More than two weeks ago, I kicked off the public conversation about the use of the word “retard” in “Tropic Thunder” and its marketing materials with this post: ‘Tropic Thunder’: Once upon a time … there was a retard.

Since then I’ve been bringing you up-to-date coverage of the controversy, and have provided a forum in which people have been able to express their views. I’ve frankly lost count, but I think  the number of comments here currently stands at something around 700. It has been a lively discussion, with many differing and often emotional opinions expressed.

Now I’ve weighed in with some opinions of my own. They can be seen in the Sunday Opinion section of the Washington Post: A movie, a word and my family’s battle. My point: The thoughtless and widespread use of the word “retard” as an insult sets back progress that has been made toward including and accepting people with disabilities, and hurts us all. Here’s how the piece starts:

Margaret and I were lingering in front of the multiplex one evening last summer, a mom and her adult daughter laughing about the movie we’d just seen, when a gaggle of cute pre-teen girls sauntered past.

The one in the lead jerked a thumb in our direction and made a goofy face to her friend. “Look. Retard,” we heard her say, and Margaret wilted. Her chin trembled. One by one, the other girls turned to look, nudging one another and whispering. The last girl spun all the way around as she slowly walked by, eyes fixed on my daughter.

The piece is accompanied by an edited version of the “full retard” scene from the movie.

You can also see me expressing my views on “The Morning Show with Mike and Juliet,” a national Fox talk show. Appearing with me were David Tolleson, executive director of the National Down Syndrome Congress; Eddie Barbanell, a star of “The Ringer,” and Gitesh Pandya of boxofficeguru.com.

[And in case anyone wonders if I've seen the movie: Yes, indeed, I have. Check my post on it here.]

Here’s some data about the film, gleaned from an advance screening of “Tropic Thunder” arranged for me this afternoon by DreamWorks/Paramount.

This post attempts to assemble information that may help readers and advocates frame their own opinions about questions that have been raised about the language used in the film and its marketing, and the portrayal of the character of Simple Jack.

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Boycott, protests planned

Screenings of “Tropic Thunder” for disability rights advocates have been bumped back to next Monday, the same day the film is scheduled to premiere at a red carpet event in Westwood, California. Executives of DreamWorks and Paramount had promised to deliver the screenings by today.

Advocates said they had been told that studio security preparations were to blame, with executives saying they needed to take measures to protect against possible piracy of the $90 million summer blockbuster. “We are not convinced, and are concerned that this is a stalling tactic,” said Peter V. Berns, executive director of the Arc of the United States.

Berns said his organization was continuing to move forward with plans for a possible “massive action” to boycott and protest the film, which has drawn fire from advocacy groups for the prominent use of the word “retard” in the film and promotional materials.

In a meeting on Wednesday, studio executives told advocates that they had already revised some advertising materials to change or remove references to Simple Jack, a character with intellectual disabilities who is played by Ben Stiller in a portion of the film.

Executives pledged to remove references to Simple Jack in “making of” documentaries and from material used on broadcast media and in print. Berns said they also pledged not to create merchandise promoting the Simple Jack character. An elaborate studio marketing website devoted to the Simple Jack character was removed this week.

Meanwhile, Gail Williamson of the Down Syndrome Association of Los Angeles sent out a memo today detailing demands that were brought by the disability rights coalition in its meeting with studio executives.  Both Berns and Williamson, DSALA’s executive director, were among meeting participants. Following is an excerpt of the memo:

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Updates earlier posts here: ‘Sorry, Mr. Stiller … You’ve crossed the line’

And here: Once upon a time … There was a retard

With the August 13 release date for Ben Stiller’s “Tropic Thunder” still more than a week away, plans for the upcoming DVD are already being shared on the Internet.

Disability rights organizations have confirmed that a meeting with DreamWorks executives has been set for 5 p.m. Pacific time Wednesday to discuss the film’s depiction of people with disabilities.

But the studio ad campaign and distribution machine is already moving forward at full throttle. As movie prints and DVDs are being readied for distribution, will the meeting come too late for any changes to be made?

