Happy to post your news clip. The market has spoken. As you may know, I love the messy and open free market of expression that uiltimately allows the audience to speak.

But just out of curiousity, why did you send it anonymously? I have always felt that we should be proud and open about our feelings. My opinion about the use of the word “retard” was received with both support and pretty nasty scorn. But I would have never considered doing it anonymously.

More specifically, I am curious if this comes from a studio exec proud that the market spoke the way it did, an average audience member who felt vindicated by the film’s performance, or maybe even a corporate digital message campaign? Absent knowing who you are, it is at least fair of me, I think, to wonder about the source and context and motive of your posting.

I’m serious. Why would you send an inoffensive news clip like this without your name attached?

Please know that — on this site at least — no one needs to worry about their point of view being receieved with anything less than complete respect and civility.

And that certainly and especially includes people who disagree with me.

Steve

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – Action movie spoof “Tropic Thunder” commanded the No. 1 spot at North American box offices for the second straight week.

“Tropic Thunder,” which stars Robert Downey Jr, Ben Stiller and Jack Black, had an estimated weekend total of $16.1 million at U.S. and Canadian theaters, bringing its total domestic take to $65.7 million, according to studio estimates on Sunday.

Downey, Stiller and Black have won much laughter from audiences playing a group of self-absorbed Hollywood actors caught up in a real-life battle with narco-terrorists while filming a war movie in Southeast Asia. The film was directed, co-written and co-produced by Stiller.

August 16, 2008

Mr. Ben Stiller
Red Hour Films
629 North La Brea Avenue
Los Angeles, CA 90036

Dear Mr. Stiller:

The boycotters, picketers, protesters, and ticketbuyers have a voice. If we do not like
what we hear and see, we can–at the very least–cause a negative impact on present
and future film projects.

For example, gay and lesbian people boycotted–and so embarassed the orange juice
industry–that they adversely impacted the entire orange industry. As a result, Anita
Bryant apologized to gay and lesbian people for her discrimination and prejudice, after
her career was completedly ruined. Gay and lesbian people have learned to become
strong lobbyists–to effectively control and manipulate the legal and political systems–
for civil liberties, civil unions, and gay marriage. Additionally, caucasians will soon be
outnumbered by african americans and hispanic/latino people. The babyboomers are
also getting old enough to retire–and increasing the number of senior citizens–they,
too, will impact big business, conglomerates, the media (including the film industry),
as well as the legal and political systems. Consumers (including the disABLED) are
rapidly changing the face of America.

Whenever someone holds a ‘loaded gun’ and points it at someone else–no matter who
it is–it is tragic, and anything but funny.

Even so-called ‘voiceless people’ are consumers–and, as ticketbuyers, we carry a loud
voice. Ticketbuyers have both power and a voice. We can always issue caveats–and
there will always be others who will heed them. In “Tropic Thunder” (2008), ‘retard’ is a
negative label or word–which some might consider funny, when used once–but, when
used repetitiously, it most definitely becomes offensive. Laugh that one off.

Be Warned,

Len Bourret
Ticketbuyer

———- Forwarded Message ———-

Review: “Tropic Thunder” (2008)
by Len Bourret (Copyright 2008)

Lucille Ball, who many still consider to be the first lady of comedy,
never resorted to obscene language, labels, name calling or sex,
to effectively deliver her special and unique brand of laughter. Lucy
emphasized her versatile acting abilities, and did not depend on
animation or special effects. In fact, a script should focus on a
strong storyline, rather than anything that detracts from it.

It is always pathetic and sad when laughter becomes derisive, and is
at somebody else’s expense. An actor must be artistic and creative,
but he or she should also be responsible. Derisive laughter is like a
‘loaded gun’, which explodes in somebody’s face. Such laughter is
tragic, and anything but funny. This film brings up many issues, but
it never really deals with them on a comedic or serious level. I do not
think, for example, that drug abuse or addiction is funny on any level.
While the taking of drugs may be acceptable in today’s Hollywood,
this practice is not acceptable in other areas of the world. In the mind,
this film’s script may be funny theoretically–but, in the heart, such a
script is unacceptable on an affective or ‘gut level’. The script just does
not work, and a significant number of critics have not rated this film
higher than a 7 or 8 out of 10. This film is not the funniest movie of any
season or year, and certainly does not deserve a rating of 9 or 10.

