tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post1937928872812381217..comments2023-11-03T06:02:02.128-07:00Comments on By Ken Levine: On the topic of TropicBy Ken Levinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17305293821975250420noreply@blogger.comBlogger43125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-76265408222308806952008-08-19T12:21:00.000-07:002008-08-19T12:21:00.000-07:00I was thinking about this and I wondered - did For...I was thinking about this and I wondered - did Forrest Gump get protested like this when it first came out?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-62773689347720240662008-08-18T15:28:00.000-07:002008-08-18T15:28:00.000-07:00I haven't seen Tropic Thunder yet (though I plan t...I haven't seen <I>Tropic Thunder</I> yet (though I plan to). But doesn't this come closest to the use of the word "nigger" in <I>Blazing Saddles</I>? Anyone who has actually seen the movie should be able to understand that the ones using the word in the movie were the idiots. (See Cathy's definition of satire above.) <BR/><BR/>Do the <I>Tropic</I> boy/girlcotters feel that <I>Blazing Saddles</I> was unfunny, demeaning and should have been protested?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-21801902106399361622008-08-18T12:06:00.000-07:002008-08-18T12:06:00.000-07:00If they think this is the firt time Ben Stiller ma...If they think this is the firt time Ben Stiller makes fun of the the intellectualy disabled they obviously never bothered to watch any of his other movies.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01239198273681288577noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-74599884659931238822008-08-18T07:17:00.000-07:002008-08-18T07:17:00.000-07:00let me preface that i am african-american. we hav...let me preface that i am african-american. we have this knee-jerk reaction that everybody is supposed to be of the same mindset. it would be ridiculous to make a movie about racism (like CRASH or MALCOLM X) and not have racial slurs invoked... that's the frickin' point. it's like banning HUCK FINN because because they use the the word 'nigger'... yeah, jim's a slave and that's how people were.<BR/><BR/>secondly, 'retard' is an actual word. like a 'flame retardant.' it means something that is slow. i understand the not using handicap because the origins of the word were from beggars (hand with cap). african american makes sense because there are italian americans and jewish american groups everywhere. 'retard' is a word would be replaced with something and then twenty years later it will be replaced with something different because that word has a bad connotation. understand it isn't the word, it's the condition.<BR/><BR/>i'm sorry but i know these people have hardships but let's stop pretending they don't. i've seen boycotting photos with t-shirts that say 'i don't have disablities, i have special abilities,' no you don't. you can't walk through walls or fly. you have a harder time doing things the rest of us take for granted and i know that. if you need help, i'd be happy to help, if not, give the state back it's parking sticker and checks and get in line with the rest of us. <BR/><BR/>and just so we're clear, an actor playing a white actor who dresses as a black actor is not blackface. mickey rooney in BREAKFAST AT TIFFANY'S is in yellowface because not only is he not asians, he's playing an asian stereotype. you could make the same argument for eddie murphy in NORBIT and COMING TO AMERICA but i don't think he was portaying anymore negative a stereotype than he does as when he's other black characters. if he's going to dish it out, at least he gets a large helping himself.<BR/><BR/>www.jamesford.wordpress.comAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-4779917222039001412008-08-17T16:24:00.000-07:002008-08-17T16:24:00.000-07:00I found "Tropic Thunder" to be really funny. If an...I found "Tropic Thunder" to be really funny. If anyone should be offended, it's the Hollywood types the movie depicts.<BR/><BR/>One group that nobody seems to have any qualms making fun of is nerds. Some "Wordplay" reviewers thought it was perfectly OK and really clever to use the tone of, "Oh, look at all these awkward misfits that we are superior to." I could only wonder what the reviewers were best in the country at.Ellenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09699703443886498884noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-59400991725227632962008-08-17T15:42:00.000-07:002008-08-17T15:42:00.000-07:00I didn't know Tom "Smirking Dwarf" Cruise was in t...I didn't know Tom "Smirking Dwarf" Cruise was in this movie. Now I know I won't see it. Millions for charity, but not one cent for an asshole Scientologist.Cap'n Bobhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11783977137812876489noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-11551319775547374082008-08-16T22:47:00.000-07:002008-08-16T22:47:00.000-07:00It'd only be offensive if you called it "niggerfac...It'd only be offensive if you called it "niggerface".Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-42785401714425634542008-08-16T21:53:00.000-07:002008-08-16T21:53:00.000-07:00I still say that, "Who’s the intellectually challe...I still say that, <I>"Who’s the intellectually challenged now?"</I> was a hilarious line.<BR/><BR/>I think you are all being alternatively intellectually talented (AIT), by not commenting on the post, rather than the general issue.