Readers, please send your advice: What should the disability rights organizations be asking for? What will make you feel better about a movie that advises: “Never go full retard”? All comments will be forwarded.

A starting point:

Here are some of the many suggestions I’ve heard over the past few days:

• Paramount/Dreamworks should pull all references to the words “retard,” “imbecile,” “moron” and “idiot” from the movie, DVD, trailers, promotional material and merchandising;
• Paramount/DreamWorks should pull all scenes and clips that include Ben Stiller’s portrayal of “Simple Jack” from the movie, DVD, trailers, promotional material and merchandising;
• Ben Stiller, DreamWorks and Paramount should apologize;
• Paramount/DreamWorks should commit to employing people with intellectual and other disabilities, with specific hiring goals;
• Paramount/Dreamworks should commit to consulting people with disabilities during the development process about scripts that portray them ;
• Paramount/DreamWorks should fund an advocate on behalf of people with disabilities in the entertainment industry; and
• Paramount/DreamWorks should contribute to disability rights causes a set portion of the film’s profits.

I’ve also heard from people who say that discussion of the film is premature until it can be viewed, that the disability community should not draw attention to the film by discussing its use of the word “retard”, and that boycotts and demonstrations should be considered.

What do YOU think?

Update here: Rights groups prepare for boycotts, protest

A national coalition of disability rights organizations has formally requested a meeting with executives at DreamWorks/Paramount to express concerns about negative portrayals of people with intellectual disabilities in “Tropic Thunder,” an R-rated raunchfest that is set to open August 13.

(Earlier posts here and here.)

Ben Stiller plays two characters in the big-budget comedy: a fading action hero (above left with Robert Downey Jr. and Jack Black), and “Simple Jack,” a kind-hearted dolt with bad teeth whose onscreen presence prompts frequent use of words like “retard,” “moron” and “imbecile.”

At a hastily convened conference call yesterday, advocates voiced dissatisfaction over studio promotional materials that feature the slogan “Once upon a time … There was a retard,” as well as worries that the Simple Jack character reinforces hurtful stereotypes. The ad-hoc coalition also requested an advance screening of the film.

Among the organizations represented were the American Association of People with Disabilities, The Arc of the United States, Special Olympics, the National Down Syndrome Congress, United Cerebral Palsy, the Autistic Self-Advocacy Network, TASH, and the Alliance for Inclusion in the Arts.

While the group was optimistic that the meeting and screening would take place next week, it also discussed possible organized efforts to attract negative attention to the film.

In a New York Times article this morning that references this website, studio executives brushed aside questions about the way the film portrays people with disabilities. Here’s a comment from Stacey Snider, chief executive of the DreamWorks unit:

Ms. Snider acknowledged the risks inherent in the film. It is the first from DreamWorks, she said, to use a so-called red band trailer, which attempts to limit access to online viewers 17 or older. (Visitors to tropicthunder.com can view it only after clicking on “Restricted” and entering name, ZIP code and birth date.)

But the film’s humor, she said, comes at the expense of its own heroes, a corps of knucklehead actors, rather than of the handicapped or anyone else. “The star-studdedness of it, and the absolute playability of it, trumps it all,” Ms. Snider said.

And from the film’s star, director and lead writer Ben Stiller, there was this:

“It’s hard for me to tell people how to react,” he said. “The whole point of the movie is about actors, and the length actors will go to to advance their careers.”

For disability rights organizations, the stakes are high. “Tropic Thunder” is among the summer’s biggest films, with major stars, a production budget of about $90 million and a promotional budget of tens of millions more.

Whatever messages are embedded in the movie will soon be seen by millions of people, and could help to define how people with apparent disabilities are viewed by the public. Current figures from the U.S. Census Bureau put the number of Americans with cognitive disabilities at 14.3 million, or 6 percent of the population 15 and older.

There will doubtless be statements from studio executives who say the film is an equal opportunity offender. It pokes fun at racial stereotypes, with Robert Downey Jr. dressing in blackface and citing the theme song of “The Jeffersons.” Jack Black does fart jokes. Everybody’s offended, right?