This is America–and, in a free democracy, each of us has the right of
assembly and the right to speak. You have a right to your opinion, and
I have a right to mine. The film is awful, and I rate it a 1 out of 10.

e-Mail address for Len Bourret: Len9876@juno.com

FAIL.

Shriver, Special Olympics, concerned parents, blogs, protests… that’s a whole lot of people speaking back.

Of the people that are objecting, how many have seen the movie? How many saw Sling Blade, Forrest Gump, Rain Man, I Am Sam or Of Mice and Men and were offended?

Everyone has a right to their opinions and I don’t want to begrudge or belittle anyone for being offended, but I think many people are being offended without looking at the context. That’s ok, because if a movie like this actually changes what Hollywood thinks is acceptable, then this dialogue is good and movies like this will have to find something else to satire.

And again, if you want to remember how to stay on topic, refer to the last three lines of Steve’s article at the head of the page…

I saw this movie with a friend who has an uncle that has down syndrome. He loved the movie, and loves his uncle. His mother is a teacher for children with special needs. He and his family are actively involved in their community and with individuals you think are being made fun of in a movie you haven’t seen. He enjoyed this movie, because he’s intelligent enough to see the people actually being made fun of were the actors playing these roles in other movies.

How about instead of crying about what people show on TV and in film, you get involved in programs that help the public and the mean kids on the playground understand the conditions they are making fun of. I’ve been involved in programs all throughout high school that got us involved with those with intellectual handicaps, and that taught me a lot. Movies like this highlight how far we still have to go before people realize the offensive aspect of films isn’t derived from the film itself, but the over abundance of super-sensitivity and over sheltering that takes place in this country.

It’s a word in a film. It’s what you make of it. You can laugh at the situation, or you can sit back and take offense to six letters. Children making fun of others will never stop. The word “retard” has become a part of language, for better or for worse. Denounce those that use it negatively, and not the people who are using it to highlight actual problems in our society.

On another note, the marketing campaign was a bit misguided. It’s a rated R film, and it should’ve been handled a bit better in terms of what they showed on television ads.

There have been some efforts made among mental health professionals to discourage use of these terms. Nevertheless their use persists. In addition to the terms below, the abbreviation retard or tard is still used as a generic insult, especially among children and teens. A BBC survey in 2003 ranked retard as the most offensive disability-related word, ahead of terms such as spastic (not considered offensive in America) and mong.

Cretin is the oldest and comes from a dialectal French word for Christian. The implication was that people with significant intellectual or developmental disabilities were “still human” (or “still Christian”) and deserved to be treated with basic human dignity. This term has not been used in any serious or scientific endeavor since the middle of the 20th century and is now always considered a term of abuse: notably, in the 1964 movie Becket, King Henry II calls his son and heir a “cretin.” “Cretinism” is also used as an obsolescent term to refer to the condition of congenital hypothyroidism, in which there is some degree of mental retardation.

Idiot indicated the greatest degree of intellectual disability, where the mental age is two years or less, and the person cannot guard himself or herself against common physical dangers. The term was gradually replaced by the term profound mental retardation.

Imbecile indicated an intellectual disability less extreme than idiocy and not necessarily inherited. It is now usually subdivided into two categories, known as severe mental retardation and moderate mental retardation.

Moron was defined by the American Association for the Study of the Feeble-minded in 1910, following work by Henry H. Goddard, as the term for an adult with a mental age between eight and twelve; mild mental retardation is now the term for this condition. Alternative definitions of these terms based on IQ were also used. This group was known in UK law from 1911 to 1959/60 as “feeble-minded.”

In the field of special education, Educable (or “educable mentally retarded”) refers to MR students with IQs of approximately 50-75 who can progress academically to a late elementary level. Trainable (or “trainable mentally retarded”) refers to students whose IQs fall below 50 but who are still capable of learning personal hygiene and other living skills in a sheltered setting, such as a group home. In many areas, these terms have fallen out of favor in favor of “severe” and “moderate” mental retardation. While the names change, the meaning stays roughly the same in practice.

Usage has changed over the years, and differed from country to country, which needs to be borne in mind when looking at older books and papers. For example, “mental retardation” in some contexts covers the whole field, but used to apply to what is now the mild MR group. “Feeble-minded” used to mean mild MR in the UK, and once applied in the US to the whole field. “Borderline MR” is not currently defined, but the term may be used to apply to people with IQs in the 70s. People with IQs of 70 to 85 used to be eligible for special consideration in the US public education system on grounds of mental retardation.

