Disability Rights Group Calls on Ben Stiller to Meet With People With Disabilities in DC, NY or LA About 'Tropic Thunder'

Disability Rights Group Calls on Ben Stiller to Meet With People With Disabilities in DC, NY or LA About 'Tropic Thunder'

WASHINGTON, Aug. 15 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The head of The Arc of the United States (The Arc) called on Ben Stiller to meet with persons with intellectual disabilities and their families, and engage in an "honest and open dialogue about the offense this film perpetrates on them."

Peter V. Berns, Executive Director of The Arc of the United States remarked, "I've heard interviews of Ben Stiller in the last several days and he dismisses the controversy surrounding the movie. Stiller said that we don't understand that the movie is making fun of actors and they didn't intend to offend people with disabilities."

Berns said of the movie, "the portrayal of Simple Jack is not funny and the hate speech in the movie is not funny." He invited Stiller, who is the director, co-writer, producer and star of the movie to "personally meet with people with disabilities and their families so he can learn first-hand about why what he, DreamWorks and Paramount have done and are doing is so offensive."

In addition to this invitation, Berns also called on Stiller, DreamWorks and Paramount to apologize to the 7 million people with intellectual disabilities harmed by this film. He urged people to stay away from the movie and instead join The Arc's national Rally for Respect campaign. Due to the fact that some malls are refusing to allow people on their premises to peacefully distribute leaflets outside movie theatres, he called on the nation's indoor and outdoor shopping malls to open up their doors for people with disabilities.

Berns led a meeting of national disability advocates with executives at DreamWorks in Los Angeles last week. The Arc of the United States was joined in the meeting by Special Olympics, the National Down Syndrome Congress, the American Association of People with Disabilities and other groups.

The Arc of the United States invited self-advocates, disability rights activists and families of people with disabilities to a press conference held yesterday at the National Press Club to address the controversy surrounding the film.

Mike McLaughlin, a parent of a child with an intellectual disability joined Berns at the National Press Club. "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," McLaughlin stated.

Jill Egle, Co-Executive Director of The Arc of Northern VA and a self-advocate observed, "These words and images get in the way of my right to live with dignity in the community. The message of this movie is that it is acceptable to make fun of people like me."

The more than 780 chapters of The Arc from across the United States will have a presence at local movie theaters screening the movie throughout this opening weekend. Organizers and advocates will be distributing flyers on the R-word and hate speech along with other educational materials.

Below is the text of the letter to Mr. Stiller:

August 14, 2008

Mr. Ben Stiller
Red Hour Films
629 North La Brea Avenue
Los Angeles, CA 90036

Dear Mr. Stiller:

I am writing on behalf of The Arc of the United States (The Arc), a national organization that advocates for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. With more than 750 state and local chapters and hundreds of thousands of employees, board members, volunteers, clients, members, donors and supporters, we represent the world's largest community-based organization of and for persons with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

I am inviting you to meet with some of these people and engage in an open and honest dialogue surrounding the offense, intentional or unintentional, caused by your movie "Tropic Thunder." As you know, members of The Arc and other disability rights groups assert that the movie contains images and language that are extremely disrespectful in its portrayal of the fictional character "Simple Jack," a person with an intellectual disability.

In recent interviews you've said that the film is not intended to make light of people with intellectual disabilities but is instead a satire on actors and the industry. I've seen the movie and the use of words such as "retard," "imbecile," and "moron" and the use of caricature in the depiction of an individual with intellectual disabilities are simply unacceptable.

It is offensive to the 4-5 million people that are living with intellectual disabilities, and the tens of millions of their parents, siblings, family members and friends. In fact, many people in the disability community would consider use of the "r" word in reference to a person with an intellectual disability to be hate speech, equivalent to use of the "n" word in reference to an African American.

I invite you to meet with a group of people with intellectual disabilities and their families in a city of your choosing - New York, Washington, DC, or Los Angeles. I look forward to a favorable reply.

Sincerely,
Peter V. Berns
Executive Director

First Call Analyst:
FCMN Contact:

Source: The Arc of the United States

CONTACT: Laura Hart of The Arc of the United States, +1-301-565-5462

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