Retarded movie boycott

Brett Singer — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 13:45:00 GMT

So – how do you get disparate groups representing the mentally challenged to get together on something?

Release a movie that makes gratuitous use of the word 'retard'.

That's what "Tropic Thunder" does, and some people are fighting mad about it. Timothy P. Shriver, chairman of the Special Olympics, told the New York Times that a boycott of the film, "Not only might…happen, it will happen."

What's their beef? Well, Ben Stiller plays a character named Tugg Speedman. Tugg appeared in a film called "Simple Jack", which was about "a mindless dolt" (according to the New York Times). Tugg did "Simple Jack" in an attempt to win an Oscar and show off his acting chops. Apparently there is "an off-color discussion with Robert Downey Jr.'s character about the merits of going 'full retard' for a role in the pursuit of Oscar gold."

This isn't the first complaint about "Thunder." There was a fake promotional web site for "Simple Jack" that included the line, "Once upon a time there was a retard." The site is now gone, presumably because of the outcry from various groups. That didn't appease them, though; Defamer says the demands were, "Paramount/DreamWorks should pull all scenes and clips that include Ben Stiller’s portrayal of Simple Jack from the movie, DVD, trailers, promotional material and merchandising" – um, yeah, and the executives will come over and do your laundry while giving you a foot massage. Defamer also mentions "Sean Penn's grossly condescending role in 'I Am Sam'", which makes me wonder why it's OK for someone to make a movie with a mentally challenged character, but it's not OK to make a movie that makes fun of someone for making a movie about a mentally challenged character. (Now say that ten times fast.) You know, as a joke. Anyone who saw even the trailer for 'Radio' will probably know what's being poked at. ("Tropic Thunder" screenwriter Justin Theroux explains what he and Stiller were trying to do here.)

So it's a joke, and as near as I can tell, the only group being made fun of is actors. The problem seems to be the very use of the word "retard." The n-word is verboten (but that doesn't stop movies featuring racist characters from getting made). You don't hear a lot of the f-a-g-g-o-t word, although "gay" is still thrown around a lot. Should "the r-word" be added to the list of words we can't say, or does everyone need to lighten up?

image: Defamer

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Kids and Cliques: Why They Exclude

Karen Murphy — Sat, 24 Feb 2007 18:18:00 GMT

We all know this picture from our childhood: there were certain kids who were always standing alone at the edge of the action, never included, sometimes made fun of. If it wasn't you, it was someone you remember (barely, since you didn't know them well). And it always seemed to be the same few kids. New research is examining the reasons for inclusion or exclusion, and has come up with a couple of theories. Before I get to that, here's my theory: Kids Don't Like Someone Who is Different.

Let's see what the experts say, shall we? Well, hmm, they talk about the "individual social deficit model", which is about kids who are shy, wary, or socially inept. In other words, different. And the experts also discuss the "intergroup social cognition model", which is based on bias, prejudice, etc. Like a kid's appearance or family heritage. Again, if this marks a difference from the norm, the kid is a candidate for exclusion. Even more disturbing but equally obvious is earlier research which shows that kids who experience pervasive long-term exclusion suffer from depression, anxiety and loneliness. Next this research group is going to look into the decision-making process by which certain kids are included or excluded. That's great, but what about the outcasts in the meantime? What can we do about them?

As the mother of a child who is "different", I wonder what his future will be like. Right now most people respond positively to him, as he's a cute and charming three-year-old who also happens to have Down syndrome, but what will things be like when he's older and no longer so cute? I don't advocate forced inclusion for anyone, and I believe that kids should be allowed to choose their friends, but maybe there's something to this research that will help erase or blur some of the differences among us that we now perceive.

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