Along with the changes in terminology, and the downward drift in acceptability of the old terms, institutions of all kinds have had to repeatedly change their names. This affects the names of schools, hospitals, societies, government departments, and academic journals. For example, the Midlands Institute of Mental Subnormality became the British Institute of Mental Handicap and is now the British Institute of Learning Disability. This phenomenon is shared with mental health and motor disabilities, and seen to a lesser degree in sensory disabilities.

Those of us who have family members, associates and friends who have disabilities DO frequently agonize over the language used to describe those we care about and maybe we can be too sensitive. But in a larger sense, If we consider the language we use to describe those who are different in an historical context, it becomes clear that the way we treat people who are different is preceded by the way we talk about them.

People with disabilities have been warehoused, experimented on, physically and sexually abused periodically through the centuries. I thought they we had become enlightened enough to respect those different from us; to value the intrinsic value of each individual.

When movies like “tropic thunder” are released, and I wonder just how much our cultural attitudes have actually matured

you guys r just plain retarded … cause the word itself is a medical term and this PC bullshit is becoming a little too much. We have a war on our hands and american troops sent to places we never wanted … and you worry about the word retard ?? lol pathetic … only in america …

Poor Dominic and Richard C- Let’s pray that neither of you ever have a special needs child, your compassion and empathy is just too much for us to handle!

Freedom of speech…sad, pathetic excuse for hurting so many people.

It may be LEGAL, but it AIN’T RIGHT.

From a mom of 4 yr old w/ Down Syndrome

Thank you for you well written piece. As a sibling of a man with Down sydrome, there is absolutely nothing funny about using the r-word. Historically, it is only used to harm the human spirit by insulting another huamn being’s abilties. We know as a society that the word is degrading, it’s time to stop using it.

We’re secretly jealous of them because their denial mechanism works a thousand times better than ours. Ignorance is bliss and you know it.

But that’s not what we need to fret over – what about how the whole world view: the US economy is abysmal, China is dangerously powerful – as well as Iran with it’s nuke building, there is lots of fighting, starvation, etc in this world. The majority of the world lives a life that’s completely opposite of ours: in extreme poverty.

Society is getting better – the world is a much better place in the civilized places than it was 200 years ago. Things that were acceptable in the US 60 yrs ago, ei – public racism and sexism, are now very unacceptable.

I honestly do not care what larger message or satirical goal he had in mind – I do care that he used my child in an insulting and disrepectful manner. Our children KNOW these actors – my 8 year old is watching a program right now where Ben Stiller is the narrator. Sesame Street had Jack Black on its anniversary show. Numerous kids’ shows have these actors. Nickelodeon is a big Jack Black outlet. I thought I was safe from having to see their faces by putting on “Shaggy D.A.” – oops, Robert Downey, Jr.! When this movie is in homes next year, how many parents will give more weight to who the actors are and the fact that it is a comedy than to the R rating? How many times will those words echo through the school hallways?

The dehumanization and blatant disrespect of individuals with intellectual disabilities simply isn’t funny to those of us aware of how much words hurt. Those spoken by influential movie stars, all wrapped up with a funny punch line, make it even more socially acceptable to ridicule our most vulnerable citizens. So while the masses and critics are singing the praises of this comedy, the notes fall flat for those of us who have loved ones with an intellectual disability and have to pay a high price for this movie’s success.

1. “I was made fun of myself too, I know how it feels!”

2. “But I worked with the Special Olympics, so I’ve been nice to people with mental disabilities!”

3. “It was tradition, it’s what everyone does!”

Your claims still do little to disprove that you are indeed a bully. Just learn to admit to it, understand that it is a choice. That when you could’ve learned empathy and insight from being bullied yourself, instead you learned that it’s better to be the one doing the bullying.

Stiller is using this as a device for people to examine Hollywood itself, much the same way Robert Downey Jr’s blackface character is used. I applaud “Tropic Thunder” for attempting to focus people’s attention on these issues. Unfortunately, most didn’t get it and instead end up condemning the pointer, not the target.

Don’t always go with the kneejerk reaction. Think about it first.

Joe, “Something About Mary” was more limited in its treatment of the developmentally disabled and they did not base their marketing scheme around that one scene. Also, Mary does try to be a defender of the disabled. But the scene is offensive and we can see what inspires Stiller and what he thinks is funny.