Tropic Thunder

PrincessKLS · #1 (**permalink**) 08-12-2008, 04:56 PM

I just got word that the new movie offended the Special Olympics and some other Special Needs Association and they protested the premere of the movie because of their excessive use of the word "retarded". Though I find the term "retarded" offensive, I've decided it doesn't bother me to hear the word retard or retarded in a song, movie, or any other artistic outlet. What offends me more is people in real life using it out of context and not changing a company's name that has the term "Mental Retardation" in it's title. When I worked at my vocational rehab job, it was offensive to see that on my check. They say they were going to change the name but still....

And on the subject of the protest, I feel a protest of an offensive movie will not help the cause, in fact, it just helps the movie sell more tickets and DVDs.

dancesintherain · 08-13-2008, 07:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kingdomforakiss

if you think that will offend people, wait till Hamlet 2 comes out. I already can tell it will piss sooo many people off. I mean with a song called "Rock Me Sexy Jesus", it is expected that it will upset a lot of Christians.

I did this play for a Speech competition. And "Rock Me Sexy Jesus" is not the only thing that is going to piss off some religious groups. It gets better.

As for the topic on hand, I hate that word: retarded. It is just as bad as saying any racial slur. Yes, I know "retard" is not a racial slur, but it does offend like one. "Mental Retardation" does not, on the other hand. That is a medical term and is not meant to be hurtful, it was meant to be a diagnosis. I worked with the Mentally handicapped for 5 years and they are some of the most wonderful children and adults that you can know. They are caring and all around genuinely good people.

As for Tropic Thunder, that is just a movie with some crude humor. Some may get offended, some may not. I personally will not. The writers did it for entertainment value, not to make fun of them and hurt them. But because I hate the word, I am not going to skip the movie. It looks like a good movie so I am going to go see it. "Retarded" or not.

PrincessKLS · 08-13-2008, 12:35 PM

I did a summer daycare program for special needs children for a couple of summers and it was really stressful, and even more stressful when I realized one of the children was a coworker at the vocational rehab where I got my current job (that I just quit) and it bugged me that my supervisors didn't understand my problems with being on the same level as him

But than again I don't know what that youth employment agency was thinking pairing disabled and/or disadvantaged teens to take care of some children and teens in similar situations as if those teens and young adults (I was 21-22 at the time and a lot of the people were 14-19) were supposed to be the authority over people similar to them.

And I didn't like that the supervisors devalued my past experience saying you were just an assistant not a teacher, true but an assistant/support can be somewhat of a teacher.

I know that's off topic but your post reminded me of that. It seems like people who work with the disabled take a lot of pride in what they do or they are looked on highly by others but not everyone who is asked to do it can handle it. And I've known plenty of people in that status that really sucked at their job such as my vocational rehab counselor.

--------------- Added 13 Aug 2008 at 12:37 pm ---------------

Oh speaking of Hamlet 2 I'm sure it's offending people now.

PrincessKLS · 08-13-2008, 04:34 PM

I have no problem being an assistant, in fact I noticed as I working these stressful jobs I did make some positive impacts in some of the children's lives. This client, I kind of felt bad for him when I working at the vocational rehab because he acted toward me (and he's kind of low functioning) like he wanted my attention but I felt I couldn't give it because I was feeling down in the dumps in my factory work and trying to get a disability, which I've been turned down once for and still trying.

How bad did the child hurt you?

--------------- Added 13 Aug 2008 at 04:41 pm ---------------

And speaking of watching tv and movies with conservative family members I can't stand it, my mom once rented a PG-13 rated movie and we watched it. She complained it was too dirty due to breif (showing butts) nudity and drug references and at the time I was 21 and she told me this isn't appropriate for you or something like that

My sister and I just told her, she chose the movie and these days you can't even get a G rated movie without some innuendos. Sometimes I find I can't even watch old 90s shows with her like I used to. 1/2 the stuff I watch she can't handle.

PrincessKLS · 08-13-2008, 08:16 PM

It takes a special type of person to take care of children, especially special needs children so I didn't know why this was allowed to take place; at one of facilities all the teens quit after 1-3 weeks and I was the only one to persevere. There's was a lot of volunteers there anyway and public school teachers.

**Arcángel** · 08-14-2008, 06:58 AM

I saw the previews to this and I gotta say, along with Hamlet 2 and Pineapple Express, it is now on the movies that I may just wait til it hits Netflix to watch. There's no way in hell (or heaven in that matter) that I am going into Manhattan or Queens and pay $11.75, plus train fare, to see it.

No! You can't make me! *hides his wallet* =P

PrincessKLS · 08-14-2008, 07:55 PM

Also in Tropic Thunder, isn't there a whit guy using black face or something? Where's Jesse Jackson and the NAACP when you need them

?

I've read a post on Yahoo Answers (where I got banned on Christmas

) on the People with Disabilities section and one of the poster said they didn't just use the word "retard" but offensively depicted a mentally retarded man.

I don't know about that personally and it's not like you haven't seen people act as a disabled character before and Hollywood has had a few disabled actors before.

What about The Ringer, why did it get such good press? It was about a guy who pretends to be retarded to get into the Special Olympics.

PrincessKLS · 08-14-2008, 08:57 PM

I hated Zoolander and I don't remember such a scene, but I remember I got it on DVD thinking it would be a good movie and it sucked, but I did like the outtakes, they were funnier and better than the movie

**Opunaya** · 08-15-2008, 07:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PrincessKLS

I just got word that the new movie offended the Special Olympics and some other Special Needs Association and they protested the premere of the movie because of their excessive use of the word "retarded". Though I find the term "retarded" offensive, I've decided it doesn't bother me to hear the word retard or retarded in a song, movie, or any other artistic outlet. What offends me more is people in real life using it out of context and not changing a company's name that has the term "Mental Retardation" in it's title. When I worked at my vocational rehab job, it was offensive to see that on my check. They say they were going to change the name but still....

And on the subject of the protest, I feel a protest of an offensive movie will not help the cause, in fact, it just helps the movie sell more tickets and DVDs.

They protested it? Now THAT'S retarded...and queer.

**Arcángel** · 08-15-2008, 07:21 AM

I saw that on the news yesterday morning and I was thinking to myself:

Why? Why are you going to protest what is written in the context of the movie script which is supposed to be (emphasis on supposed to be since I think the damn movie sucks anyway) funny. Heaven forbid that some people actually learn to take a fuckin joke, these days.

Jesus, Mary and, Joesph...