Disability advocacy groups protest at 'Tropic Thunder' premiere
Aug 12, 2008, 02:51 PM | by Mike Bruno
Categories: Movie Biz
A few dozen demonstrators showed up outside the Tropic Thunder premiere last night at Mann's Theatre in Los Angeles to protest the movie and its repeated use of the word "retard." The protest took place across the street from the theater, where people representing organizations such as the Special Olympics and the American Association of People with
Disabilities were carrying signs that said things like "Tropic Thunder, Colossal Blunder,"
"We have abilities, not disabilities!", and "'R' word is hate speech."
A coalition of some 22 advocacy groups has launched a
boycott of the film, which opens for wide release tomorrow, and Andrew J. Imparato, president of the American Association of People with
Disabilities, reportedly called the film "tasteless" and said it was "offensive start
to finish" after watching a private screening of the movie on Monday.
Director and star Ben Stiller -- who plays an actor portraying a mentally disabled character named Simple Jack in the film's movie-within-a-movie -- acknowledged the protesters' right to speak their mind, but also defended his film. "I did not set out to offend anybody, but sometimes, when you are making an R-rated
comedy, that happens," Stiller said at the premiere. "That is not what I set out to do, but I think the movie is
good and it speaks for itself."
Co-star Jack Black said he doesn't think any of the protesters have seen the movie yet and that he feels that once they do, they will understand that the joke is really on Hollywood, not people with disabilities. "The jokes are all in context of what some actors are willing to do to win an Oscar," Black explained at the premiere. "That is a longstanding joke in Hollywood — that certain types of roles, like the one joked about in the film, help put you in the minds and eyes of the Academy voters and to what lengths some actors will go to bring one of those gold bad boys home."
Co-writer/executive producer Justin Theroux added that he was surprised by the ire — then humorously (we hope) pointed the finger at other, ostensibly more earnest projects that deal with mental disabilities. "[T]here’s a part of me that’s a little puzzled and disappointed, like, ‘Where were you when Radio came out? Because that was pretty offensive," Theroux said. "Or where were they when they made that Rosie O’Donnell Riding the Bus With My Sister film? Because that was way worse in my eyes than our film." (Reporting by Carrie Bell)
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