So inTropic Thunder, the new Ben Stiller movie coming out.... Robert Downey Jr. is in blackface. Does no one else find that offensive? I saw it in the trailer a week ago and have heard no mention of it in the mainstream media until today on AOL.




So inTropic Thunder, the new Ben Stiller movie coming out.... Robert Downey Jr. is in blackface. Does no one else find that offensive? I saw it in the trailer a week ago and have heard no mention of it in the mainstream media until today on AOL.





Im not sure. What's offensive? What is it about??
There are many stereotypes about the industry that I work in. Sometimes they can be true but human beings are very diverse creatures and cannot be pigeon-holed into one category.
Some of the most effortlessly beautiful, kind, intelligent, successful, motivated, driven and ridiculously hilarious women that I have ever met have been dancers. I've met the best friends that I've ever had in this industry.





What's the context?
I do not find this offensive. Robert Downey Jr. is playing an Aussie method actor that gets so into his role that he undergoes a skin pigmentation surgery. This movie is a satire on the craziness of hollywood. I hope that clears up in misconceptions.
^ Um, yes. That's the point. The film is a parody. The other characters in the movie find it offensive, too, especially Brandon Jackson, a rapper, who rips him a new one.
The whole "blackface" gag is a parody of the absurdity of blackface but even more than that, a parody of method acting itself. Some actors often become comically self-righteous about becoming the characters they play and then remaining in character at all times. Downey is parodying himself here, by the way.
The use of the term "retard" has also come under attack, but once again, it's used in the movie to point out the hopeless idiocy of people who would actually use that term.




i do find that offensive but supposedly the "joke" is that downey's character is completely oblivious to the offensiveness of the situation while everyone else is offended to hell.
imho, it takes a LOT of guts (or stupidity) for him to even do/take that part though.
i mean, when he got the offer from his agent he was probably like: "wtf? you want me to do a 'blackface' character?!?! are you frickin' insane?!! do you want me to be ostracized and lambasted by the entire establishment and society...again? ...hmmm, maybe i will take it then."![]()
he's such an amazing actor but yeah, this role rrrrrreally pushes the 'tasteful' factor into the really baaaad zone. i'll have to see the movie to judge if it's completely racist hate garbage or if it's just really funny.![]()





Some Douchebag: "[Pimp C] 12:43 am: its true we got to stick together the black people on SW CK you is teh condoleeza of SW"





Not offended. There was a movie in the 80s or 90s where a white comedian wore black face and maybe a jerrie curl. it was another parody.
Flava' Flav IS offensive on the other hand.



Well, as me being a black girl, I do find it offensive to an extent...it didn't stop me from seeing the movie and I thought it was super funny...when I 1st heard that he was going to playing a character in blackface, I was like, "Oh hell no...thats not even right."I just did NOT agree with it at all...
But its just a movie...I know that sounds like total BS to some people...but I've seen alot worse in other movies...
The only part that kinda pissed me off was how his character was talking in the movie...like all black men don't talk like that...thats the kinda stuff that ticks me off...
I guess I'm indifferent about it...besides the controversey behind it, overall, I thought it was a really funny movie.



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Last edited by Lexi; 05-16-2020 at 07:49 PM.





That movie is causes quite an uproar. Between the blackface and the use of the word "retard", folks are all kinds of up in arms.
Number of times Rickrolled on stage: 6
*******************************
Marasmus ... "Ladies don't fart. They butt-laugh."
Marasmus says, "Oh no, that wasn't gas, it was merely a rectal chuckle."
Marek says, "A friend of mine got punched in the face by a dominatrix stripper about two weeks ago and I thought of you."






Number of times Rickrolled on stage: 6
*******************************
Marasmus ... "Ladies don't fart. They butt-laugh."
Marasmus says, "Oh no, that wasn't gas, it was merely a rectal chuckle."
Marek says, "A friend of mine got punched in the face by a dominatrix stripper about two weeks ago and I thought of you."
Spike Lee made the same joke in Bamboozled and nobody blinked. What's different?





Some Douchebag: "[Pimp C] 12:43 am: its true we got to stick together the black people on SW CK you is teh condoleeza of SW"





Number of times Rickrolled on stage: 6
*******************************
Marasmus ... "Ladies don't fart. They butt-laugh."
Marasmus says, "Oh no, that wasn't gas, it was merely a rectal chuckle."
Marek says, "A friend of mine got punched in the face by a dominatrix stripper about two weeks ago and I thought of you."





Number of times Rickrolled on stage: 6
*******************************
Marasmus ... "Ladies don't fart. They butt-laugh."
Marasmus says, "Oh no, that wasn't gas, it was merely a rectal chuckle."
Marek says, "A friend of mine got punched in the face by a dominatrix stripper about two weeks ago and I thought of you."
^ Actually, a lot of people blinked. That media turned on the film, giving it terrible reviews, obviously missing the point that Lee was parodying modern-day African-American performers as having recreated much of the same social damage that resulted from the early minstrel shows.
Having said that, I don't think any Caucasian in our culture has a clue about how persistent and pernicious racism is in our society. I don't want to turn this into a racism debate, but I think there's a reason why Ben Stiller was limiting his parody to how method actors perform in films. He didn't want to overreach, and he's not the most qualified to do so, anyway. It's not a broader social commentary like Spike Lee's was.
Yeah, I'm not usually a Spike Lee fan, but he has his moments of brilliance. I thought Bamboozled was excellent and it made a very good point. Of course, anytime Spike Lee does something truly insightful like Bamboozled or She's Gotta Have It, nobody gets the point and the movie flops.![]()










Disclaimer: I am a loooong time Robert Downet Jr. fan
I thought the trailer was funny as HELL!!That was some silliness! I thought it was shocking that he actually looked black! Funny!! When he says "what do you mean by YOU people", so full of indignation, and then the actual black actor/rapper says " what do YOU mean by you people" PRICELESS!
“What a caterpillar calls the end of the world we call a butterfly.” - ECKHART TOLLE





a lot of people are offended by this movie. midnight openings had protestors in a lot of big cities, i heard on the radio. the "retard" thing has a looooot of mental disability advocacy groups pissed off. ive heard about that a lot more than his face being painted.
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