frequently threatens people by pulling a gun out of her purse, and is known for her unique pronunciation and enunciation of words as reflected in her tag lines, "I oughta punch chur in da face!" and "Get that man a hat!" She is part of a large family, with many children and grandchildren. Her name is spelled variously as "Mabel" and "Mable". "Madea" or "Madear" is a typical Southern name for a grandmother; the term is a shortened form of "Mother Dear"