“Tropic Thunder” in 2024 is a landmine of triggered outrage waiting to happen. If this movie came out today, and bless Paramount for having had the guts to release it 15 years ago, most would completely miss the point.
For example, Robert Downey Jr's character in the film, Kirk Lazarus, doing blackface is a satirical take on method acting. It wasn't just played for laughs. It had a purpose. Sadly, these days, intent doesn't matter as much as perception. There isn't a firm line on what's funny and what's in poor taste anymore, but everyone loves to point out when they think that a line has been crossed.
Downey Jr. was a guest on Rob Lowe’s podcast (via Variety) and tackled the dilemma that “Tropic Thunder” poses today, and how, these past few years, sensitivities have changed, for the worse:
There used to be an understanding with an audience, and I’m not saying that the audience is no longer understanding — I’m saying that things have gotten very muddied.
Downey Jr. goes on to criticize the “clickbait addiction to grievance that [people seem] to have with everything these days.”
Of course, “Tropic Thunder” would never get made today. Not in this heavily sensitive socio-cultural society we live in. Sure, go ahead and disagree with me, but remember in 2018 when athlete Shaun White dressed up as Stiller's Simple Jack character for Halloween and caused a total uproar, to the point where White had to issue an apology to the Special Olympics? This is real. This is the world we live in. This has led to Comedy being in dire straits at the moment — never has it been as boring and non-provocative as it is today.
Last year, a Twitter user asked Stiller to stop apologizing for his 2008 comedy “Tropic Thunder,” to which the actor firmly responded that he never has and never will. Here’s his reply:
“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.”
Take note of the bastshit crazy thinking that went into Robbie Collin’s 6.12.20 Telegraph essay, “Let’s Not Kid Ourselves — Tropic Thunder‘s blackface joke is no better than Bo’ Selecta.”
“Are we still allowed to laugh away unthinkingly at Tropic Thunder? Sorry, but no.”
Back in 2009, Downey Jr. got SAG, BAFTA and Oscar nominated for his blackface performance. You can definitely forget about that ever happening today.
Comedians like to push boundaries until that very fine line of what is deemed acceptable and unacceptable is somewhat squeezed to its very limit. That, to me, is what the very best of comedy can do. “Tropic Thunder” did that. Mel Brooks did it, numerous times, in the ‘70s — especially with his comedic masterpiece, “Blazing Saddles.”
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