Retardo & Clarabelle
Timothy Shriver, chairman of Special Olympics and a columnist for washingtonpost.com's On Faith, has written a clueless editorial that slams Tropic Thunder for its retard jokes regarding Ben Stiller's "Simple Jack" character.
Which, incidentally, is quite funny. And yet funny within Thunder's satirical context, which is all about dissecting actors and their massive egos, and the Hollywood hot-shots who pay, flatter, kowtow to, represent, cajole and undermine them.
The bit between Stiller and Robert Downey, Jr. about the pitfalls of "doing full retard" refers to the fact that only one Hollywood actor has played a mentally handicapped guy in a thoroughly realistic full-retard way -- Sean Penn in I Am Sam. That means without throwing little extras and grace notes into the performance that charm the audience in to thinking, "Ahh, he's only half-retarded -- the other half is pretty smart or clever or even genius-level."
"I have not been given the chance to see the movie," Shriver writes. "But I've seen previews, read about it and read excerpts of the script. By all accounts, it is an unchecked assault on the humanity of people with intellectual disabilities -- an affront to dignity, hope and respect."
Shriver's editorial is just another arched-back, not-very-hip response by a Stalinoid wonk to an artist who had the gall to ignore p.c. standards in order to make a point or tell a joke.
As HE reader Christian Hamaker says, "This poor guy's position requires some sort of outrage, but he hasn't seen the film and is basing his reaction to words on a page. Seeing the 'retard' exchange in print, without the context of two preening actors discussing their craft (one of whom has had his skin chemically altered to resemble and African American), is a disservice to the movie.
"I'm not sure the audience I saw this with wasn't howling because they find discussion of 'retards' funny, but I'm guessing that most of the laughter had to do with the 'inside' actor talk about what does, and does not, constitute legitimate Oscar bait." I know that's why I was laughing, in any event."
Posted by Jeffrey Wells on August 11, 2008 at 7:58 AM
comment #1
BurmaShave says ...
I'm sure he'll find an ally in scooterz. Stiller, Theroux and Cohen are no doubt fatuous assholes.
Posted by BurmaShave at August 11, 2008 11:21 AM
comment #2
SRCputt says ...
"By all accounts, it is an unchecked assault on the humanity of people with intellectual disabilities -- an affront to dignity, hope and respect." Really? By ALL accounts? Many accounts show that Tropic Thunder is an unchecked assault on actors and their egos. I have a son with mental and physical disabilities, and I'm not offended by Tropic Thunder in the slightest.
Posted by SRCputt at August 11, 2008 11:24 AM
comment #3
theultimatebiu says ...
The stupidest thing is that all this does is gain more popularity for the movie. I don't get how people can be offended by a spoof which is obvioulsy making fun of actors and not the mentally handicapped. Its a obvious case of not being able to read between the lines.
Posted by theultimatebiu at August 11, 2008 11:32 AM
comment #4
R. Hunt says ...
I haven't seen "Tropic Thunder" yet (I'm attending a screening tomorrow night) but I don't buy the idea that irony makes Stiller's bit any less insulting or that the people who speak out against it are simply not hip enough. The idea that the joke is that Stiller's character and other Hollywood types don't see their insensitivity doesn't make the "Simple Jack" ads any less insensitive (..and we all know that no movie along the lines of "I am Sam" would ever use a slogan like "Once upon a time there was a retard"). So far, the defenders of the jokes remind me of the members of Spinal Tap explaining that their "Sniff the Glove" album cover didn't really mean that they wanted the model to sniff the glove.
Posted by R. Hunt at August 11, 2008 11:41 AM
comment #5
pwtdir says ...
Shriver is a humorless blow-hard. I just wrote an angry letter to the Special Olympics. This is just the kind of fake outrage that is making our society retar--- I better not say it. Or else I'll be boycotted. Hollywood is an easy target... it's time we fought back against this nonsense. Lighten the F up. People with mental disabilities are not being hurt by this movie... I'm sure there are better things Mr. Shriver can be battling than a comedy film.
Posted by pwtdir at August 11, 2008 12:00 PM
comment #6
Supernetuser says ...
Tropic Thunder is supposed to be a comedy about the stupidity the actors make fun of themselves for having. I'm really annoyed by the human race for not being able to see this.
Posted by Supernetuser at August 11, 2008 12:26 PM
comment #7
theultimatebiu says ...
OK, calm down. Writing the special olympics a letter seems rather stupid as he did not say it on behalf of them it was merely his opinion. Also I gave up on the human race years ago
Posted by theultimatebiu at August 11, 2008 12:54 PM
comment #8
Chicago48 says ...
I saw the movie and if anyone saw Something About Mary which also allegedly insulted various groups, and if you laughed, you will laugh at this movie. It's sticking it to actors who strive for the BIG OSCAR and what they will do to get it; plus the agents that kiss a** for their clients. Very funny.
And Robert Downey Jr. needs an OSCAR just for being a good sport.
Posted by Chicago48 at August 11, 2008 2:21 PM
comment #9
Howlingman says ...
"[Tropic Thunder is] obvioulsy making fun of actors and not the mentally handicapped"
You mean there's a difference?
Posted by Howlingman at August 11, 2008 3:42 PM
comment #10
alen says ...
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Posted by alen at August 11, 2008 6:33 PM
comment #11
kinks541 says ...
First of all, it's "Smell the Glove."
Second, would anyone here not say that DiCaprio wasn't doing the "full retard" in "What's Eating Gilbert Grape"?
Posted by kinks541 at August 11, 2008 7:52 PM
comment #12
BurmaShave says ...
As dumb as that letter to the Post was, it seems like this was avoidable. Is there some reason Stiller couldn't get Shriver a screening of this? Was he worried he was going to write a review on AICN? And besides all that, doesn't he have a connection to this guy through the Farrellys? Seems like this could have been fixed with a phone call.
Posted by BurmaShave at August 11, 2008 8:27 PM
comment #13
D.Z. says ...
Chicago: The thing about 'Mary is the mentally retarded guy in that one was the "normal" character, while everyone else was loony. Tropic Thunder just looks like a low-brow comedy masquerading as satire.
Posted by D.Z. at August 11, 2008 8:34 PM
comment #14
arturobandini says ...
People in the majority shouldn't get to decide what is and isn't sensitive to minorities.
Posted by arturobandini at August 11, 2008 8:37 PM
comment #15
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comment #16
va says ...
"Stalinoid?" - characterization of a Kennedy? I wouldn't use that word to describe anyone is that liberal family...
Posted by va at August 12, 2008 3:39 AM
comment #17
R. Hunt says ...
My apologies. I saw "Tropic Thunder" tonight and wasn't offended at all by the "full retard" scene or the Simple Jack character. In context, it's definitely about the confusion the fictional actors have over their roles. I can't say the same thing about the mock "Simple Jack" website or the casual way that some of Stiller's defenders have tossed the word "retard" around (as in the title of this post, Jeff....) .
Posted by R. Hunt at August 12, 2008 8:29 PM
comment #18
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