<BR/><BR/>Bunch of AITs.James Patrick Joycehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12131430226101605199noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-36189503321607970962008-08-16T19:22:00.000-07:002008-08-16T19:22:00.000-07:00Stop trying to imply that it is. (I don't know wha...Stop trying to imply that it is. <BR/><BR/>(I don't know what happened to the end of that last sentence. Weird.)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-68395744598831579982008-08-16T19:19:00.000-07:002008-08-16T19:19:00.000-07:00Just got back from seeing Tropic Thunder. I'm high...Just got back from seeing Tropic Thunder. I'm highly offended that the movie's buzz didn't live up to promises of offensiveness and hilarity. I was actually expecting a lot more. I was a bit disappointed. Oh, well.<BR/><BR/>Best three parts of the movie are, in essay format of course: Robert Dreamy Jr., Jack Black and (I hate to say it) Tom Cruise. Seriously. And Tallulah, Jack isn't his typical obnoxious self in this. He gives a funny, measured performance of a heroin addict that was ripe for over the topness but he chose to reign it in. Glad to see it, too, b.c. I'm also sick of his Tenacious D. on crack schtick.<BR/><BR/>@ellyodd: The literal meaning of the word retard is slow, not useless or devoid of value, and that's exactly what people are implying when they take offense. I'm slow doing stuff, too. My brain, thanks to my thyroid, doesn't work as fast or efficiently as it used to. And my ovaries are deaf, dumb AND blind because they don't respond at all to my slow brain's memos to release eggs into the wild so my MIL can get off my case about babies. Am I upset and offended? Hell, no! Having said all of that, I am white and I take offense to your putting the word retard on the same level as nigger. One word describes abilities, the other describes a whole race that was repressed, humiliated and degraded. It's not the same thing. Never will be. Stop trying to.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-37427501923700406312008-08-16T19:00:00.000-07:002008-08-16T19:00:00.000-07:00As someone who works with children with various di...As someone who works with children with various disabilities, I do not use that word. That would be a reason to fire me. Personally, I don't find it that offensive.<BR/><BR/>But Ken, you HAVE to know, that "retard" is equal to "nigger" for a lot of people. And we should respect that.ellyoddhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12202687363356562511noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-30265648753401294182008-08-16T17:47:00.000-07:002008-08-16T17:47:00.000-07:00I've been watching The Mary Tyler Moore Show and T...I've been watching The Mary Tyler Moore Show and The Bob Newhart Show on Hulu.com, and they are great, classic comedies that crack me up a lot, without racist or otherwise demeaning humor. <BR/><BR/>Not to say that jokes in Tropic Thunder wouldn't be funny. However, I don't think it's necessary for a good comedy. And it usually skewers towards the lowest common denominator. If this film didn't have A-listers starring in it, it would be a direct-to-DVD "American Pie Presents" film.<BR/><BR/>Looking at early ticket sales for this weekend, the studio is probably regretting not doing that, too. $26 million for this weekend, $34 million total for this week. That's with a $135 million+ budget!Charles Jurrieshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00222749064232908583noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-32262429572608030972008-08-16T16:50:00.000-07:002008-08-16T16:50:00.000-07:00What's all this controversy about retreads? I've b...What's all this controversy about retreads? I've bought retreads for my car many times and they've worked out fine. They're cheaper than new tires and last for thousands of miles. I just don't understand why anyone would want to stop any talk about retreads. It's insane. It's preposterous. It's just plain cra-- What? Retards? Oh, well, that's different. Retards can't drive.Cap'n Bobhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11783977137812876489noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-47331665253818190662008-08-16T15:20:00.000-07:002008-08-16T15:20:00.000-07:00so, "just saying," as if writing comedy weren't ha...so, "just saying," as if writing comedy weren't hard enough, now we have to purge every line of any connotation that might inadvertently affirm the limited world view of ignoramuses? The "cheap shots" this film takes are directly AT such ignoramuses, not the mentally impaired or their champions. If the ignoramuses don't get that and instead use the film as ammo for their prejudice, it's on THEM, not the filmmakers. <BR/><BR/>Some of this reminds me of all the crap Randy Newman has taken over the years for singing in character as various racists and idiots. Remember the brouhaha over "Short People" back in the late '70s?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-12286405808893061112008-08-16T15:13:00.000-07:002008-08-16T15:13:00.000-07:00BOYcott Emily!BOYcott Emily!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-55689535751924514282008-08-16T14:48:00.000-07:002008-08-16T14:48:00.000-07:00I'm surprised that a comedy pro like Ken would not...I'm surprised that a comedy pro like Ken would not acknowledge that for everyone that gets the irony, there will be a dozen ignoramuses who find their limited worldview affirmed by cheap shots like this. That's what the support group object to. Me, I think bad satire should be punishable by death.