‘Tropic Thunder’ beats Batman; Shriver speaks out on GMA
August 18th, 2008
Special Olympics chairman Tim Shriver and Special Olympian Loretta Claiborne talked about the “Tropic Thunder” controversy on ABC’s Good Morning America, as official weekend tallies showed the movie passing “Dark Knight” at the box office. (The GMA video is available online; go to ‘today’s segments,’ click ‘more’ and scroll down.)
Claiborne said she found the movie “very offensive.” Moviegoers were shown saying they thought the criticism of “Tropic Thunder” was overstated. Here’s a partial and unofficial transcript of Shriver’s comments:
I think the main message here is that making fun of people using words, humiliating people, denigrating people using words, is not good under any context. It’s never okay. We should be telling our children it’s never okay to make fun of someone. It’s never okay to use a word that tries to humiliate someone else.
The word retard was used not in a clinical way but in a playground talk kind of way to denote someone who is bumbling, someone who is hopeless, hapless, someone who has no reason to belong, to fit in, to have a life, to be part of the in crowd.
All those stereotypes have led our population to struggle to get into schools, to have friends, to be included in the workplace, to be able buy a home, to live in the community, because people don’t realize they’re human. They don’t realize they have gifts. This is the challenge this film brings to life. It brings out all those stereotypes again and again.
… There’s not much sensitivity to this population. This is a small group of people. They’re isolated, they’re alone, their parents feel alone, their parents feel besieged. They feel often they’re never allowed to be proud of their children. This is not a new story. This is a population that is on the outs, and people in general never have learned enough to know that this is a challenge they face.
People think, well, it’s hopeless because they have an intellectual disability. (But) most parents will say the biggest challenge they face is the stigma — society telling them their kids don’t count.. Imagine a mom and dad never being able to say they’re proud of their children.
…We have a great sense of humor as a community. We’re not trying to be the thought police here. We’re just to sensitize people to the fact that these are human beings. They want to be included. Please don’t make fun of them. They have other challenges that are significant enough..
… Eliminate a word as a way of sensitizing yourself to the humanity in everyone.
Other news and commentary:
“Tropic Thunder” has earned $26 million since its release last week, according to studio estimates, and knocked “The Dark Knight” out of the top spot after a monthlong reign. The New York Times says the film opened about as well as similar R-rated comedies, although it cost considerably more than most and at least triple the cost of “Pineapple Express.”
NBC11 in San Francisco reports the movie’s $26 million take fell short of very early estimates, which predicted that the film would bring in close to $40 million.
Editorial: Moviemakers need to add a dash of sensitivity to the attempt at humor — Wilmington [Delaware] News Journal
Letter: Boycott film — Salt Lake Tribune
‘Thunder’ film draws protesters — Anchorage Daily News
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August 18th, 2008 at 1:50 pm
Mr. Stiller, My Kindergartner Thinks You Need A Time Out
On Wednesday, August 13, I gave my 5-year old daughter Emma a choice. She could stay at home with her father and little sisters and watch “Scooby Doo” or come with me to a protest of the movie we like to call “Tropic Blunder.”
“Tropic Thunder” is a blockbuster, star-studded movie-in-a-movie starring and written by actor Ben Stiller. Other Hollywood actors in the movie include Robert Downey, Jr., Jack Black, Tom Cruise, and Matthew McConaughey. In the movie, Ben Stiller plays Tugg Speedman, an actor who formerly made a bid for an Oscar by starring in a movie about “Simple Jack,” a man with an intellectual disability. The byline of this movie is “Once upon a time, there was a retard.” In another scene, Stiller & Downey talk about why he didn’t win the Oscar. They casually drop the “R” bomb repeatedly and conclude with Downey saying, “You Never Go Full Retard.”
Disability groups across the nation, including Special Olympics, ARC, the National Down Syndrome Congress, and the National Down Syndrome Society, called for a national boycott and urged Down Syndrome Affiliates across the nation to stage protests.
After I explained to Emma that the movie uses a mean word to describe people who are different like Hannah, her eyes welled up with tears. “Why would anybody say something mean about Hannah? That’s not nice. Why did they do that?”
In typical 5-year-old fashion, she continued to pepper me with questions throughout the day. “If we say a bad word in school, we get in trouble. Why doesn’t this mean man get in trouble? Is anybody going to see the movie? Why? Why don’t we just ask the movie theater not to play it? Will people use the bad word? Will they make Hannah cry?”
It didn’t take Emma long to make her decision. She wanted to go with me and stand up for her little sister. She picked out the wording on her signs and helped make them (“Making Fun of People Isn’t Funny,” “Please be nice to my sister,” and “Don’t use bad word.”). She held them proudly and waved them at every passing car.
As we were leaving, she said, “Mommy. If I ever see that man, I’m going to put him in a time out.”
Mr. Stiller, I can’t understand why you have so much trouble with issues of respect for others. When you stop hiding behind your excuses of “satire” and “entertainment value,” maybe my 5-year old could explain it to you. She’s not asking for much – she just doesn’t want people to hurt her little sister.
All you need to know you could learn from my kindergartner.