How many of us truly caught what Tyler Perry was showing us in Straw?

That moment, quiet but revolutionary, when our mobile phones were revealed to be more powerful than traditional television and radio.


Most missed it.

So I had to bring it to your notice.


It happened at the film’s emotional peak. Janiya (played with raw brilliance by Taraji P. Henson) had taken everyone in the bank hostage. The police arrived. And right behind them, the news crews rolled in with their massive cameras and satellite trucks, ready to go live.


But here’s the truth: how far could they really go?


They were locked outside the walls. Limited by cables, clearances, and protocols.


Inside the bank, a quiet rebellion was brewing.

One staff member gently set her phone down and tapped “Go Live.”

And just like that, the real story began.


While taking a call, Janiya unknowingly stepped into the frame. Then she began to speak her pain pouring out, unfiltered, unscripted, unforgettable.


That moment pierced the heart.

We weren’t just watching a scene, we were watching us.

The raw, grainy footage looked just like a social media livestream. And it felt real. So real that when people flooded the streets chanting “Free Janiya!”, we understood it. We belonged to it. Because that’s exactly what we would do in today’s world.


Tyler Perry wasn’t just delivering drama. He was showing us a shift.

A seismic one.


A single mobile phone did what an entire television network couldn’t.

No camera crew. No lighting rig. No producers.

Just one phone.

One voice.

One truth.


That’s the revolution in your palm.

Think about that the next time you tap “record” or scroll past a livestream.


You hold power. Real power.

And Straw reminded us of that without ever preaching it.


By Ozi Anieto