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“It wouldn’t be made today!” is a common cry of people when considering what some call the industrial censorship complex. Everything from Animal House to Blazing Saddles is judged to be simply too racey for sensitive souls today. A relatively modern entry on the list is Tropic Thunder.
Almost every taboo, from mental disability to blackface, is tackled head-on and wrapped in a simply glorious, foul-mouthed performance from Tom Cruise and some fat, hairy hands. “Never go full retard!” has entered the pop culture lexicon.
The 2008 movie was directed by Stiller himself from a script he wrote with Justin Theroux and Ethan Cohen. Robert Downey Jr even got an Oscar nomination for his blackfaced role.
In an interview with Collider, Stiller once again reiterated that he doesn’t think he could make Tropic Thunder today. He wouldn’t be allowed:
“I doubt it [would be made today]. Obviously, in this environment, edgier comedy is just harder to do. Definitely not at the scale we made it at, too, in terms of the economics of the business.
I think even at the time we were fortunate to get it made, and I credit that, actually, to Steven Spielberg and DreamWorks. He read it and was like, ‘Alright, let’s make this thing.’ It’s a very inside movie when you think about it.
But yeah, the idea of Robert playing that character who’s playing an African American character, I mean, incredibly dicey. Even at the time, of course, it was dicey too.
The only reason we attempted it was I felt like the joke was very clear in terms of who that joke was on – actors trying to do anything to win awards. But now, in this environment, I don’t even know if I would have ventured to do it, to tell you the truth. I’m being honest.”
Stiller talks about the current environment but at the recent US election, he endorsed the candidate whose side hinted that the First Amendment was inconvenient? Something does not compute…
The post Stiller Talks TROPIC THUNDER Again appeared first on Last Movie Outpost.
