New Movie Trailer For Tower Heist Makes Fun of Kids With Seizures. This Mom Is NOT Amused.
Eddie Murphy's jokes about seizures in the new movie Tower Heist are NOT funny, and downright cruel.
My son was four years old the first time I took him to see a movie in the theater. We saw Racing Stripes. I remember this in detail because early on in the movie, Wendie Malick’s character makes fun of a racing horse, saying it looked like it was having a seizure. My son has epilepsy. It felt like a punch in the gut. I don’t even think he caught it, but I did. And it made me MAD.
Last week I went to the movies by myself and soon completely lost my appetite for the bucket of popcorn in my lap when the preview for the new movie Tower Heist came on the screen. A star-studded film, sure to be a hit, with an awful too-long joke about a “seizure boy” in daycare. Right there in the trailer. Not cool, Hollywood.
I’m mad because it feels like he’s talking about my son, and I don’t want him to hear things like that someday. I’m mad because I have to hear it, and it hurts really way down deep. Ironically, just before the preview came on the screen, the theater showed an advertisement about special weekly movie showings for families of children with autism, offering “lights on” and “lowered sound.” Do they realize that many children with autism also have seizures? Could they or their parents be offended or hurt by the preview coming up next… YA THINK?!
I wrote an email to the movie theater and have yet to hear back. I won’t stop there, obviously. Crazy enough, I used to be a manager at the same theater and know how easy it is to snip and splice certain things right out OR! just not put a trailer on the beginning of a film. And yeah, that’s a lot to ask, but oh my gosh I would hate myself if I didn’t at least ask.
It sickens me that I feel like I’m the one that needs to take a chill pill. I get it that in a PG and up movie, an adult should be able to take the humor. But you know what? I still think it’s not okay. Epilepsy is serious no matter what age. It isn’t funny and should not be made fun of.
I’m only sharing the Tower Heist trailer below because you’re going to go look for it anyway, and honestly with that scene taken out, it looks like a fun movie. (The bit I am furious about starts at 1:18.) It’s not like I am calling for a boycott, but I would be really happy if this distasteful use of words brings awareness to be more careful about what you say- in real life and in movies. For more information, please visit The American Epilepsy Outreach Foundation and EpilepsyFoundation.org.
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This makes me so sick and sad and angry. Would a childrens’ movie joke about a blind child? Or a child with alopecia? Not likely. My child IS the seizure boy at daycare and there’s not one single thing I find funny about that.
I suffer from Epilepsy at first I was offended… But sometimes laughter is the best medicine… I am blessed to have epilepsy it has open my mind and changed my heart spirit and soul…. How can we judge? We are in the mercy of our good lord… I pray for all that percieve this derogatory to take a second and breath… It made me laugh… Ive lost my front tooth,severly damaged my rotator cuff… At least he didnt make a reference to self defecation and urination theres always to sides to every story…
I have seizures and Seizures are not funny- and so misunderstood by everyone including care takers. I do not expect sympathy for my condition, nor do I expect smart *** remarks about it. The way he describes the seizure in a joking manner is a tad disturbing. Housewives of NY’s Luanne De lesseps made a remark about riding a camel claiming it was having an epileptic seizure (could careless about offending the very same people that watch their movies and shows). They sometimes appear at charity events for Breast cancer -Just as Many People die from seizures as do breast cancer. They advertise Autism Awareness- Many Children with Autism have seizures as do many famous people have or have had seizures/Epilepsy. It takes a lot of guts to live the way we do. Some just don’t understand~
As a ‘seizure girl’ and autistic kid (well, adult)…
a) you’re right
and
b) you win points for not only saying “hey, this is offensive” but also saying “to people with this condition AND their families”. We’re left out of the conversation kind of a lot.
People are so clueless about epilepsy, except as a (really bad) punchline.
Reminds me of when my oldest son was alive- and NOT well with cerebral palsy, spastic paresis type. Ever since then , whenever someone (totally incorrectly, I might add) said something about someone going “spastic”, I felt like smacking them. They never seem to know the true definition of the word “spastic”, I guarantee. Feel your pain.
Yes a movie would joke about a blind kid. Our beloved Ralphie went blind from swearing too much and eating eating too much soap. Yes a bald kid would be fair game. Insensitive I agree, but I know it has been done.
Did anyone raise a fuss about conjoined twins when Stuck On You came out? I could go on and on..
