With Tyler Perry's "I Can Do Bad All by Myself" topping the box office, a shocking realization dawned on us: Madea, the possessive auteur's cantankerous alter ego, has appeared in more films than Ernest "Hey Vern!" Powertools Worrell.

The evidence is daunting: Including straight-to-video adaptations of Perry's plays, Madea has appeared in a whopping 10 films. Meanwhile, Ernest's cinematic franchise sadly bottomed out at nine (1998's "Ernest in the Army") after the passing of actor Jim Varney.

Could Madea be the new Ernest?

Indeed, when examined side by side, the similarities between the two beloved characters are uncanny. Both "went to jail." (Though Madea has yet to save Christmas.) Both starred in numerous theatrical and direct-to-video films. (Madea appeared in popular direct-to-video versions of Tyler Perry's early plays before hitting the big time, while Ernest continued to have a robust career in cheaply produced fare like "Slam Dunk Ernest" after hitting the big time.) Both have a taste for catchphrases. ("Know what I mean?" and "I oughta punch you in the face!") And both defied cynics with their continued box office success.

Who's next for Madea? At this point, he/she's already outpaced Batman (seven films, including the '60s Adam West version) and Harry Potter (six). At the current rate, with a new Perry film seemingly every six months, Madea will have caught up to James Bond (23) by 2015.

One shudders at the thought of what "For Madea's Eyes Only" will be like.