Tropic Thunder?

[nik037]

I was wondering what other people thought of this movie. If you have not seen it Ben Stiller plays an actor and one of his roles is playing a man that is "slow". They made his character stutter and I was really disappointed bc it furthers the imagine that people who stutter are mentally disabled or are "slow". It ruined my night watching that especially since I wasn't it alone and spent the night wondering if other people thought about me when they saw that movie. I hate seeing movies that have stuttering characters in them. :mad:

[grantM]

Well that is only one of a very many films that portray stutterers in a poor light. I guess you have to take the movie as pure entertainment. I personally cannot stomach watching "A Fish Called Wander" for an obvious reason. What we need is a stuttering hero in a film. I cannot think of one myself off my head.

Here is a quick list I found that is fairly up to date. http://www.mnsu.edu/comdis/kuster/media/movietext.html

Go up a level and it also lists to other popular media http://www.mnsu.edu/comdis/kuster/media/media.html

[Ayman]

to be honest i think u gotta take it as entertainment (even though the movie sucked by my standards), also there are many movies that show that stutters are smart and intelligent pple, like "Rocket science" Movie etc. also if you think thats bad have you seen south park :P TIMMY !!!!

[peebee]

There are a ton of generalizations about stuttering in the media. Ithink the most obvious example is South Park... I absolutely cannot watch shows like that but often have to sit through them when im with other ppl. I've been in that awkward situation as well, when people laugh at stutterers while they know you're around. Only a few of my close friends know I stutter because I'm very good at hiding it/word substitution , but even they laugh @ poor Jimmy in south park. I think the WORST portrayal of stuttering is a fish called wandy like grant mentioned and billy madison. I had to leave the theater during a fish called wanda

I know I've laughed at racist, homophobic, handicap and other jokes in the movies... doesn't mean I believe in them. I'd imagine that's how other people feel about the stuttering.

[emily445455]

I didn't really notice the stutterer.

I just thought it was an extrememly stupid movie and a waste of my money.

[grantM]

I agree that I thought the whole film was very average considering the cast

[DKoz]

I liked the movie but I didn't like Ben Stiller the person who imitated the stutterer.

[Jamus]

I definitely agree that PWS are stereotyped to this day as negative influences in films and tv shows still.

When I watch a show with a PWS in it and the people I'm watching it with know I stutter, it can be uncomfortable for me to an extent but I also know is the people I've been with, I believe they know I am at for the most part at peace with my stutter. So they feel comfortable enough around me to laugh it up.
I've been watching South Park for a long time, before Jimmy was introduced to the show. He cracks me up though. It makes me realize that some of us take our stutter waaay to seriously, and tend to snap at anyone who takes us the wrong way. I also realize some people just do not know the right way to react with a PWS, so I have to give them the benefit of the doubt sometimes. I said 'sometimes', heh. It's healthy to laugh at yourself.

[grantM]

I also realize some people just do not know the right way to react with a PWS, so I have to give them the benefit of the doubt sometimes. I said 'sometimes', heh. It's healthy to laugh at yourself.


True Jamus. Put yourself into a non-stutterers shoes and imagine seeing a stutterer encounter problems. It is not a crime for how they react. Sure rudeness should not be tolerated, but shock and/or suprise should be.

[emily445455]

Oh that stutterer!

I think he just stuttered because the character was mentally retarded...?

[grantM]

He stuttered to over play political correctness in films I think and also to play into the whole joke of how to win an Oscar

[nik037]

Thanks all for commenting

I agree that even if the character did NOT stutter this movie is a complete waste of time and $$...but it just sickens me that someone would ADD a stutter to a character to increase his/her mental illness....just like south park and all the others.

While I am onboard with laughing at ourselves, etc....this is more than that. this is humiliating.

I know that a lot of people were complaining about how this movie portrayed people with mental illness/disabilities....but I think it is just as bad for us-

.......just frustrated :(

[grantM]

as said nik037 it may be up to us to rise up and shoot a film about a stuttering hero (no gender implied)

[nik037]

as said nik037 it may be up to us to rise up and shoot a film about a stuttering hero (no gender implied)

in my humble opinion it is similar to the new pres. WHY must there be an emphasis at all??? WHY would we have to make a movie about a STUTTER HERO....why is all the hype that Obama is half african american? it seems to me that life would so much easier if the emphasis was on the fact that the "hero" in the movie was simply a hero. and Obama was simply Pres. I just don't see why in our civilized society we have to point out differences so much....bc other than my stutter...I think I am a pretty normal, nice, human being like everyone else, but I always feel like people put me under the category of "stutter".

[grantM]

I agree about categories. It is like "disability" at the moment. People see me talk and think disabled. I personally reject the offer lol. There is a growing movement over here where stutterers are loudly saying that they are disabled. I do not align myself with their overall attitude personally. A story I have told a while ago. I was presenting at a conference last year and the speaker wished to know if I wanted to be known as 'speech impaired" or having a "speech impairment". I said I wanted to be introduced as "Grant".

But why not have a movie where we show stutterers in a real light? I propose that all here make a 5 minute clip and talk about their stuttering. Then we can combine and edit them all to make a film from the real effected.

[Jamus]

in my humble opinion it is similar to the new pres. WHY must there be an emphasis at all??? WHY would we have to make a movie about a STUTTER HERO....why is all the hype that Obama is half african american? it seems to me that life would so much easier if the emphasis was on the fact that the "hero" in the movie was simply a hero. and Obama was simply Pres. I just don't see why in our civilized society we have to point out differences so much....bc other than my stutter...I think I am a pretty normal, nice, human being like everyone else, but I always feel like people put me under the category of "stutter".

Exactly. Society has to put a label on everything and paint everyone into a corner just so "we" know who is who and what is what. It drives me crazy. I don't want to be treated differently just b/c I have a stutter.. I really don't. Yet everyone thinks I should have special treatment.. take advantage of a disability paycheck and walk away. If I become so bad where I have to do that then ok, but until then I will go about my life in the most straight ahead way possible.

[grantM]

I like your style Jamus. I hate labelling and reject it totally

[Jbradfo]

it used to bother me when i was younger and i watched a movie with a person who stuttered but now that i'm older it really doesn't. A movie that comes to mind in My Cousin Vinney when the state appointed laywer stutters. Its hard to deny that it is a funny scene but at the same time i think its a more accurate representation of someone who stutters. The character is not portrayed as being slow in fact he seems quite intellegent when talking with his clients before he takes the stand and is under pressure. Then he gets in front of the court room and all hell breaks lose!( I can relate to this just as i'm sure others here can) Then he comes off the stand and seems to speak fine once again. So even though the movie clearly is making fun of the condition it doesn't suggest the person is slow or retarded. so maybe that's a little better...

[Mike85]

I didn't really notice the stutterer.

I just thought it was an extrememly stupid movie and a waste of my money.

I didn't notice it either. And yea agreed on the waste of money for a stupid movie... Felt like leaving the cinema before it ended.

[justthere]

It ruined my night watching that especially since I wasn't it alone and spent the night wondering if other people thought about me when they saw that movie. I hate seeing movies that have stuttering characters in them. :mad:

i agree. i dont like the part in billy madison also.

[grantM]

Again for me the most confronting film was "A Fish Called Wanda".

[freedive]

Another movie I saw recently that portrays stuttering in a negative light is School for Scoundrels with Billy Bob Thornton. It really is aggravating to realize that people base their opinions of people who stutter on these completely ridiculous Hollywood interpretations of them.

[nate]

stupid movie...