Posts Tagged ‘Tropic Thunder’
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Before I get into today’s blog, I want to make sure everyone is on the same page first.
Be sure to read this article over at EntertainmentWeekly.com. It’s the same article about Ben Stiller’s new movie Tropic Thunder that’s being referenced in the strip.
To save a little time, here’s the photo that’s causing the controversy:
In the movie, Stiller, Robert Downey Jr. and Jack Black play spoiled actors making a Vietnam war film. Downey Jr. plays a method actor so serious about his craft, he surgically alters himself to look African American when he finds out the role he was originally hired to portray was written with a black actor in mind. Stiller and Downey Jr. aren’t making fun of African Americans. They ARE making fun of ridiculous actors. Personally, I think it sounds hilarious, especially if Downey Jr. plays it completely straight.
Of course, there are going to be some people out there who will reduce this down to it’s bare element – a white man in black makeup – and be offended. These people are looking for something to offend them. If you can’t see the potential for satire in this, you don’t see very many movies.
That said, is it bad that when I saw that picture that I thought Robert Downey Jr. looked like Don Cheadle? While we’re at it, I think Jack Black there in the background kind of looks like Philip Seymour Hoffman. If you kind of squint, Ben Stiller sort of looks like Tom Cruise.
Incidentally, I didn’t mean to imply that The Wayan Brothers making White Chicks was in any way equal to the decades of minstrel shows that depicted African American’s as lazy simpletons – reinforcing racist attitudes that still survive to this day. But rather it’s meant to reflect that blackface or minstrelsy is all but a dead art form all but abolished except for use in satire by a society that has is trying to shed the casual racism of our predecessors. The fact that The Wayans Brothers are able to pitch and sell a movie featuring them as white women speaks directly to how far black America has come. I don’t mean to assign to much importance to White Chicks (it was an awful movie, after all), but can you imagine a film like that being made 50 years ago? Even 30 years ago? Probably not.
Don’t forget about actors like Eddie Murphy, who has portrayed white characters in films like Coming to America and on Saturday Night Live. There is a latitude to how race is portrayed and by whom that didn’t exist before. Race baiting used to be a one way street. Look how much we’ve grown! ;-D
I don’t want to get overtly political about it. But when it came down to trying to write a joke about College Road Trip and Tropic Thunder, I went for Tropic Thunder.
What do you guys think about this controversy. Is it that big of a deal? Does it have the potential to blow up in everyone’s faces? Let me know!
Until then, I hope everyone has a great weekend. See you here on Monday!
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I’m probably going to make this worse, but here it goes.
I got into a pretty intense argument with someone in my LiveJournal feed regarding Friday’s comic and the entire issue of whether or not Tropic Thunder and Robert Downey Jr. in make up is racist.
I guess I can say it’s given me a lot to think about. As a white guy from the Midwest, I’ll fully own up to the fact that I am not the most well-versed person there is in regards to the subtleties and politics of racism. I just try to treat others as I’d want to be treated and go about my daily life.
Looking over Friday’s comic and the blog post, I realize that I may not have made the best case for myself. I already explained that, obviously, White Chicks doesn’t make up for minstrel shows, institutionalized racism and 400 years of oppression. But I was making an exaggeration for comedic effect and sometimes that doesn’t always work out the way you planned it.
So, if anyone was offended, all I can say is that I’m sorry.
It’s probably best if I leave it at that.
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Back in March I did a comic about Tropic Thunder when the first teaser image was released and received some pretty harsh criticism for it.
Last Friday I did a comic about Pineapple Express partnered with a bit about annoying people in movie theaters and was criticized for that one, too.
When Tropic Thunder came around again and there were news reports of advocacy groups representing the mentally handicapped picketing the premiere (they object to the film’s repeated use of the word "retard"), I knew I was setting myself up to put my foot in my mouth once again. So I decided to beat my critics to the punch and have my characters silence me before they could.
I don’t feel like I’m kowtowing to the vocal minority by editing myself in this way. Truthfully, the reaction of these critics played only a very small role in my decision.
Basically, I decided that when it comes to matters of race, gender, disabilities or any other sensitive subject, I’m simply not intelligent enough to create comics that tackle the issues in a constructive way. Invariably, I am always left to explain myself and what the comics actually mean. And, frankly, I think I’m doing a piss-poor job representing myself to you, the audience.
I don’t consider myself to be racist, sexist or discriminatory in any way. I don’t harbor ANY ill will toward anyone because of superficial differences.
