On August 11, 2008, disabilities groups across the country announced they are calling for a national boycott of the film Tropic Thunder. The groups believe that the movie ridicules the intellectually disabled. While the film is considered a spoof, the word "retard" is frequently used to refer to the character Simple Jack in the film. Timothy Shriver, chairman of the Special Olympics has asked Congress to aid in stronger federal support of the intellectually disabled and condemn "hate speech" in films.
Quotes
"It's sort of edgy territory, but we felt that as long as the focus was on the actors who were trying to do something to be taken seriously that's going too far or wrong, that was where the humor would come from."—Ben Stiller, in response to the outcry
References
Fast Facts
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Fact:
Disability groups involved in the boycott include National Down Syndrome Congress, American Association of People With Disabilities, and Arc of the United States
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Tropic Thunder release date
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Fact:
Directed by Ben Stiller
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Written by Ben Stiller, Justin Theroux, and Etan Cohen
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Distributed by DreamWorks and Paramount Pictures
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Tom Cruise makes a cameo in the film
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Fact:
Another famous movie boycott was The Last Temptation of Christ in 1988 by religious groups
