TROPIC THUNDER ALREADY CAUSING A RUMBLE
When I first caught wind of the protests and the drama surrounding this project, I thought it would be about the fact that Robert Downey Jr. is pretty much in blackface the entire movie. However, at the premiere this week, there was a protest but it didn't have anything to do with race - this was about discrimmination amongst the mentally disabled.
According to the Associated Press, "Dozens of people from organizations such as the Special Olympics and the American Association of People with Disabilities protested the movie-industry spoof across the street from the film's Los Angeles premiere at Mann's Bruin Theatre on Monday."
Supposedly the protesters held up signs with slogans such as "Call me by my name, not by my label" and chanted phrases like "Ban the movie, ban the word." The groups are ticked off over a few scenes that use offensive terms to describe the mentally disabled. The film opens on Wednesday and stars Ben Stiller, Jack Black, Robert Downey Jr., and comedian Brandon T. Jackson.
Click the picture to read more about Robert Downey Jr.'s blackface experience.