Actor and director Ben Stiller’s new comedy action movie, “Tropic Thunder,” is coming under fire by disability advocates nationwide, including one in Howard County.
The Arc of Howard County, an Ellicott City-based nonprofit advocate for people with disabilities, has joined a national protest against the movie for its repeated use of “retard” and general humiliation of people with mental disabilities.
“We’re supporting the boycott, because for many years, we’ve helped people with disabilities get the same rights as everybody else, and this movie is now completely inappropriate,” said Kari Ebeling, Arc’s director of resource development.
“It’s not funny when it puts a minority group down.”
The local Arc group is following the actions of The Arc of The United States, whose executive director, Peter Berns, called on people “of good conscious” to avoid the film.
Nationally, more than 20 disability advocates groups, including the Special Olympics, have criticized the film for similar concerns.
The movie, starring Stiller, Jack Black and Robert Downey Jr., opens today and is being shown nationwide. The movie depicts actors starring in an elaborate war movie who eventually have to actually become their characters in real life.
A number of celebrities also are listed in small cameo roles, including Alicia Silverstone, Tyra Banks, Jennifer Love Hewitt and Jon Voight.
“I’m pretty much for free speech, but there are just some words like the ‘R’ word and ‘N’ word that shouldn’t be used,” said Cole Schnorf, of Ellicott City, whose 20-year-old daughter has Down syndrome.
While supporters of the movie say it’s only satirical in nature, opponents say it depicts intellectual disabilities in a derogatory and demeaning manner.
“I don’t think our money should be spent to support this notion of disrespect and the ruining of relationships,” said Joseph Murray, president of Howard’s Arc board and whose wife was a longtime special education teacher in Baltimore City.
“It’s sets a really, really terrible example for our children.”
“Tropic Thunder” is the first movie boycotted by the organization at a national level, Berns said.
“In ‘Forrest Gump,’ in ways, it doesn’t make fun of him, but shows him accomplish great things despite his disability,” Schnorf said.
