"Tropic Thunder" R-Word Use Draws Ire

Ben Stiller's New Film Is "Tasteless" And "Offensive," Advocates For Mentally Disabled Say

(CBS/AP)  Protesters stole the scene at the premiere of Ben Stiller's new comedy, "Tropic Thunder." They're upset about the repeated use of the word "retard" in the film, reports CBS' The Early Show correspondent Ben Tracy.

The new movie goes too far for groups representing the mentally disabled.

Dozens of people from organizations such as the Special Olympics and the American Association of People with Disabilities protested the movie-industry spoof across the street from the film's Los Angeles premiere at Mann's Bruin Theatre on Monday. The protesters held up signs with slogans such as "Call me by my name, not by my label" and chanted phrases like "Ban the movie, ban the word."

"I think it's open to interpretation and that's the great thing," Robert Downey Jr., who stars in the film, told APTN at the Monday night premiere. "You know, if I want to protest something because it offends me that's my right as an American, and it's also any artist's right to say and do whatever they wanna do."

The groups are outraged over scenes featuring the liberal usage of a disparaging term used to describe the mentally disabled. In the movie, director and co-star Ben Stiller plays a fame-hungry actor cast in a war movie who previously had a role as a mentally disabled character named Simple Jack. The DreamWorks film, which opens Wednesday, also stars Robert Downey Jr. and Jack Black.

"When I heard about it, I felt really hurt inside," said Special Olympics global messenger Dustin Plunkett. "I cannot believe a writer could write something like that. It's the not the way that we want to be portrayed. We have feelings. We don't like the word retard. We are people. We're just like any other people out there. We want to be ourselves and not be discriminated against."

Andrew J. Imparato, president of the American Association of People with Disabilities, said he and other representatives from advocacy groups representing the mentally disabled met with DreamWorks co-chair Stacey Snider and watched a private screening of the film Monday morning. Imparato called the movie "tasteless" and said it was "offensive start to finish."

"I have a sense of humor," said Imparato. "There were parts of the movie where I laughed, but it seems to me that the movie tried really hard to go too far and then pull back on everything that was offensive except the issue of people with intellectual disabilities. I just think Ben Stiller and the people involved in this movie just didn't think it was going to be offensive."

Following the original complaints from the advocacy groups, DreamWorks pulled some promotional materials, including a Web site that promoted the film-within-a-film starring Stiller's character which contained the tag line "Once there was a retard."

Dreamworks said it doesn't plan to make any changes to the film, Tracy reports. In a statement, it said "Tropic Thunder" is "an R-rated comedy that satirizes Hollywood and its excesses, and makes its point by featuring inappropriate and over-the-top characters in ridiculous situations."

"If you want to pick on people, as the old playground saying goes, pick on people your own size," said Timothy Shriver, chairman of the Special Olympics, who is calling for a boycott of "Tropic Thunder" along with the other groups. "This population struggles too much with the basics to have to struggle against Hollywood. We're sending a message that this hate speech is no longer acceptable."

[barbaram99]

Here is another word and it starts with R rude, We as Americans are rude.

[s_cgambino]

I am glad we live in a country that supports free speech, but that does not mean that it''s okay to make fun of people with disabilities.

Growing up, I used the word "***" freely. It wasn''t a big deal to me, but since then, I have learned how something that''s "not a big deal" can have significant impact on others.

Yes... Tropic Thunder is just a movie. And, I''m sure that Ben Stiller didn''t have bad intentions. But, as a role model, he has unintentionally supported propaganda that alters how society views people with disabilities. We have freedom of speech, but some of our ignorance is hindering the "persuit of happiness" for others.

[kno-1]

Let me get this straight...
Various associations for the develop-mentally disabled are in an uproar over a slur; but it''s back in vogue to have Caucasians in black face?
Is anyone else missing the irony here? I seem to recall a backlash of a certain 1986 comedy film called "Soul Man" that brought out the Ire of the United Negro College Fund down on it.
American Society is riddled with hypocrites. Everyone needs to get over themselves and solve the overall problem of our society''s inability to interact with each other and stop patching the symptoms with protests and custom tee-shirts....yours for only $18 to support the cause.

[avigil2]

Tropic Thunder is certainly unapologetic for it''s un-PC tactics and why should it be? America has gone way too soft recently and if we can''t laugh at ourselves, then what''s the point in comedy? Stiller, Black, Downey, Jr. and Cruise aren''t afraid to make fun of themselves and in Tropic Thunder, they''ve given us one of the funniest comedies of the year. I''ve already seen it twice!

[barbaram99]

I like that get over it. Well put. It was the N word and now the R word, I am sorry folks My whole school career was in sp ed. Ye know that able bodied kids nicknamed sp ed the retarded class. I can tell ye that hurt. I was placed in sp ed as I was a legally blind student. The way people use the word it is rude. I have seen the way they are treated and it is a pity. Dogs are treated better.

[winslowe1]

It figures that the retards would protest.

[barbaram99]

I have been called names for being legally blind. evil,4 eyes,blind as a bat. Adults did did the name calling.This nation has a problem with words. That is all they are.

[stupidrules3]

The last time I read the Constitution, I didn''t see anything about anyone having the right to not be offended. Sooner or later all of us will be offended and those of us with true character will not let it scr-ew up our day. I''m offended by people telling me how to talk, act, think, and behave so I do the truly American thing and ignore it. Then I go and do what I believe is right thing to do.

[cyberus-2009]

Its a freaking movie ... get over it

[wl7bzh]

5''''2" redheads with green eyes are awesome and should be in every movie...

Posted by poker_champp at 12:21 PM : Aug 13, 2008

You betcha! Having 5''''2" redheads cuts the costs of having someplace to set a beer.

[madeupnews]

If they substituted the word "***" with "Intellectually Challenged", the movie would have been 2 hours longer and just not as funny. It''s comedy folks, find something real to complain about, pick your battles, this one is truly not worth thr trouble............Dummy!

[poker_champp]

You know what''s even g a y e r than being upset about the use of the word r e t a r d e d? Calling it the "R-Word" in a headline. Sheesh.

[no2zeebas]

Don''''t you know? At least half the planet could not get through thier day if they didn''''t have something to focus their irrational hatred upon. Today it''''s the word REETARD (sp) Tomorrow is will be that god awful Moma Mia movie.

Posted by Questionnews at 03:19 PM : Aug 13, 2008

LOL...Every time I hear that god awful commercial on TV it makes me wanna puke, but I''m not going to start a retarded campaign against it...

[downtowner97]

The vice president''s first name is banned from CBS. so we don''t have to worry about seeing anything too offensive on here.

[questionnews]

People should just get a life and quit whining...If they don''''t like the word, don''''t go see the freakin movie...

Posted by no2zeebas at 03:13 PM : Aug 13, 2008

Don''t you know? At least half the planet could not get through thier day if they didn''t have something to focus their irrational hatred upon. Today it''s the word REETARD (sp) Tomorrow is will be that god awful Moma Mia movie.

[no2zeebas]

People should just get a life and quit whining...If they don''t like the word, don''t go see the freakin movie...

[neonink]

I like naughty jokes as well as anybody, but I still don''t know why calling someone a *** is funny. Never has been, never will be.

[questionnews]

What about words that sound like they should be banned? Like kumquat!

[poker_champp]

"There are TONS words that could have been used in place of this and would not have been offending ceetain people."

Yeah, and there are tons of words that would not have been nearly as funny.

[misssuzq]

There are TONS words that could have been used in place of this and would not have been offending ceetain people.

I admit, I am tired of politically "correctness", but I did cringe at this one.