Racial Backlash Over Upcoming Film?

There’s a movie that seems to be in the early stages of causing an uproar over a racial issue. Apparently in this movie, someone of one race will be wearing realistic makeup to make the character seem like he is of a completely different race.

Besides the obvious outcry that this is demeaning, is the accusation that work has been taken away from someone of the target race who could just as easily have been hired to play the part in the film.

If you’re curious about what I’m talking about, see below.

The Wayans Brothers play white women in the movie White Chicks

The African American Wayans Brothers play two white woman in White Chicks

I can totally see the outrage over this, I mean with all the white, young blonde actresses trying to get a break in Hollywood, how could these guys possibly be so racist as to take work away from who could be the next two big starlets of Tinseltown? I mean… um, what?… You mean this isn’t all about White Chicks? There was no outcry over the race reversal in that movie?

Oh… sorry. My bad.

I guess the worry is about a different movie. This summer another comedy movie using the cross-race gag will be coming out: Tropic Thunder. In this movie Robert Downey Jr will play a white man playing a black man in a movie within the movie (got that?).

Robert Downey Jr. plays a black man in Tropic Thunder

From what I’ve read, the comedic part of Downey Jr.’s role depends upon the fact that he is a white guy playing a black man, much as the humor in White Chicks was supposed to come from a couple of black men playing white blonde women.

According to Entertainment Weekly:

“Robert Downey Jr. plays Kirk Lazarus, a very serious Oscar-winning actor cast in the most expensive Vietnam War film ever. Problem is, Lazarus’s character, Sgt. Osiris, was originally written as black. So Lazarus decides to dye his skin and play Osiris, um, authentically.”

Here’s the picture that started the whole thing:

First image released from Tropic Thunder

The movie has nothing to do with finding humor in racial stereotypes, rather the goal (which I’m 100% behind) was to poke fun at pampered Hollywood stars by having the director of the film within the film drop them into a live war zone in Vietnam so they could get a taste of real hardship.

I’ll fess up right here and tell you that before I knew that this was the plot of the film, I had been offended by the trailer. I thought that it was portraying a band of actual soldiers as “wacky guys” in the middle of the conflict. But now that I know the context, it does indeed look like it may be pretty damned funny.

If you want to see the “red band” trailer (for language), you’ll need to provide age verification information over at the official website.

Personally I think any racist accusations raised against this film in the media will be from the usual bunch of attention-hungry talking heads that pop up at every opportunity.

Tropic Thunder opens on August 15th and stars Ben Stiller, Jack Black & Robert Downey Jr.

Source: EW via First Showing

Tags: tropic thunder,

shazbot

fyi, Jim Carrey, the Barone family in Everybody Loves Raymond is Italian, not jewish...

Travis Millard

i love tropic thunder it was a great movie, i like the part when tom cruise is danceing, and when benm stiller gets shot alot omg that rhymes haha

kttyk

he makes a hot white black man

anaid

hoo my gosh i love Robert his movie was pretty funny...and the acting too
it was just a movie i didn´t think it was offencive at all...

come on people just relax

Lelie

Come on people, get over it. This is a "movie", you know, entertainment? It's not like RDJ is running for public office or something. And another thing, give black people more credit. I have many African American friends and all agree that the movie was pretty funny and that it was no big deal. It's more often than not, white people who freak over this stuff and immediately cry that something is politically incorrect or offensive. Again, it was just a movie.

dee

I'm black myself and I don't really see a problem with it. It actually looks funny.

Max Townsend

Hey I didn't think it was offensive at ALL! Shane and Heath are right though, if a black person gets offended over Robert Downey Jr's EXCELLENT performance in this movie then they need to reflect on what ever black comedian has said about EVERY race. He did nothing that was offensive. To me, he was VERY believable! lol! He played a crazy ass black man! lol

Josh

Ok I'm black and I thought it was funny. Its a joke and I can understand that, I don't know why people such a big deal of it nowadays. It is 2008, shut the hell up about race, everyone is different let it go. But anyways, does anybody think Robert's character look a little like Tyson Gay, but without the afro lol, take a look and you decide

http://www.flickr.com/photos/29601881@N05/27871...

Mel

The reason we go to movies is to escape such uptight antics in our society. Honestly it is just a movie to where we are just meant to laugh and not take things so seriously. there arent any true personal attacks and if we are unable to laugh at ourselves or not be so serious all the time then its a personal problem

Ryan

Dude shut the hell up. You're making an issue when there isn't one. It's the 21st century, it's done because it's funny, there is nothing in any of these movies to be taken seriously. It's anal people like you who create the issues, someone can impersonate another race without any hard feelings, it's a joke, alright, a joke. There is nothing racist about it, it's when people like you get butt hurt, stick your nose where it doesn't belong and slap the racist sticker on here. I'm sure the "next two big stars of Tinseltown" will fine another gig, if they are the next big thing then they won't be missing any meals. Stop pointing the racist finger at bullshit things like this, it's just a MOVIE, seriously.