However, I will admit to being ignorant and not often understanding the complicated facets of a given issue. As a white guy in my 30’s, I’m not often forced to approach things any differently. I try to remain open to different points of view. But in my attempts to learn and eliminate my ignorance, I believe intent and context are shoved to side and what’s left is an irresponsible cartoonist left to explain himself to angry readers.
You have to understand the kind of guy I am. I’m not the kind of guy who seeks to offend anyone. I don’t get off on making people uncomfortable. And while I like to comment on controversy, I don’t like to be the center of it because that’s not the kind of attention I want to attract.
I know some of you will read this blog and think to yourself "What’s wrong with those comics? I thought they were funny!" If so, thank you. Sorry for wasting your time with this entry.
But, like I said, I’m starting to cultivate a reputation that is in conflict with who I really am and what I really feel as a person and I seek to reverse that course.
I want Theater Hopper to be a positive experience for everyone who reads it and I think I am setting up road blocks in regards to reaching that goal by making jokes that really have nothing to do with movies directly. So, moving forward, I think it’s best for me to stick to what I know and resist the temptation to make an easy joke that might end up offending someone unintentionally.
With that said, the controversy surrounding Tropic Thunder will not be enough to keep me from seeing it. But, at the same time, the controversy is not what attracts me to the film, either. As I perceive it, the movie is about the self-centeredness of actors and the bloated entitlement of big-budget Hollywood films and I think the subject matter is always ripe for parody. I feel sorry for anyone who might be legitimately offended by certain aspects of the film, but I’ve decided to reserve judgment and see the film first. That’s really the best I can do.
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Moving on, I wanted to let you know that response to the donation drive for my crashed hard drive has been strong out of the gate and I want to thank everyone who has donated so far! Right now I’m trying to respond to the e-mails and get started on the initial batch of custom artwork. If I haven’t contacted you already, you’ll be hearing from me soon.
To help keep people up to date on our progress, I will be uploading a progress bar to the homepage with a rough estimate of the money we need to cover the data recovery process. With luck, I’ll be hearing from my representative at OnTrack Data Recovery today. So keep your fingers crossed!
Thanks again to those who have donated and for those of you who haven’t, click here to learn more about the drive and what your donation can get you. Custom art all around!
Even if you’re not able to meet the minimum donation amount for custom art, please consider other ways you can help spread the word. Link to Theater Hopper through forums, web sites and social bookmarking sites like Digg, Reddit, StumbleUpon or del.icio.us, buy advertising on the site or buy merchandise from our store. Every little bit helps!
If you have suggestions for other ways we can raise money, please e-mail me and let me know. I’m entertaining all ideas!
That about does it for me. Thanks for stopping by and I’ll see you here on Friday!
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For the record, I haven’t had a chance to see Tropic Thunder yet – even though it was released in theaters on Wednesday. But I read an interview in Entertainment Weekly and they spilled the beans about Jack Black’s birthday suit appearance. It has put me off food for the last two days, but it was great fodder for the comic and an excellent way to deflate some of the seriousness surrounding the controversial aspects of the film.Jack Black’s
I’ll probably see Tropic Thunder either Friday or Sunday. Kind of depends if Cami wants to see it or not and if we can round up a babysitter for Henry. I’d say she’s 50/50 on it. The reviews and the buzz has been good, but some of the controversy has cooled her on it, I think. Or maybe I’m projecting. That’s kind of how I feel, I think.
I know if I go to see it, I’ll probably enjoy it. Before Henry, I wouldn’t have second-guessed it. But once you have a kid, you have to prioritize things. I’m not talking about the subject matter of the movie. I’m talking about just having the free time!
Even though I’m less interested in it than Tropic Thunder, I’ll probably see Star Wars: The Clone Wars later tonight. I know without a shadow of a doubt that Cami has no interest in this one. I’m just crossing my fingers that it won’t suck. I mean, if Harry Knowles bashed it, the movie is in trouble, right?
Deep down I know it’s going to spit on my faithfulness to the Star Wars franchise. This movie is for the kids, pure and simple. I mean, have you seen the TV commercials with the baby Hutt that belches in Anikin’s face? I mean, c’mon! Bodily functions in a Star Wars movie? It’s totally for kids.
Changing gears for a minute, I wanted to say “Thank you” to you guys for a couple of things.
First, the reaction to Wednesday’s comic was really insightful. A lot of people wrote in to lend support, tell me that I’m on the right path, not to cave in to critics and not to beat myself up. It’s totally appreciated and I think people understood the gist of my original message. But, to reiterate, I’m not planning on shying away from the controversial stuff because of anything anyone said. It really was a matter of me taking a step back, reassessing some of those comics and deciding that was not the image of myself that I wanted to present.