Everyone can easily be offended all the time if we dissect and pull out what ever is sensitive to us. My boy is allergic to milk, peanuts has asthma, had his feet operated on when he was 3 got to wear these awesome casts for about 6 months, did I fret that he will be made fun, be known as FORREST GUMP for the rest of his life, NO, of he is a stronger person for all that he has to deal with. Do I get all bent out of shape every time some kid who has asthma or a peanut allergy gets the spotlight no! Lighten up everyone, there would be no comedy if someone was not just a little bit offended. That is what makes it FUNNY! A little bit of escapism from the real CRAP we deal with day in and day out. I feel for the KIDS who have to deal with these conditions. We should teach our kids to deal with their differences it parents not to be felt sorry for. Embrace your differences that is what makes you YOU.
My question is why would you show the entire preview from a movie when you obviously are not endorsing it.
I don’t know. There is some comfort in levity. Do we laugh at clips about fat people (Shallow Hal and any number of other shows), people with terets (Deuce Bigalow), people with disabilities (Something About Mary – Franks and Beans?), nerds (Big Bang Theory), stupid characters (so very many to choose from). All just off the top of my head in a minute. Yes, we giggle at it, because it is part of being human. If we can’t laugh at ourselves and teach our kids not to put such emphasis on these things, and maybe even laugh at themselves, we are creating a long and unnecessarily hard road for them.
Is the condition itself funny? No. And it can understandably be very difficult. But, it is okay to laugh at it sometimes, it might even makes things easier at that time. Just my opinion, but teaching them they can’t laugh at it or shouldn’t find some humor in the challenges we face in life, is only going to reinforce that they are different. Giggle along with everyone else, it is okay.
Oh please. Your child is the center of YOUR world, not everyone else’s. Get over yourself.
The industry often uses medical conditions as humor to assist them in “making all the pieces work” so to speak for a film/tv show. References to cancer, autism, Down syndrome, and seizures are used in comedy movies and often in scary movies. Seizures are more common than anything. I, myself, have suffered from epilepsy for the last 10 years and do NOT like seing anyone being depicted or even referenced as having a seizure. I know what it is like to actually go thru the event and it’s not a funny thing. Not for the one going thru it nor for your friends or family. However, there is nothing that we can do but inform others…. Epilepsy Awareness is the key.
Oh wow Andrea- guess there’s no problem with the term “retard” then is there? @@
I have to agree with you Steph. Although I get the whole laugh-at-it-it-lightens-it-up viewpoint, there are some issues that are different. My twins both have cerebral palsy, and while I am SUPER sensitive to people making fun of them or others with cp, it’s not really a condition that triggers fear in me, so my reaction to the (supposedly) comical references of people with cp does not really amount to much more than offense. However, my mom has had epilepsy my entire life, and watching someone you love have a grand mal seizure IS NOT FUNNY. It is scary. Very scary. So I think that maybe seizure jokes hit a particularly raw nerve in some of us in the sense that it reminds those of us who have experienced them or watched them remember the fear involved.
All that to say I think it’s a little sad that the best Hollywood can come up with for a joke is something about a serious medical condition. And good for you for writing a letter to the theatre!
Lighten up people. You are way too sensitive about this.
When all of you watch a child suffer with a medical condition over which you have very little control, you will have earned to right to give everyone a free pass at mocking it. Til then you can take your “lighten up” and GROW up.
It is upsetting that people think its fine to make fun of seizures. They have no idea what it means, when a person you love has a seizure. It is so bad,you can’t stop it, it is very scary. It is not a laughing matter at all. Im not one that gets offended and complains about silly things. This is a serious matter, people have lost their lives because of seizures, young and old. I know what it feels like to watch this, my little girl has seizures and it breaks my heart.
Kelli makes a good point. Offensive jokes are an easy laugh. It’s a lot harder for a comedy writer to be funny and not offensive – it requires some forethought and some wit, and perhaps some sensitivity. It’d be nice if Hollywood would try all of those things out – it’d make for a good movie.
What can we make fun of?
Can we joke about race?
Can we joke about age?
Can we joke about gender?
Isn’t it possible that any possible thing we joke about could offend some uptight person out there? For his own sake, I hope your son grows to be a more accepting, well adjusted and reasonable person than you are.
Well, I guess to the same extent, I wonder if you think it’s okay to make fun of anything, isn’t it okay to get angry about anything these days either? I would think that whether you will continue to make jokes like this or not, you’ll at least have some empathy for those of us that have been hurt by it. I mean, we’re human. Sheesh.
