How do parents, teachers, and advocates for people with disabilities feel about the movie "Tropic Thunder?"?

Question

I am really bothered by the "r****d" jokes. I understand this is supposed to be "satire" and the joke is on the actors. But I feel like this is making bullying and name-calling of innocent people acceptable. "r****d" is and has always been an insult - unlike the term "mentally retarded," which at least has a clinical definition. I am quite sure that people will pick up the catch phrase about not going "full r****d," and people with developmental disabilities will be the victims of these "jokes." Aren't some things out of bounds as topics of humor? Is it OK to make fun of people who have been burned or disfigured by accidents? "Never go full ugly deformed revolting freak?" Is it OK to find humor or satire in the kind of tragedy that Ben Stiller's mother, Anne Meara, suffered as a child, when her mother committed suicide? "Never go full pathetic bereaved kid who needs therapy because her lunatic mother offed herself?" Some things, I think, are sick, inappropriate, and unacceptable. How do you all feel about it?

Answer 1

I haven't seen the film but I do believe there is a limit to humor. If the word r****d and had been replaced by a racial slur it would have been completely unacceptable. "r****d" is a prejudicial term of hate for people with disabilities. As the mother of a child with autism this word makes me cringe and I find it humiliating and degrading to people with disabilities.  

Answer 2

doesn't bother me at all. this was being said by the actor who went "full black" do you not see the irony? humor has no boundaries.

blame the movie for using humor too extreme for your taste, or blame the kids who may pick up on the line as you were saying?  

Answer 3

i am not a parent, teacher, or advocate, but im a friend of a person with disabilty. and i really do hate that stupid movie. i dont understand whats soo funny about it. if everybody cant laugh then is not funny. i hope the will cancel it.

Answer 4

I am a Person With Disabilities (PWD) and I was born with various Disabilities. My adult only child is also a Person With Disabilities (PWD) and was born with Autism and Mental Retardation. I was always called "r****d" while growing up. I hate the word "r****d"!

I am a Disabilities Activist-Advocate-Self Advocate and I have been protesting the movie. I hate the movie because it uses the word "r****d"!  

Here is a weblink that you should check out. There is a list of Disability Groups on the website that are extremely upset about the usage of the "r-word" in the movie.

http://www.r-word.org/

There are at least 21 Disability groups that are extremely upset about the usage of the "r-word" in the movie. At least 4 of these groups are PWD groups which is the Autistic Self Advocacy Network, National Council on Independent Living, People First of California, and Self Advocates Becoming Empowered (SABE).

There is another PWD group that is not listed on the website. This PWD group is called Advocating Change Together (ACT). This PWD group is extremely upset also about the usage of the "r-word" in the movie.