Interestingly enough, one e-mail I received pointed out that Wednesday’s comic was a grim departure from the normally happy-go-lucky vibe I put out and the comic really turned this person off. In my attempt to excise something negative, I went further down the rabbit hole.
It was a wake-up call, but I want to stress that I’m not getting down on myself. Wednesday’s comic was not about the characters being violent toward one another. It was about the characters abusing me – the creator – by proxy. That nut shot was meant for me, metaphysically. Does that make sense?
I just want to let people know that I’m doing fine and that I’m excited to forge a new path. Frankly, I’m really looking forward to the end of the blockbuster season so I can forgo some of the more timely aspects of the comic’s commentary and maybe switch gears onto a longer storyline. It feels like ages since I’ve done one and it’s a good opportunity to stretch creatively.
Anyway… something to look forward to.
I also want to send another shout-out to everyone who has contributed to the donation drive. I am ASTONISHED that we have been able to collect nearly one-third of the money needed to reacquire the data lost in the hard drive crashed I experience last week.
You’ll notice that I added a handy progress bar both to the top of the page as well as to the donation page to let everyone know where we stand.
Incidentally, did you know I lost all of my data 6 years to the day from the first Theater Hopper comic – August 5, 2002? I don’t know if I mentioned that her before, but I thought it was interesting.
At any rate, I’ve been in touch with OnTrack Data Recovery and I have good news. Turns out they were able to recover ALL of the files from my hard drive. Well, all of them except for one MP3 and a temporary Photoshop file – neither of which I will miss.
So that means all of my family photos, videos, and – MOST IMPORTANTLY – 5 years of original Theater Hopper artwork is safe and sound.
The bad news is the price (hence the drive, natch), but I’m talking to the sales rep and doing all I can to negotiate a lower price. They seem open to it. The last exchange I had with them, they asked “What did you have in mind?”
Y’see, kids. It pays to haggle!
But just because things are improving doesn’t mean that I still don’t need your help. Even if I negotiate a lower price, it’s still pretty steep! If you’re able to contribute anything at all, please visit the donation page and do so! Even $5 helps!
I think once I start producing some of the custom artwork people have purchased through their donations, I’ll scan and post them so you guys can see what you’re missing!
Thanks again to everyone who has chipped in.
That does it for me today, but I hope everyone has a great weekend. I’ll see you here on Monday!
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I normally wince at doing comics about “industry news” because I think most people won’t have the background information needed to get the joke. Thus, I feel compelled to establish the situation with some kind of long-winded exposition. Hence, the super-wide first panel with Jared giving us the lowdown.
Truthfully, I’m completely tapped in terms of commentary for upcoming movies like Saw V and Pride and Glory.
Incidentally, this is the article Jared is talking about regarding Paramount’s decision to push back The Soloist from November to March.
I guess I kind of misrepresented things in the comic because Paramount didn’t bump The Soloist from November explicitly to support a Best Supporting Actor campaign for Robert Downey Jr.’s performance in Tropic Thunder. That was more of a by-product of the situation. Paramount was pressured by its parent company to cut 4th quarter costs and The Soloist was easiest to move. So, really, it’s all about money – as it often is.
I’m thinking it’s somewhat misguided on Paramount’s part to finance a campaign for RDJ’s role in Tropic Thunder. Not just because comedies typically do not fare well during awards season, but also because of the controversy of putting an A-list actor in black face for nearly 2 hours.
Look, the film ruffled a few feathers, but they managed to pull it off. No one walked away from it sustaining any permanent damage to their careers. Just let the thing flourish on DVD and let sleeping dogs lie. The less said about this, the better. Quit trying to take advantage of RDJ’s resurgence in 2008. Yes, it’s a crime that the man hasn’t been nominated for anything since Chaplin, but Tropic Thunder is not the film to break that streak. All things in due time.
Switching gears, I wanted to talk about Monday’s strip and the wave of e-mails I received about having a mid-life crisis at 30. It was surprising how many people wrote in to express the same misgivings about getting old. One reader sent me a couple of links detailing The Quarter-Life Crisis and the astrologers theory of Saturn’s Return.
I guess I was familiar with the idea of a quarter-life crisis from a lyric in John Mayer song. Of course, there’s also that album from No Doubt called Return of Saturn, so I guess I’m kind of of familiar with that as well. I just never made the connection between these ideas and my own station in life.
Weird how I know about these things through my exposure to pop music.
Anyway, it was nice to get e-mails from people answering the question “Is it possible to have a mid-life crisis at 30?” and agreeing with it. A lot of you have been there or could sympathize with the feeling and that was reassuring. So… thanks!