Steph
I’m not offended by this. I am actually a little offended at the author of this post for thinking that the world revolves around her and her child.
one of the most terrifying experiences i had as a child was to watch another child have an epileptic seizure. plenty of comedians, however, make jokes about taboo topics and sometimes they work, and often they don’t. the eddie murphy character is obviously rather stupid and speaks with ignorance throughout the trailer. my biggest problem with the clip in the trailer though, is the choice to highlight this particular moment of ignorance for laughs. is referring to another character as “seizure boy” really the funniest part of this movie? if so, it’s rather unfunny. making taboo topics funny requires a certain level of finesse, and often making characters more than their disability/race/health/age/gender. that’s clearly not on display in the trailer.
I totally get your point, and I don’t think you are being overly sensitive (what hurts, hurts) but you may be surprised that your son could grow up to find some humor in his own condition someday. As someone who had severe scoliosis as a tween and had to wear a metal back brace and then have rods surgically fused onto my spine – I can actually laugh when I see a parody of a girl (it’s always a girl) in back brace (Always Sunny in Philadelphia, Sixteen Candles, to name a couple). I’ve found the upside of having to go through medical stuff as a kid was that I always know who my real friends are – the ones that laugh with me, not at me. May your son find plenty of friends to laugh with and who love him just the way he is.
Scoliosis Girl, your comment is awesome.
I admire you Steph for taking a stand on this and until a person has walked in your shoes and lived with this horrible disease, they should not judge.
I felt like puking when I read your post. My formerly perfectly healthy nephew suffered a statis epileptic seizure (very long seizure for those of you lucky enough to “not be offended” by this trailer, meaning, exactly that you have no idea what a seizure is) five months ago. He suffered massive brain damage from this. He can no longer walk, talk, or move any part of his body voluntarily. Oh yes. Seizures sure are funny. Funny, that is, until your life is destroyed by them. It’s not about being “uptight” people. Is genocide funny? Is death? Is the suffering of innocent children? If you think so, why don’t I shoot your child in the head and we’ll see how funny you think violence, pain, suffering, and brain damage is. I mean that analogy figuratively of course. I would not wish this kind of pain on any person, certainly not a child. I do not find the suffering of other people funny. But, hey, if you do than that shows a lot about who you are.
I challenge you find a comedy out there that does not make fun of someone or something that someone can be offended by. Even Disney movies have characters with characteristics people can apply to themselves and be offended by. I sincerely doubt you will find it. So do we boycott any movie that has something funny that someone could be offended by? I suppose we could treat every issue with grave sincerity, but that doesn’t sounds like a very happy or fun world to live in for anyone, certainly not one I would want to raise any child in.
It never fails to amaze me how many people are determined to defend overt cruelty. I guess it won’t bother you til someone makes a joke about something your own kid suffers from. Pull your heads out of your butts, people, and have some empathy.
Get over it, stop whining. Stop letting everything offend you. It is stupid.
get over it, You don’t have a right to not be offended by the stuff you see and hear
The problem is that is no one makes a stand ,what was once an offensive clip that lasts 20 seconds, could become a springboard for a ” seizure boy” character. I am a mother of an 8 yr old who has epilepsy so of course I am incensed, I know he would be terribly hurt and offended to see this clip. I think the movie could be just as funny WITHOUT this small clip.
Hey Mike, why dont you get over it? Why dont parents have the right to get offended about things that are our everyday worry? It is just wrong ok!.. Its fine for you to talk when epilepsy does not effect your life or someone you love.When a person has no idea, they should keep their comments to themselves.
I think that everything can be considered offensive if you allow it to be. I just the preview yesterday and I didn’t really see a problem with it, Eddie Murphy’s character wasn’t making light of the devistation that seizures can bring, he was simply recalling a childhood memory. How many of us have done something in our childhood that has earned us a nickname that followed us well into adulthood? If we as adults teach our children that different doesn’t mean “less than” then jokes like this will be just that….jokes.
my son also suffers from seizures, and i was a little offended by the trailer, only because the character mentioned it probably ten times in one minute. danielle is right, the movie would have been funny without it, or maybe they could have said it only once or twice, but not over and over. even if the character was only “recalling a childhood memory”, the writers could have downplayed it a bit.
i personally agree with jane franklin, that there is nothing that cannot offend us in the movies, but it is still the responsibility of producers and writers to be more sensitive to these issues while still doing their respective jobs.
To all these people talking about people they know/care about with epilepsy, and are up in arms about this JOKE – I emphasize again – JOKE:
I -am- an epileptic… And this was funny. :-/
Some of you people take things WAYYYYY too seriously.