The Other "R" Word

The following column appeared in the Freeport Focus the week of August 19, 2008 about the time of the release of the movie, Tropic Thunder. It is being reprinted here as today is the Day of Acceptance for people of all abilities. Please click the title link above for more information from the Special Olympics. In light of the condescending remarks of our President on the Jay Leno Show recently, this is indeed a teachable moment for America and the world. Remember to be kind to all you meet.

The Other “R” Word
By
Roland Tolliver

“As we grow as unique persons, we learn to respect the uniqueness of others.”
--Robert Schuller

“The best comedy of the Summer,” scream the headlines in the entertainment industry.

“Film critics stand firm against “Tropic Thunder” protests by advocates for the disabled,” states another in The Los Angeles Times.

There are no protests scheduled outside of the Lindo Theater. At least not that I have heard and there doesn’t need to be one. People have every right to view a movie, just like they have the right to sending in there letters to the editor or saying what they want to in the privacy of their own homes. It apparently doesn’t matter that large groups of people are offended or that a derogatory word has become so pervasive in our society that it is regularly used by students and teachers in our school district to refer to anyone who may be a “little slow.”

Just don’t say it in front of me, please. I’m not sure what it is in our society, but people have a tendency to marginalize those that are different from them. There have been endless struggles in our country to excise the cancerous language of prejudice in our society. The Chinese and others of Asian descent were not allowed to marry a Caucasian until well into the 1940’s, when we allied with China during World War II, even though thousands of Chinese died helping to build the Transcontinental Railroad. The Irish were thought to be here only for their brawn during the same time period.

The Japanese were forced into internment camps during WW II, even if they were born in our country. Polish jokes were commonly told to indicate that they were stupid. The African-Americans in this country suffered years of indignity, which is why I cannot comprehend their wanton use of the “N” word in rap songs. I was incredibly surprised by the use of the word “uppity” when a letter to the editor in The Journal-Standard was used to describe Senator Barack Obama. It has such a disparaging connotation that I expected a much more vigorous protest to that particular letter.

That brings us back to the people that have become the most marginalized in our society and the ones that are least able to defend themselves. The assault on people who are mentally challenged in our society is reaching epic proportions. When school-aged students regularly call people “retards” it shows a total lack of understanding. They can, perhaps, claim ignorance. When teachers use the same word in like fashion, it shows a lack of compassion. When Hollywood perpetuates this negative stereotype without regard to the consequences, it shows a level of mean-spiritedness that will only exaggerate the problem. This is where “Tropic Thunder” has crossed the line.

Much of the early press about the movie was for the Robert Downey, Jr. character, who undergoes a “pigmentation process” in order to portray a Black actor in the movie. While this certainly sets another low standard for the industry, it pales in comparison with the discriminatory social commentary in regards to people that are mentally challenged.

The most disturbing aspect the producers and director, Ben Stiller, make with their movie, is that they know it will appeal to young adults and teens, who themselves are still impressionable, and their “Don’t Go Full Retard” mantra will likely become this summer’s movie catchphrase. How does a parent or a sibling or a relative of someone who has brain damage, epilepsy, Down’s Syndrome, autism, or a variety of injuries, illnesses or hereditary conditions that affect the brain explain the rude comments made by the insensitive about them?

Have any of these people ever lived with a child or an adult who “doesn’t fit in”? Have the insensitive people ever been in a store when someone’s brain-damaged child or teen is throwing a temper-tantrum in the middle of an aisle? Do people think that seeing a T-shirt with the above slogan helps the situation? Or are people that unconcerned with the feelings of others these days? It truly makes me sad that people can be so unkind.

I know from which I speak… I’m not a prude. I don’t go around pretending to be the captain of the politically correct police. I have enjoyed some of the movies of Ben Stiller, Jack Black, and the other actors in this movie. I have even seen the mentally challenged in some of their movies portrayed in a positive, sensitive light. What I don’t get, and I admit that I am refusing to see the movie, is how or why their portrayal has gone astray. Are producers and directors that hard up for material that it is now acceptable to denigrate the people in our society who are least able to stand up for their own rights?

Decide for yourselves what to do when it comes to the movie, everyone is in their rights to do so, but think about the implications of encouraging this prejudicial movie to be a financial success. Think about how its message seeps into the brains of the most impressionable segment of our society and how that venom then spews forth in our schools and our community. Think about all of the people that have fought for generations to eliminate social prejudice in our society and how much still exists. Then think hard about giving your hard-earned money to people who still “don’t get it.” Maybe, just maybe, they will get the message we are sending. And then maybe our children, family members, friends and acquaintances will know compassion, understanding and respect in their schools and communities. Maybe!?

Dr. Roland Tolliver is a freelance writer in Freeport. He has been fighting the good fight with his wife and family for their daughter, Claire, and others with mental and intellectual disabilities for more than a decade. He may be reached at rtolliver@kastlepublishing.com or through the blog “Pretzel City Logic.”