Tropic Thunder, released in 2008, follows a troop of actors shooting a war film when they suddenly find themselves caught up in real conflict.
Following its release, the movie was generally well-received and was a box-office success, grossing an estimated $195 million against a reported budget of $92 million.
Despite its success, it hasn’t gone without its controversies…
Tropic Thunder features an all-star cast, starring Stiller, Robert Downey Jr., Jack Black, Tom Cruise, Jay Baruchel, Nick Holte, Steve Coogan, Danny McBride, Matthew McConaughey, and Brandon T. Jackson, among others.
One of the movie’s main criticisms is that it shows Downey Jr. donning blackface.
In the action-comedy, the star plays Kirk Lazarus, an Australian method actor who undergoes a controversial ‘pigmentation alteration’ surgery to temporarily darken his skin for portraying the Black character Staff Sergeant Lincoln Osiris.
As explained by the BBC, blackface ‘commonly refers to when someone (typically with white skin) paints their face darker to resemble a Black person.’
The historical practice involves Black people being mocked for the entertainment of white people, with depictions being both inaccurate and deeply offensive.
The movie was also boycotted by multiple disability advocacy groups, including the Special Olympics, per USA Today, for its use of a word used to belittle people with an intellectual disability.
There are also scenes in which Stiller plays an actor who takes on the role of a character named ‘Simple Jack.’
Many people have boycotted the film due to these aspects.
Discussing it on X (formerly Twitter), one person says: “It’s extremely offensive… just shows we have a long way to go.”
Another adds: “I’m too uncomfortable to enjoy any of it.”
Stiller, who directed and co-wrote the film, has defended Tropic Thunder and says he’s ‘proud’ of it.
The actor addressed the movie’s controversy when one fan pleaded with him to never apologize for his involvement.
In response, Stiller said: “I make no apologies for Tropic Thunder. Don’t know who told you that.
“It’s always been a controversial movie since when we opened. Proud of it and the work everyone did on it.”
He also addressed its backlash in 2018, with a tweet reading: “Actually Tropic Thunder was boycotted 10 years ago when it came out, and I apologized then.
“It was always meant to make fun of actors trying to do anything to win awards. I stand by my apology, the movie… And the great people and work of the @SpecialOlympics.”
Before taking on the role, which ultimately earned him an Oscar nomination, Downey Jr. had his concerns.
On The Joe Rogan Experience in 2020, he recounted: “I thought, ‘Yeah, I’ll do that. I’ll do that after Iron Man.’ And then I started thinking, ‘This is a terrible idea.’”
Elsewhere in the discussion, Downey Jr. revealed why he had a change of heart.
“I get to hold up to nature the insane self-involved hypocrisy of artists and what they think they’re allowed to do on occasion,” he explained.
“Ben, who is a masterful artist and director… knew exactly what the vision for this was, he executed it, it was impossible to not have it be an offensive nightmare of a movie. And 90% of my Black friends were like, ‘Dude, that was great.’”