Elon Musk has come under fire for making fun of Hollywood actor Ben Stiller by using the R-word.
According to Knewz.com, the 53-year-old software tycoon was reacting to Stiller’s assertions about his 2008 film Tropic Thunder, in which he stated that the comedy could not be produced today.
Stiller’s portrayal of a mentally handicapped “farm boy” named Simple Jack and Robert Downey Jr.’s character “blacking up” caused criticism for the comedy, which followed a group of actors creating a high-budget Vietnam War film.
With the title, “Ben Stiller says woke America killed edgier comedy,” and a caption taken from the film, “Damn, he went full r—-d,” Musk posted a news story on Stiller’s remarks on X.
Regardless of its cinematic roots, Musk’s usage of the slur was swiftly condemned by critics as ableist and improper.
Musk’s choice to use such language on a platform that he owns was questioned by many, who pointed out that it may spread destructive rhetoric.
Others, on the other hand, defended him, claiming the phrase was a reference to the sarcastic tone of the movie.
The 58-year-old Stiller talked candidly about Tropic Thunder while voicing his skepticism about “edgier comedy” being appropriate in contemporary Hollywood.
“I doubt it,” he remarked. It goes without saying that edgy comedy is simply more difficult to perform in this setting. In terms of the business’s economics, it was definitely not at the scale we made it at.
“I believe we were lucky to make it even at the time, and I really give DreamWorks and Steven Spielberg credit for that.
“After reading it, he said, ‘All right, let’s do this.'” When you consider it, it’s a pretty inward film.
The Dodgeball star cited Downey Jr.’s character Kirk Lazarus, a five-time Academy Award winner and Australian method actor who underwent contentious “pigmentation alteration” surgery to play a black soldier in the movie.
However, he acknowledged that it was quite risky for Robert to portray that character who is portraying an African American character.
Naturally, it was risky even back then. We only tried it because, in my opinion, the joke was so obvious about performers who would stop at nothing to get an Oscar.
To be honest with you, though, I’m not even sure whether I would have dared to do it in this setting. I’m telling the truth.
When a fan on X requested Stiller to quit apologizing for doing this movie last year, the actor replied.
“There are no excuses for Tropic Thunder,” the actor wrote. I’m not sure who said it to you.
Since the film’s debut, it has been a contentious one. I’m proud of it and all the hard work that went into it.
Although Downey Jr.’s performance as the character has drawn considerable criticism over the years, the actor has previously defended the usage of blackface in the movie and was nominated for an Oscar for Best Supporting Actor.
He stated: “There was once an audience, and I’m not implying that they don’t understand anymore; rather, I’m stating that things have become extremely confusing.
“The spirit that Stiller directed and cast and shotTropic Thunderin was, essentially, as a railing against all of these tropes that are not right and (that) had been perpetuated for too long.”
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