Action Alert: Tropic Thunder

The following was presented at The Arc of the United States press conference on the movie "Tropic Thunder", August 13, 2008, at the National Press Club, Washington, D.C. by Mike McLaughlin, Member of the Board of Directors, The Arc of Prince George's County; and Chair of The Special Education Citizens Advisory Committee of Prince George's County.

First of all, I'm just a regular guy; I'm not a prude; I think I have a good sense of humor, and I'm a big movie fan, as is my whole family. I think cinema is one of our greatest forms of art and entertainment; at least it can be.

Without getting into a culture-vs-nurture debate, anyone who doesn't think this movie will influence the attitudes and behavior of young people towards people with disabilities hasn't been in a high school or around young kids recently. As soon as they leave the theater, kids are quoting movie lines and acting out scenes as well as the actors did. They won't care that this movie is meant to be a parody of Hollywood's excesses. And let's not even dignify the R-rating as any protection against youngsters seeing this movie.

My daughter, like many people with intellectual disabilities, doesn't understand the fuss. She is still learning the nuances of social interaction and doesn't know when she is being offended Š we should all be so lucky. But our family dreads the day when that recognition happens, when the light goes on, and she feels the sting of ridicule.

Should movie producers feel they can offend with impunity simply because the target of their ridicule doesn't understand? Apparently there are people in Hollywood who not only feel that it's OK to do that, but that it's OK to profit from it, from demeaning people who are least able to defend against the ridicule.

I don't expect Hollywood to teach my children about values or what's important in life. And not every movie has to be The Greatest Story Ever Told. But Hollywood sure is making our jobs as parents more difficult as movie content gets dumber, language gets coarser, and attitudes, like the ones expressed in this movie, get more hurtful. Those of us working to make schools more inclusive and reflective of society's make up of people with abilities and disabilities see the language and attitudes in this movie as an unnecessary barrier to overcome, and a regressive step backward. If the first day of school was tomorrow, just imagine the hall chatter. And then ask yourself if you'd want your child with an intellectual disability walking those halls.

The first time my wife and I saw the term "mental retardation" in some paperwork on Erin and heard her referred to as "mentally retarded" by well-meaning professionals, it was like a punch in the gut. Because by then, retard and retarded were already being used as cultural slurs. Thankfully, the professions are replacing the term "mental retardation" with intellectual disability. Not fast enough, if you ask me, but at least they have recognized the hurt of those words, and are making the effort to change.

Hollywood should become just as enlightened and do the same.

Mike McLaughlin
1013 8th St.
Laurel, MD 20707
301-318-8965 cell
mjmac5@verizon.net

Click here to see a clip about the press conference and protesting of the movie on CBS affiliate WUSA9, including an interview with Mike McLaughlin.

Take a minute to watch this short: 60 second public service announcement produced for and with the Arc of Northern Virginia and the Arc of Virginia by Will Schermerhorn and Blueberry Shoes Productions.

Letter from Executive Director, Mac Ramsey

Dear Arc Members:

I am forwarding all members of The Arc of Prince George's County information on a new movie to be released at local theaters tomorrow, Wednesday, August 13, 2008. The movie is entitled Tropic Thunder. It depicts an individual with an intellectual disability in a very degrading way all in an attempt to be funny. Check out the following link for articles and information about this issue:
http://www.thearc.org/NetCommunity/Page.aspx?pid=1800&srcid=183

The Arc of the United States encourages individuals and families that are concerned about this issue to speak out through letters to editors in local and metropolitan papers. Arc members across the country are also handing informational leaflets out at local movie theaters. Please feel free to participate at your local theater. Click here for some posters you can use http://www.ncearc.org/TROPIC/posters.doc. Click here for a flyer you can hand out: http://www.ncearc.org/TROPIC/Flyer.doc
Make it a "teachable moment."

If you have any questions, contact me by e-mail at mramsey@thearcofpgc.org or call me at 301-925-7050.

Sincerely,

Mac Ramsey
Executive Director

Click here to read an excellent article in the Washington Post about the issue.