Disability Advocates Call For ‘Tropic Thunder' Protest

There may be picket signs on the red carpet tonight as disability advocates gather for a protest at the Westwood premiere of “Tropic Thunder.”

The planned meeting will be “the start of a nationwide protest,” Peter Wheeler, spokesman for the Special Olympics, told Reuters.

The Special Olympics and 21 other disability groups are up in arms over the Ben Stiller-directed DreamWorks film, which is slated to open on Wednesday. The groups are calling for a nationwide boycott of “Thunder” over what they consider a “negative portrayal” of the developmentally disabled.

[ Ben Stiller On Directing Robert Downey Jr. - Play it Now ]

“We are asking people not to go to the movie and hope to bring a consciousness to people about using derogatory words about this population,” Wheeler said.

The satiric film-within-a-film follows the cast of an action movie who are thrown into a real-life war zone. Much of the controversy stems from a subplot involving Stiller’s character, Tugg Speedman, who stars in a bid for acting legitimacy called “Simple Jack” prior to filming “Tropic Thunder.” As developmentally disabled farmhand Simple Jack, Stiller dons buckteeth and speaks with a stutter.

Viral promotion materials for the film – which have since been removed – portrayed him in a mock poster for the film with the tagline, “Once upon a time… There was a retard.” The offending word is also used frequently in a particular exchange between Stiller and co-star Robert Downey Jr., who himself is playing an edgy part — a blond-haired, blue-eyed Method actor who undergoes a skin treatment to play a black soldier.

[ All Access: Movies ]

The advocacy groups, which reportedly include the Arc of the United States, the National Down Syndrome Congress and the American Association of People with Disabilities, met with studio executives last week, but DreamWorks apparently has no plans to alter the film.

“We have had productive discussions with representatives of disability advocacy organizations and look forward to working with them closely in the future. However, no changes or cuts to the film will be made,” DreamWorks spokesman Chip Sullivan told Reuters. “‘Tropic Thunder’ is an R-rated comedy that satirizes Hollywood and its excesses, and makes its point by featuring inappropriate and over-the top characters in ridiculous situations. The film is in no way meant to disparage or harm the image of individuals with disabilities.”

Related Content from AccessHollywood.com:
Fan Candy - Check Out the Photos
Preview: 'Tropic Thunder' - Play it Now
Star Sightings - Check Out the Photos

Copyright NBCAH - Access Hollywood
Contact Us