Tropic Thunder protest
 

Groups that advocate for the disabled called on Sunday for a national boycott of the Ben Stiller comedy "Tropic Thunder," citing what they say is its negative portrayal of people with intellectual disabilities.

"We are asking people not to go to the movie and hope to bring a consciousness to people about using derogatory words about this population," said Peter Wheeler, spokesman for Special Olympics, one of 22 disability groups nationwide protesting the satire.

The film, directed by Stiller, will be released on Wednesday by Viacom Inc's Paramount Pictures and its DreamWorks unit.

http://movies.yahoo.com/mv/news/va/2...842511100.html

Looks like I'm going to see this movie!

Going wed.

this gets me more excited about it though!

That fake site they took down was hilarious. I was planning on seeing it anyways. Controversy only sweetens the experience.

Having seen the movie, this protest is truly ridiculous - a total non-issue IMO. Sure they use the word 'Retard' but I never thought it was making fun of mentally disabled people, it was making fun of Hollywood actors playing handicapped roles to win Oscars and people making really shitty movies about disabled people... bullshit controversy IMO.

Who would think there would be controversy and it wouldn't be related to Robert Downey Jr's character.

That's what I came in here expecting to read about.


If these people want to protest against the portrayal of people with "intellectual disabilities" they should probably boycott Step Brothers. I spent the entire movie waiting for them to explain that both Ferrell and Reilly were retarded.

"I love lamp"

Because normal people never wear tuxedos to an interview for a job that requires you to clean bathrooms. :D
===============
I myself have Asperger's syndrome and think this completely, utterly ludicrous. If the movie was real, it'd probably be worshiped among drunken frat boys, but honestly, have a sense of humor. This is a satire, no mean-spirited intentions. The whole point of cinema on some occasions is exaggeration. Push the limits. This is exactly what Stiller's doing.

In the end, the real retards are the parents whose children flip over the idea of a movie with the stars of Night at the Museum, Kung Fu Panda, and Iron Man and convince them to see it, and I'm sure someone will notice a child in this movie (and quickly be taken out by Mommy or Daddy).

I thought the protest and thread for that matter was going to be about Robert Downey Jr. playing blackface.

Not the least bit interested in seeing it before, still not interested now. :shrug:

Rob

the protest is retarded!

Ever heard of the saying, "Much ado about nothing?"

of course you have

Well, IMO, that certainly applies here... (Creating a controversy where none should exist.)

I was going to see it anyway. Protests for movies never affect my decision to view it or not.

Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson are planning a march as we speak.

sigh.

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/...QL._SS500_.jpg

In this country, people feel they have the right to quash things that offend them. It doesn't sound like it's actually an issue with this movie, but even if it was, announce that you're unhappy with a depiction, and move on. So many groups demand edits and apologies and whatnot, and it's ludicrous!

Robert Downey JR looks hilarious with the small afro lol

I'll see it, planned on it, and now can almost guarantee I'll see it thanks to these clowns making an issue of nothing.

Thats an interesting post by Zen :) I have some of the symptoms of Asperger's too. I have seen the Tropic Thunder trailer and it looks really funny :) Based on what I've read about the movie (I know its meant to be satire on Hollywood right?), it wouldnt surprise me if complainers have Missed. The. Point. They often do.

http://www.picattic.com/files2/vzg2nys1o3o1iw6rtjjp.jpg

I wish I would've seen the site before it was taken down. The Simple Jack scene in the trailer had me rolling (because of the jab at Hollywood's shamelessness when it comes to those types of films).

What a bunch of fucking retards - by protesting this, they've brought an exponential amount of attention to this than it would have garnered otherwise.

And it really takes a humourless douche to think that this makes fun of retarded people instead of self-righteous hollywood assholes and people like themselves.

"you don't wanna go full retard"...

Stupid protest, you can find something to offend someone in almost any movie.

I wasn't going to see it anyway. Really can't stomach Jack Black.

Yeah, it's been said more than once, but still...this is retarded.

