Ben Stiller says he’s “proud” of the movie Tropic Thunder and declines to apologize for it.
Ben Stiller declares that he is “proud” of the action-comedy Tropic Thunder and won’t accept criticism for his role in it.
In the 2008 film Tropic Thunder, a group of actors is filming a war movie when they unexpectedly become embroiled in a real-life clash.
After its premiere, the film garnered positive reviews across the board and proved to be a box office hit, earning an estimated $195 million on a projected $92 million budget.
Even with its popularity, there have been some controversy surrounding it.
With Stiller, Robert Downey Jr., Jack Black, Tom Cruise, Jay Baruchel, Nick Holte, Steve Coogan, Danny McBride, Matthew McConaughey, and Brandon T. Jackson among the cast, Tropic Thunder boasts an all-star cast.
The fact that Downey Jr. is seen wearing blackface is one of the film’s primary points of contention.
The actor plays Australian method actor Kirk Lazarus in the action-comedy. To play the Black character Staff Sergeant Lincoln Osiris, Lazarus underwent a contentious procedure known as “pigmentation alteration” to temporarily darken his skin.
Blackface is “commonly refers to when someone (typically with White skin) paints their face darker to resemble a Black person,” according to the BBC.
Black people have historically been made fun of for the amusement of white people, using representations that are highly racist and factually incorrect.
According to USA Today, the Special Olympics was among the disability advocacy groups that boycotted the film because it used a derogatory term for individuals with intellectual disabilities.
Additionally, Stiller portrays an actor in certain sequences who assumes the persona of “Simple Jack.”
These features have caused a lot of people to boycott the movie.
One individual comments on it on X, the former Twitter platform, saying, “It’s really offensive. only demonstrates how far we still have to go.
“I’m too uncomfortable to enjoy any of it,” says an additional person.
Tropic Thunder’s director and co-writer, Stiller, has defended the movie and expressed his pride in it.
After a fan begged him to never apologize for his role in the film’s issue, the actor addressed it.
Stiller retorted, saying, “I don’t apologize for Tropic Thunder.” I’m not sure who informed you that.
Since the day we premiered, the film has consistently generated controversy. I’m proud of it and all the effort that went into it.
In 2018, he tweeted about the controversy, saying, “Actually, when Tropic Thunder came out, it was boycotted, and I apologized then.”
The joke has always been directed at performers who will stop at nothing to get an award. I stand by the movie and my apology. Additionally, the amazing people and efforts of the @SpecialOlympics
Downey Jr. had reservations before accepting the part, which ultimately led to an Oscar nomination.
He recalled on The Joe Rogan Experience in 2020: “I said to myself, ‘Yes, I’ll definitely do it. That will come after Iron Man. I then began to think, “This is a really bad idea.”
During the conversation, Downey Jr. disclosed the reasons behind his change of heart.
He said, “On occasion, I get to hold up to nature the insane self-involved hypocrisy of artists and what they think they’re allowed to do.”
Ben, a brilliant artist and director, accomplished the vision flawlessly, making it difficult for the film to not turn into an offensive nightmare. And the majority of my Black pals said, “Dude, that was awesome.”