I don’t know why I felt the need to share that beyond how I find it interesting what topics will generate a response from you guys. Makes me feel good you’re reading the blogs!
That does it for me today. Have a great Wednesday!
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I kind of cheated a little bit on the backgrounds for today’s comic. They’re screen captures from Tony’s garage in Iron Man. I had a hard time grabbing them. I would scan the frames for the shots I needed, but then go back and start watching scenes from the movie. Total time suck!
As you may or may not know, the 2009 Oscar nominations were announced yesterday and Robert Downey Jr. being nominated for Best Supporting Actor for his performance in Tropic Thunder stuck out the most to me across a field of otherwise safe choices.
Obviously RDJ won’t win, citing the Academy’s aversion to comedic performances. If anything, it’s a tip of the hat to the comeback year Downey Jr. has had and they certainly couldn’t nominate him for Iron Man for fear of losing complete credibility.
I was a little surprised that The Curious Case of Benjamin Button racked up 13 nominations and even more surprised that it earned nominations in the Big 5 – Best Picture, Actor, Actress, Director and Adapted Screenplay. Seriously – I thought interest had wained on this thing. Everyone I’ve talked to says it’s an exhaustive slog to get through and nothing much happens.
But, statistically, it’s the front-runner. So I suppose I will have to check it out.
I guess I was also surprised that The Wrestler was no nominated for Best Picture. Almost everyone I talk to seems to love that movie. Meanwhile, The Reader made the cut despite critics taking it to task for being a bit of a mess (aside from Kate Winslet’s performance, of course).
Any while we’re talking about the Best Picture nominations, I’m personally disappointed that Wall-E couldn’t bust out of the Best Animated Feature Film ghetto and lock down a Best Picture nomination. One of the most critically adored and respected film’s in Pixar’s history and it’s been relegated second-class citizenship. If the Academy had not created the Best Animated Feature Film category, Wall-E would have been a contender for sure. If the Academy saw fit to nominate Beauty and The Beast for Best Picture nearly 20 years ago, surely Wall-E could compete.
Interesting that there was no gold watch nomination for Clint Eastwood and his contributions to Gran Torino. Going into nominations, I thought buzz was building on that one. I guess not.
Of course, everyone is talking about Heath Ledger being nominated for Best Supporting Actor for his revolutionary turn as The Joker in The Dark Knight. But I don’t think he’ll win. The Dark Knight was conspicuously shut out of any other major category. The highest grossing film of the year – one of the highest grossing since Titanic and no recognition with a Best Picture or Best Director nomination? Sure it cleaned up with 7 nominations in the technical categories, but c’mon!
Ultimately, I think Nathaniel R. from The Film Experience hit the nail on the head with his Oscar nominations talking points posted yesterday. I found this by way of Jeffery Wells over at Hollywood Elsewhere:
The Oscar’s will be broadcast February 22 on ABC. For your reference, here is a list of the most prominent 2009 Oscar nominations:
BEST ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE
Richard Jenkins–The Visitor
Frank Langella–Frost/Nixon
Sean Penn–Milk
Brad Pitt–The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Mickey Rourke–The Wrestler
BEST ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE
Josh Brolin–Milk
Robert Downey Jr.–Tropic Thunder
Philip Seymour Hoffman–Doubt
Heath Ledger–The Dark Knight
Michael Shannon–Revolutionary Road
BEST ACTRESS IN A LEADING ROLE
Anne Hathaway–Rachel Getting Married
Angelina Jolie–Changeling
Melissa Leo–Frozen River
Meryl Streep–Doubt
Kate Winslet–The Reader
BEST ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE
Amy Adams–Doubt
Penelope Cruz–Vicky Cristina Barcelona
Viola Davis–Doubt
Taraji Henson–The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Marisa Tomei–The Wrestler
BEST DIRECTOR
David Fincher–The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Ron Howard–Frost/Nixon
Gus Van Sant–Milk
Stephen Daldry–The Reader
Danny Boyle–Slumdog Millionaire
BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
Frozen
Happy-Go-Lucky
In Bruges
Milk
Wall-E
BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
Eric Roth–The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
John Patrick Shanley–Doubt
Peter Morgan–Frost/Nixon
David Hare–The Reader
Simon Beaufoy–Slumdog Millionaire
BEST ANIMATED FEATURE FILM
Bolt
Kung Fu Panda
Wall-E
BEST MOTION PICTURE OF THE YEAR
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Frost/Nixon
Milk
The Reader
Slumdog Millionaire
So, what’s your take? Is The Curious Case of Benjamin Button worthy of 13 nominations? Who films or performances do you think were ignored? What are your predictions for who will take home the little golden man?
Leave your comments below!
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