Let's enjoy an episode of The Retarded Policeman:

<object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/yioJQFrqMXM&hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/yioJQFrqMXM&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>

Wow. These people really are retarded:


http://www.huffingtonpost.com/huff-w...eb32746cd7.jpg


I wish I was there so I could ask them what they have against parking...

I don't understand. Just because you're offended, it doesn't mean everyone else is.

Some people are just getting too sensitive about stuff. This is a comedy! And I'll bet these protest groups haven't even seen the movie. But wouldn't it be great if this "protest" was actually a studio ploy to deflect attention away from the Robert Downey situation, which many figured would be the main controversy from this film, and onto something so petty that it can't be taken seriously?

I'll be the first to say it I really dont like retarded people and I will without a doubt support Tropic Thunder now because its something that pisses the tards off. Scooby Doo 2 pissed me off when I worked at a movie theater and retards flocked to see and support that one so now I'll get a chance for payback.
Its funny how tards have never been all pissed like this before. Theres something about Mary, The Ringer, South PArk, Palindromes, etc. all folk much deserved fun at these drooling mistakes. Why are they now going after Tropic Thunder?

Do you mean people, whoever it may be, who are offended by this, or do you mean you hate legit "tards"?

I believe one leader of said group saw the movie and said he 'walked out feeling he had been assaulted'... Talk about a humorless douche.

I love the one guy's ridiculously small sign.

That came to mind. I think it's a studio thing.

Getting? More like .. have been over-wrought with it for years now.

Good theory.

But the Downey Jr. story is just as nonsensical. Where was the uproar when White Chicks was released!!??? The neo-Nazis must have all been scouring back under the couch .. but probably not for the reasons everyone thinks. Watch the film to find out ..

Wow. I mean, this has to be an ironic post, right?

In real estate, the motto is, "Location, location, location." In passing judgment, it *should* be, "Context, context, context." My wife and I saw this film Wednesday night, and I thought it was pretty funny. The "retard" statements are really confined to one subplot and comes up only in two scenes. Stiller's character is an insensitive, shallow actor who employs the term clearly unaware that it's no longer considered an appropriate or acceptable term. He claims to have immersed himself in a "Forrest Gump" type role, studying mentally challenged people and going full throttle into his performance. Robert Downey, Jr.'s character is a better actor, a Russell Crowe-type guy who plays along with Stiller's guy's explanation of his performance while admonishing him that he shouldn't have gone "full retard."

Sometimes people in real life use terms without realizing they're obsolete; I have to constantly remind my grandmother and my mom that they're going to a Chinese restaurant, not "the Oriental place." And sometimes when you correct--or even take a swipe at--someone using those terms, you do it subtly, so they don't quite realize what you're doing. It's entirely acceptable to me that Downey's guy would just continue to employ the word, as he speaks to Stiller's guy and gets his message across to the guy. This controversy is just one more piece of evidence that our school system has completely failed to generate critical thinkers for at least an entire generation. Instead, we're left with kneejerk reactions, regardless of contextual understanding.

I'm actually curious as to these abilities they speak of. Like, one can fly and another can lift cars or something?

http://scifipedia.scifi.com/images/a/a3/Vin_Diesel.jpg

I don't think we should deprive anyone of a good laugh just because they're born without souls. ;)

K

"First off, the retarded don’t rule the night. They don’t rule it – nobody does. And they don’t run in packs. And while they may not be as strong as apes, don’t lock eyes with ‘em, don’t do it. Puts ‘em on edge. They might go into berserker mode, come at you like a whirling dervish, all fists and elbows. You might be screaming, ‘No, no, no,’ – all they hear is, ‘Who wants cake?’ Let me tell you something: They all do. They all want cake."

Ugh, a couple of these people are on FOX News talking about this right now.

Wilford Brimley knows all.

http://www.cnn.com/2008/SHOWBIZ/Movi...der/index.html

I'm guessing the Special Olympics is only ok with it when they are getting paid.

http://www.specialolympics.org/NR/rd...ringer_dvd.jpg

Wait, actual retarded people are protesting the movie? I don't want to go to the theater and have some dude using his retard-strength to beat the crap out of me just for seeing this movie.