Sunday’s crop: ‘Thunder’ commentary
August 17th, 2008Editorial: Movie should be a catalyst for change—Lincoln [Nebraska] JournalStar
Editorial: Be responsible with free speech — Tuscaloosa [Alabama] News
Op-Ed: Is film a joke or humiliation? By Lennard J. Davis — Chicago Tribune
Op-Ed: Not Funny—Winston-Salem [NC] Journal
Op-Ed: Labels close doors—Yakima [Washington] Herald
Letter: Respect those with cognitive disabilities—Tuscaloosa [Alabama] News
Letter: Movie’s use of r-word is no laughing matter—Indianapolis Star
Letter: R-word is offensive hate speech, even in a comedy—Delaware Online
This entry was posted
on Sunday, August 17th, 2008 at 6:45 am and is filed under NOT2BEMISSED, Tropic Thunder, language, movies.
You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.
You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
Email This Post
Our RSS Feed
August 18th, 2008 at 6:35 pm
It’s a shame liberals don’t understand comedy. There are offensive things in movies all year and no one says anything unless it hits home to THEM. I say let them make any movie they want and say whatever they want. It’s people like you who make this country more and more weak. What’s next. You can’t make movies about racism in the south? You can’t make sexist comedies? God you people are pansies. I would LOVE if they MADE the movie Simple Jack and would support it to no end if it made you liberals angry.
August 17th, 2008 at 10:41 am
I just read your column in the Washington Post regarding Tropical Thunder, and understand your feelings about the use of the R-word. I haven’t seen the movie, so I can’t discuss the artistic merits or lack thereof. I do agree with your contention that some words have the power buttress negative attitudes. I hear the F-word all the time — used in much the same way as “retard”. Kids at the mall call each other “faggot” as a putdown, “gay” is synonymous with “lame”, as in: “that’s so gay”. Like you, I grit my teeth and try to ignore the comment; reacting to the taunt is usually more detrimental than letting it pass.
Your entire column could be rewritten using faggot instead of retard and still make a very valid point…. except that while the country has begrudgingly learned to accept the fact that the disabled exist, and fashioned legislation to support them — faggots continue to be the whipping boy of politics. We are faced with referenda on whether faggots should be allowed to marry — or at least be granted the same rights as non-faggots. Can you imagine putting “retard rights” to a vote? I have yet to read a news story of gunmen walking into a church and shooting the congregation because they support rights for the disabled (but unfortunately that happened last month to a church that supports gay rights). We hear lots of homophobic statements from pulpits and are told we must accept that hate speech as a freedom of religion. Gay rights are cast as “special” rights, etc. And this comes from educated adults who should know better, not insecure teenagers trying to fit in.
Most families who have developmentally-challenged children come to grips with reality, supporting, loving and cherishing their children as gifts from God. Yet many families with gay children will cut their kids off, sending them into a dangerous world to be bashed and abused. Its no wonder the suicide rate for gay teens is so high.
So while I share your frustration with dimwitted people who use derogatory language to make themselves feel superior, I really don’t see how your situation is much different (or worse) than lots of others. That said, I do applaud your efforts to change the dialogue and wish you the best of luck.