Let’s answer that with some questions. People of different races surely were involved in the making of this film, and were able to express opinions about which references were humorous and which might have gone too far. So were people with different sexual orientations.

How many people with cognitive disabilities were involved in the making of this film? Were any people with cognitive disabilities involved in focus groups for this film? How many are employed by Dreamworks, or by parent company Paramount?

See Dave Hingsburger’s essay on one girl’s reaction to the word “retard”:
http://davehingsburger.blogspot.com/2008/05/that-word-this-girl.html

See also: Update: Meeting set between studio, rights coalition

(Paramount Pictures image from the New York Times)

From www.aceshowbiz.com:

Here’s a very unofficial transcript of a scene from the upcoming film Tropic Thunder, in which Robert Downey Jr. (right) advises Ben Stiller on how to play a character with an intellectual disability. In the scene, the two men are actors discussing a fictional film called “Simple Jack.” (Note: Includes language that may be considered offensive.)

Stiller: There were times when I was doing Jack when I actually felt retarded. Like really retarded.

Downey: Oh yeah. Damn.

Stiller: In a weird way, I had to sort of just free myself up to believe that it was okay to be stupid or dumb.

Downey: To be a moron.

Stiller: Yeah.

Downey: To be moronical.

Stiller: Exactly.

Downey: An imbecile.

Stiller: Yeah. When I was playing a character.

Downey: When you was a character.

Stiller: Yeah, I mean, as Jack. Definitely.

Downey: It’s like working with mercury. It’s how science makes art form.

Stiller: Yeah.

Downey: You an artist.

Stiller: It’s what we do, right?

Downey: Everybody knows you never do a full retard.

Stiller: What do you mean?

Downey:  Check it out. Dustin Hoffman, Rainman, look retarded, act retarded, not retarded. Count toothpicks to your cards. Autistic. Sure. Not retarded.

You know Tom Hanks, Forrest Gump. Slow, yes. Retarded, maybe. Braces on his legs. But he charmed the pants off Nixon and he won a ping-pong competition? That ain’t retarded.

You went full retard, man. Never go full retard.

Earlier post here.

UPDATE: National rights organization prepares for boycott, protest

UPDATE 2: Screenings postponed as premiere looms; Boycott, protests planned

Readers, please send in your comments here

You’ve seen the trailers. Tropic Thunder, a big budget summer comedy by DreamWorks Pictures, is due out August 13. But here’s something the trailers don’t point out: Ben Stiller plays a role that leans heavily on the term “retard.”

There are those who view the word “retard” as offensive and demeaning, and think it fuels social stigma against vulnerable people. And there are others, like perhaps the R-rated film’s star, director and lead writer Ben Stiller (at left in an image from one of the studio’s marketing websites), who may think the word is inoffensive and a good complement to the film’s other gags, stunts, explosions and gross-out jokes.

Already disability advocates are registering dismay about the language on the image above — “Once upon a time … There was a retard” — and conferring about how to address it. Let’s be clear: I haven’t seen the movie, and early reviews are scant. (Click here to see what Variety and the Hollywood Reporter had to say.) Here’s what I have been able to piece together:

Tropic Thunder is a testosterone-pumped action/adventure/comedy featuring mega-stars Stiller, Robert Downey Jr. and Jack Black as self-absorbed actors filming a war movie on location.

Stiller is Tugg Speedman, a fading action star who earlier failed badly in his bid for Oscar glory as “Simple Jack,” a man with an intellectual disability. “Simple Jack” is featured as a film-within-a-film, with Stiller outfitted in a classic institutional bowl haircut and bad teeth. It even has its own marketing website — the slogan is “What he doesn’t have in his head, he makes up for in his heart.” A satirical plot synopsis posted there quotes a critic as saying that Speedman’s Jack was “one of the most retarded performances in cinema history.”

Downey, as the more distinguished actor, gives Speedman advice on maximizing his chance for future Oscars: “Never go full retard.”  When the actors are taken hostage by real guerrillas who turn out to be Jack fans, they force Speedman to re-enact the role for their entertainment.

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