Tropic Thunder Solves Its R-Word Problem With A DVD Extra
It was a big deal for a while last summer when Tropic Thunder released previews containing the scene where Robert Downey, Jr. urges Ben Stiller to "Never go full retard." I watched the DVD last night and was curious as to whether Paramount gave in to pressure from groups representing the intellectually disabled and took the scene out (which would have been lame, in my opinion, though the entire brouhaha was pretty predictable on the part of the studio.) The line stayed in, but when you go to watch the DVD extras, the first thing you see is this PSA, without any explanation as to why it's there:
A nice, if hypocritical, effort. Though "Never go full respect." would totally ruin the joke.
Posted by Lindsay at 3:30 PM in DVD, PSAs
Tags: Ben Stiller | Robert Downey Jr. | Tropic Thunder
I have deep respect and admiration for the mentally disabled, or all disabled for that matter, but honest to God, the word does not bother me. it may be blunt, but its meaning holds true. it is really the exact thing that these people deal with. mental retardation. maybe the only reason people take issue with it is because of the stigma attached to it. if anything, it's better than patronizing them with "special".
Score = 5
Agreed. I will add that I feel the same way about the David Paterson bit on SNL. If the blind what people to think they're just as tough and capable as everyone else, they can't cry when people laugh at them for being blind. Also, the joke in Tropic Thunder wasn't that retarded people are goofy and deserving of derision. The joke was that Hollywood portrayals of the mentally handicapped are totally out of touch, and are usually just a device used to jerk an emotional response out of the audience.
Score = 7
That was respected.
Score = 3
For a second, I honestly though they were going to say "Why..would..you..ever..call me..RETARD".
And I would've laughed hysterically.
Score = 1
I did too and I started to pre-emptivily die laughing because of it.
Score = 1
I used to volunteer at a center for the mentally disabled. the last four words of the name of the place was, "Center for Retarded Adults".
People used to say "moron" or "idiot" to refer to these people, and...WHOOPS, those words are integrated into our lexicon as well. There's nothing wrong with the word "retard". There is something wrong with the retarded subsection of America that yearns to be offended at anything and everything.
I want a constitutional ammendment so bad, like an Anti-Bill of Rights, that includes shit like "You do not have the right to not be offended, that is like the opposite of free speech RETARD"
Score = 0
I love this movie! Its the greatest movie ever!
Score = 0
Greatest movie ever!
Score = 0