Ben Stiller stars in, co-wrote and directed "Tropic Thunder."
The New York Times reports that a coalition of disability groups will probably call for for a national boycott of the film “Tropic Thunder” August 11 because the groups say the film openly ridicules people with intellectual disabilities and constantly uses the "R-word."
Special Olympics sent an alert to disability advocates launching "the R-word campaign" the evening of August 10 and that group's chairman says the boycott is a certainty.
“Not only might it happen, it will happen,” Timothy P. Shriver, chairman of the Special Olympics, said of the boycott in the NY Times. Shriver said he would be in Los Angeles with other Special Olympics representatives to picket the movie’s premiere August 11 the Westwood district.
Special Olympics representatives spelled out the reason for its protest of "Tropic Thunder" and the "R-word campaign" in its media alert:
- To educate Hollywood, the media and general public about the hurt and harm caused by using the “R-word.” To inform them that its continued use in movies like "Tropic Thunder" perpetuates a behavior that is discriminatory and demeans people with intellectual disabilities and that we will no longer tolerate the use of the word.
- To promote the accomplishments and achievements of our athletes, showing the general public up close the people who are impacted and hurt when the R-word is used. To promote inclusion and acceptance of all people and rejection of the stereotypes and stigma associated with individuals with intellectual disabilities.
- To use the "Tropic Thunder" film as an opportunity to launch a nationwide R-word campaign with the goal of eliminating the pejorative use of the word from today’s popular culture.
The Special Olympics successfully collaborated with Hollywood back in 2005 when the organization spent several years negotiating how the organization and people with intellectual disabilities would be portrayed in "The Ringer."
Patricia E. Bauer wrote in the NY Times about the agreement in 2005:
After an initial positive response from the Special Olympics president (and now chairman), Timothy P. Shriver, the Farrellys spent a couple of years in negotiation. They pared out some situations (a strip club) and some language (that can't be printed here). Dialogue was scrubbed. ("Mentally challenged" and "intellectual disabilities" were in. "Mentally retarded" was out, except in special circumstances.) There were arguments. During production, a Special Olympics representative stayed on the set to make sure nothing untoward slipped in.
The resulting film stars Johnny Knoxville, best known as the star of MTV's gross and dangerous stunt series, "Jackass," as the anti-hero. It would not be giving away too much of the plot to reveal that he is befriended by disabled athletes whom he comes to admire, and that he sternly admonishes another character who labels his new friends " 'tards," a variant on the widely used playground insult "retard."
In the midst of the current protest against "Tropic Thunder," the Special Olympics sees the controversy as an opportunity for educating America about the offensiveness of the R-word, according to its August 10 advocacy alert:
While we are offended that the movie was produced containing this hateful material, we also see the release of "Tropic Thunder" as a rare opportunity to address the much needed abuse of the “R-word.” Special Olympics has decided to lead an effort to publicly address this language and the negative attitudes and behaviors associated with the use of the pejorative “retard.” It is time to help raise the consciousness of society by launching the “R-word Campaign.”