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-54698933182362051132008-08-16T14:33:00.000-07:002008-08-16T14:33:00.000-07:00I eagerly await all of the comedies that are sure ...I eagerly await all of the comedies that are sure to come out in the next few years where nobody is made to question their values. That'll fix comedy, just make it all so bland and unoffensive that we can all sit in the theater together and nobody can ever call foul.<BR/><BR/>Personally, as an ugly person, I would appreciate it if they stopped using ugly people to represent sexually undesirable qualities. Both me and my malformed second head find that offensive and hurtful.Unknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04046381275603472393noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-33439693380688114312008-08-16T13:34:00.000-07:002008-08-16T13:34:00.000-07:00"Boycott"? Why not a "Girlcott"? I'm offended. Gir..."Boycott"? Why not a "Girlcott"? I'm offended. Girlcott Kent's flog. That'll teach him.<BR/><BR/>Meanwhile, I'm also girlcotting BIG BROTHER because they keep using the term "Unitard," like all tards are uniform. I'm offended.<BR/><BR/>And DANCING WITH THE STARS! They mention leotards. On behalf of all the tards named "Leo," I'm offended.<BR/><BR/>No one's even mentioned the reason I'm not going to see TROPIC THUNDER: Jack Black. I am so sick of that obnoxious egomaniac. Speaking as an obnoxious egomaniac myself, I'm offended. Girlcott all movies with Jack Black.<BR/><BR/>David Young, I'm old. Your name offends me. Call yourself "David Ripening-Impaired" or I'll girlcott you. I would never walk up to an under-AARP-age person and say "You're young!" As an old person, I am too fucking tasteful and classy to use the Y word.<BR/><BR/>On an entirely different offensive note: now we know why, in the movie GOLDFINGER, the Red Chinese were financing Goldfinger's raid on Fort Knox. They needed the gold to make medals for Michael Phelps.<BR/><BR/>This whole topic is learning impaired.<BR/><BR/>Cheers!Tallulah Moreheadhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07416330735326405496noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-91179596263146696762008-08-16T12:50:00.000-07:002008-08-16T12:50:00.000-07:00I wouldn't expect the parent of a mentally impaire...I wouldn't expect the parent of a mentally impaired child to bust a gut laughing at Stiller in his "Simple Jack" persona, but not everything is for everybody, especially when it comes to humor. And as others have pointed out, the intention in this case is to skewer the idiots who think such portrayals are sensitive and award-worthy.<BR/><BR/>There is not one second of footage in this film that encourages laughter at the expense of an actual mentally impaired person. I suspect it only took one glimpse of Stiller in character for the "advocates" to smell blood (and publicity, and money). As usual in these cases, it's unlikely that the protesters have actually seen what they're protesting (using the old excuse that they don't need to jump in the sewer to know it stinks). A lot of well-meaning people get caught up in this kinda thing, but it gets tiresome.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-67214850583135941832008-08-16T12:32:00.000-07:002008-08-16T12:32:00.000-07:00Those last two were from me. I had to publish them...Those last two were from me. I had to publish them quickly to free up this PC that runs our store cash software on a virtual machine.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-44628938567284891332008-08-16T12:27:00.000-07:002008-08-16T12:27:00.000-07:00Don’t these self appointed watchdog groups realize...<I>Don’t these self appointed watchdog groups realize...</I> <BR/><BR/>Telling ideologues to be pragmatic is like... actually there's no need for an analogy.Dr. Leo Marvinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07669626692363827776noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-73379397732572838382008-08-16T12:23:00.000-07:002008-08-16T12:23:00.000-07:00@tcinla: *LOL* "...it's an amusing documentary..."...@tcinla: *LOL* "...it's an amusing documentary..."Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-36454718027121179962008-08-16T12:21:00.000-07:002008-08-16T12:21:00.000-07:00I'm so down with seeing this flick, and I was sayi...I'm so down with seeing this flick, and I was saying that to a friend online till she mentioned the whole uproar. Before I could respond with something smart-assy, she told me about her sister with Down Syndrome. I feel bad for her, but not enough to stay away! Sorry. Call me intellectually challenged if you like, people. Hee.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-70573595506713911462008-08-16T12:09:00.000-07:002008-08-16T12:09:00.000-07:00sat·ire [sat-ahyuhr] –noun 1. the use of irony, sa...sat·ire [sat-ahyuhr] <BR/>–noun 1. the use of irony, sarcasm, ridicule, or the like, in exposing, denouncing, or deriding vice, folly, etc. <BR/>2. a literary composition, in verse or prose, in which human folly and vice are held up to scorn, derision, or ridicule. <BR/>3. a literary genre comprising such compositions.<BR/><BR/>It's a sad day when we can no longer laugh at ourselves.Cathy Fieldinghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13938684179454515074noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-649819128609343062008-08-16T12:07:00.000-07:002008-08-16T12:07:00.000-07:00This comment has been removed by the author.Cathy Fieldinghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13938684179454515074noreply@blogger.com