I honestly cannot believe there is such a big stink about this. I understand maybe you’re offended, but banning words is something that dictators do. It’s all or nothing. That’s freedom of speech.

Maybe if Patricia Bauer (and co.) had actually understood the movie before clamoring for censorship and infringement on freedom of speech, she would’ve understood that they aren’t picking on the disabled. The joke was that the Tug Speedman did a movie in which he played a mentally disabled farm hand (aka retard that word you targeted) to pull people’s heart strings and win an oscar.

The word retard isn’t derogatory. Replace it with mentally handicapped or whatever you choose, it means the same thing.

Why don’t you spend your time doing something more productive? Keep up the work getting companies to hire mentally challenged people, and work to give them a better life. But please don’t try to censor a joke that isn’t even insulting who you consider its target.

I understand that interest groups can see the potential in making a “matter” of something that everybody else thinks is just comedy.

There is nothing about Tropic Thunder that is remotely harmful in any case. I find more disturbing then that they blow up so much stuff when we have a rather alarming environmental condition in the world today. That is, if I want to find something to complain about.

Clearly this is your chance to make a story. And that is just as opportunistic as any other interest group and in the long run I do not think that will help.

You are trying to control the minds of others and apply only your perception of the world. And that is not cool no matter what the cause is. It is just sad.

I agree that it is a good thing to talk and discuss these things, but to close down sites…yeah, well you just lost the ethical battle right there.

Regards from Sweden

Ironically, I’d actually have been less offended if they’d left that line in; at least the “equal opportunity offender” claim would actually hold water then.

What if the line in question was “don’t go full (N-word)” instead of “don’t go full (R-word)”? You know we can’t say that, because we’ve learned how painful and hurtful and wrong it is. Sure, the racial slur carries a greater sensitivity and a longer, more violent history…but don’t tell me a disability slur has any less impact on its target. It’s hurtful either way.

Sure, laugh at what you want. Nothing wrong with low brow comedy. But this isn’t low brow – it’s below the belt, and the punch is being thrown at people who largely can’t defend themselves.

This is exactly the point I was trying to make. People don’t HAVE to be nice to everyone, especially in entertainment. We aren’t all here to make each other feel good and appreciated. Some people get treated nicely, others get treated poorly. As bad as it sounds, that’s just reality. The main thing that is being overlooked here is that this is purely comedy. Humor is meant to serve as a way to remove ourselves from reality and poke fun at the oddness of certain situations. People who don’t appreciate comedy all too commonly take the the position that the “target” of the joke has been viciously attacked. This is simply not the case. Being the butt of a joke is part of society. It could be you, it could be me, or anybody else. Nobody is off limits in comedy. The word “inappropriate” does not exist. If you disagree with that statement, you are not the target audience for this kind of material and should simply leave it alone for the people who do enjoy it, whether you think it’s right or not.

But what some people don’t seem to understand that that is not the take home message that people will take home from the movie….what they will take home from the movie is the ‘clever’ one-liner..”Never go full retard, man.” That is what is going to be the new insult.

For those people who say that we are just whiners, and are worried that we are trampling on their ‘Freedom of Speech’ rights … I just want to remind them that ‘rights’ carry with them ‘responsibilities’…yes, you have the right to say anything that you want…but in a functional society, you also have the responsibility to not harm anyone while exercising your ‘right’. So … to your way of thinking, your right to use the word ‘retard’ trumps my child’s right to be treated with dignity and respect. I disagree.

Since when is it ‘politically correct’ to be mindful of the feelings of others? I thought that was common decency.

I do like that you wrote, I respect your thoughts. It made me pause to think about both sides of an issue. I also respect this site for allowing all different opinions to be expressed, many sites would not let “half a thought” get past the moderator.

Your argument is somewhat compelling. You can quote Webster’s Dictionary. You have a grasp of the Constitution and free speech and press…but not really. Unfortunately, you shot yourself in the foot with your last sentence. It assured me I was reading the thoughts of a juvenile.

The First Amendment of the United States Constitution protects the right to freedom of religion and freedom of expression from government interference. The government is not trying to curtail this cinema gem….We the people are. And I don’t believe we are a group of people who are just afraid of being offended. I suspect the line between being offended and victimized is very different.

So I hope once you are done laughing your a** off at this movie you take your new knowledge back home and share it on your relative who is autistic, which is a wonderfully vague reference. Does that mean you have seen this persons picture hanging on your fridge? Or do you really know this person? Then I hope the caregiver of that person will do a little training, just for you, on the difference between being offended and victimized.

And, I, as a parent of a child with a disability, would never wish a child with a disability on a person as a “curse” (nor would any parent in the disability community). We, (any adult really) hope that people like you never even have children.

If you don’t like something, your right as an American is to ignore it and walk away. Just because you don’t agree with something doesn’t mean you need to ruin it for other people who disagree with you. And don’t give me a bunch of crap about how my child could be retarded, etc. Someone in my family is autistic and it does not affect my ability to step away from reality in terms of comedy and enjoy their entertaining commentary on such topics. Such guilt trips that you have brought up are produced by people who have no sense of humor. Plain and simple, you don’t get what “funny” is. Comedy should never be censored – nothing is off limits no matter how politically incorrect. The world is often a terrible place in some peoples’ eyes – if you don’t get it, just grit your teeth and move on like a normal person does. Your whining about what’s right and fair only makes you appear weak and simple-minded.

By the way, the word “retard” is actually an accurate term to use to describe a mentally handicapped person. “To delay or hold back in terms of process, development,” the dictionary states. Sounds right on to me… nothing offensive or incorrect.

Bottom line, you do not have the right or power to take away my right to see and enjoy content you deem offensive. Just because you take the moral high road doesn’t mean you need to “fix” those that don’t follow. You cannot force me or the movie studio to share your opinions. You can cry about it all you want, but nobody has to listen or act on it. Either way, the movie has been made and sent out to most theaters at this point so its too late to change it. I will be there opening day, laughing my a** off at the brilliant comedic satire of Ben Stiller. And you will be sitting at home angry that once again you have failed to make the “difference in the world” that you so desperately desire because nobody cares what you think.