Mental Disability Groups Picket "Tropic Thunder" Premiere

LOS ANGELES — "Tropic Thunder" is pushing the boundaries of good taste 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 AP Television 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.

"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."

Andrew J. Imparato, president of the American Association of People with Disabilities, said he and other advocacy groups 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 spokesman Chip Sullivan previously said in a statement that "no changes or cuts to the film will be made."

"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."

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Melissa Jun Rowley contributed to this report for The Associated Press.

Comments

[LetgoofmyEggo]

Haven't seen the movie, probably won't. IMHO if something offends you..don't see it, listen to it...chang­e the damned channel.. you have many options. Your rights end at my nose! At this point in time I feel we take being human entirely too serious and if one more person uses the term "politically correct" to me, I promise to body slam them! IMHO we are just too damned delicate! How in the hell can we begin to be the same when all of the ninnies keep stirring the crap? A rose by any other name smells sweet and crap by any other name still stinks!

[MoeSart]

Just another example of left wing crazy pc whiners trying to purify society.

Creepy people, they are. They have the idea that everything everywhere has to meet their standard or it can't exist at all.

They should go pal around with the right wing crazy. They share the same values.

[midnightwriter]

I'm so sick of everyone protesting everything. Everything will offend someone. Find something better to do.

[HDR]

It all equals out to free publicity.

[dameofdismay]

I agree, but I want to emphasize that it's not just about people with ID being picked on. It's about perpetuating the stereotype/opinion that people with ID don't matter, that they are worthless, and that they have nothing to contribute to society. If you do something stupid and call yourself the "R" word as a joke, you are reinforcing the opinion that people with disabilities are trash and that they don't have the right to enjoy the type of life that most of us take for granted.

[Swerinjer]

But on the other hand if you make a word forbidden you increase its stigmatizing power. These protesters are shooting themselves in the foot. They should embrace the slur like the homosexuals have embraced the word queer. Nobody uses the word queer as a slur any more. get it?

[dameofdismay]

Yea, I get it. It's interesting how language evolves. For instance, as a hetero, I don't feel I can use the word "queer." That word is owned by the GLBT community, and it's not for me to use -- that's been my experience anyway. It's kind of like the "N" word, I think.

For decades, people in the disability community have been trying to raise awareness about how hurtful the "R" word is when it's used in a negative way and how it reinforces attitude that people with disabilities are the lowest of the low.

Now, they've finally got some attention.

It's not going to stop anyone from seeing this movie, but it's got some of us talking about it :)

[chicago25624]

HELLO! It's a movie. Why not go protest the painting of walls in teal or mauve?

[Fluffnstuff]

"We have abilities not disabilities"

Perhaps anyone believing that needs to stop fooling themselves and accept the fact that they are disabled. Sorry, but missing a limb or having bad brain functions doesn't magically give you an extra ability. Well, unless you're one of those guys that can rattle off a few hundred prime numbers. That's wicked cool.

[Swerinjer]

yeh those are definitely disabilities.

[brijit]

"it seems to me that the movie tried really hard to go too far "

Doesn't that pretty much sum up ANY Ben Stiller movie?

[catchdis]

yes, sadly. i don't mind if he directs the funny people but i really can't tolerate seeing him onscreen for more than a minute or so.

[Mort]

It's hilarious that Tom Cruise is pictured under the headline "Mental Disability Groups."

[indyleftist]

I don't think its nice for those protesters to be picking on Jack Black and Ben Stiller for having mental disabilities.

[manicore]

azim i think you might have a Mental Disability.
This is the kind of Movie that i would expect from Ben Stiller if it is idiotic
chances are stiller is in it. I dont approve of movies like this but Hollywood
will exploit anything these days. My advice stay away from movies that
step over the line to make a cheap Buck.

[pizzmoe]

It isn't right to call these innocent people "mentally challanged". That is reserved for Republicans.

[grapesofmath]

This is so ridiculous.
He is not poking fun at those with so-called disabilities. He is poking fun at the patronizing way those people are portrayed by Hollywood.

[tscurry]

Ben Stiller has said publicly that he suffers from bipolar mood disorder. This is a serious mental condition that, for the most part, requires medication. If he's making fun of the disabled he's making fun of himself. What offends me more is the fact that Tom Cruise in the picture. His view of mental health and its treatment is well known. What a pity.

[HC4BO]

Well so long as they don't go full 'tard on their demonstrations ...