“Tropic Thunder” to Be Boycotted by Disability Rights Groups

The movie consistently uses the word “retard” and even had an advertising slogan that read, “Once upon a time there was a retard.” The site using that slogan has since changed, but as reported in The New York TImes, the movie makes see the word use as irony akin to other humor in the movie, such as Robert Downey Jr. donning black face. Having only seen the trailer, my first sense is that there is irony in Downey’s portrayal and the racial stereotyping that is used deliberately. However, “retard” seems to be used at will just because it’s a slightly funny work–to Ben Stiller and crew.