Marvelous Mo

Thanks for stopping by my post. I wanted to tell you how right you were about RDJ, but you failed to mention Tom Cruise!

But to remain in the context of your post (that's going strong since march, amazing), I appreciated RDJ's performance in the movie. There are more offensive portrayals about Black people by Blacks themselves, and RDJ didn't fall into any typical acting mechanism when he did this role.

build a bridge and get over it to all the people thoroughly offended by this genius work.

tesha

I agree with james burgham, they didn't take away any role from actresses because they wern't looking for actresses to play the role.
and Robert downey jr isnt being racist at all just funny :)
im african and im not at all offended.

James Burgham

white chicks did not take away roles from potentially upcoming actresses....the point of the movie was FBI agents going undercover as young women and that would have been a hell of a lot funnier if the FBI agents were men, and even more of a contrast if they were of a different race

Vic Holtreman

Yeah, didn't see that one coming, of course at the time this post was written I don't believe there was any hint of Ben Stiller playing a mentally handicapped character in the film.

I understand THAT concern (use of the word "retard") but really within the context of the film it's the actor portraying the character that is made fun of, not the character. (If that makes any sense)

Vic

Clean Talking Chimp

I'm surprised,Vic that its not the Rev.Al Sharpton or Rev.Jesse Jackson causing the most uproar over this film,but group's who support the mentally disabled for the reference to the movie within the movie,Simple Jack.Who would have thought that?

Vic Holtreman

@Truthfirst I'm probably an idiot for responding, but you're wrong. See the movie and you'll find out that it actually pokes fun at the ACTOR Robert Downey Jr is portraying, not at blacks.

IMHO it's people like you that actually help perpetuate racism by constantly calling attention to race.

Vic

Atticus

Up: Robert Downey Jr. in blackface which seems very lulzy...as blackface always is.

Down: Jack Black

TruthFirst

This film is yet another racist attack on the people of Africa. There is nothing funny about this.

http://truthfirstnow.blogspot.com

Cindy

It looks like it will be a very entertaining film. I am a black woman and see nothing wrong with either Eddie Murphy playing a an old white man or RDJ playing a black man. They are actors and that's their job and it also makes us...the human race take a closer look at ourselves and we see that everybody no matter what is somebody. And we get to analize sterotypes and rise above them and even laugh at them.

Susan M.

lol.... Are you serious??... Am Black and I think Robert Downey Jr. is just being funny, besides i don't feel offended and I shouldn't think you should either ....

And am gonna be lined up 2 see that MOVIE!!!

Downer Jr

Who cares! Lets worry about who is pulling the strings for Obama and McCain. Ahh... who cares about that too

Ooh oooh South Park is on

holloway

As a Black man I just cant stop laughing at these photos. They're so damn hilarious. Whoever gets offended by this humor should examine their priorities. I mean really, if you read the plot, you have to say, it's rather innovative.

John "Kahless" Taylor

Wow! I've never seen a discussion on this topic that has been soo civil. Bravo guys!

Brad,
You sound like a guy I used to work with when I worked for the government. His name was also Brad. Did you ever work at the National Imagery and Mapping Agency?

While I agree that race relations are better, we have a long way to go. Not too long ago, in Luoisville, KY., I was walking down the street going to a friends house. A white woman on the other side of the street looked at me and ran away. I turned to see why she was running and found nothing. Today, people have confessed to me that I frightened them when I wore my scully, shades, and black leather jacket; I laughed because I am 6'1'', black with a van-dyke, and weigh over 300 pounds. My son says I would be a perfect bouncer, as long as I don't talk (he says I sound white, whatever that means LOL). As long as we have men and women who commit crimes instead of being lawful members of society, these stereotypes will always exist.

I did not hear any outcries when "Soul Man" came out, so why this film. These are comedies, not some movie on the social problems of the world.

Wes

Love the sarcastic reference to "White Chicks".
Anyone pulling double standards needs to dig back to the movie "Watermelon Man" it did a great job of showcasing racial stereotype as well. All within intelligent limits.

Niall

The whole wikipedia thing is a bit of a joke- that's why I cant believe the co-writer of The Passion of The Christ is using it as a source in his lawsuit against Mel Gibson- see this :

http://screenrant.com/archives/hollywood-a-town-called-sue-1366.html

Niall

790

Hey there goes another one, "hold your fire, there's no lifeforms aboard"....

Jim Carey

"Sci-fi internet geeks rule!!"

Are you talking to me? Are you talking to ME?

Didn't mean to cast aspersions. I'll get even by casting Annette into the sea.