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mellowtiggerThere was some excitement several weeks ago as the movie "Tropic Thunder" was released. The hoopla centered on the use of the word "retarded" and how people who are mentally retarded are portrayed in the movie. I tried to stay out of the controversy. I understood that the movie was meant to be a satire, and so it would likely make use of controversial issues in order to make a point to society at large. I was hopeful that Tropic Thunder could make that leap of understanding.
I joined the local Bears last night for dinner and then a trip to a local drive-in theater. The movies at the theater were "House Bunny", "Tropic Thunder", and "Step Brothers". I'd never have paid to see any of them normally, but it seemed like a good excuse to go out and experience at least a little bit of social exposure, so I went last night to watch all 3 movies.
Tropic Thunder had a few amusing moments, but overall it didn't really work for me as satire. The use of the word retarded still came across as a synonym for stupid. That's not what the word means. The word actually has a very useful and descriptive meaning, but stupid is not it.
This image is one person's representation (not my original creation) of how 3 kinds of people can develop in various skills by age 20. The typical person follows the top line of development. The vertical dots represent the sequence of skills that are learned in order to reach the pinnacle of mastery by age 20.
A mentally retarded person will follow the same pattern of development. Their pattern, though, is literally retarded. It is slowed down. Otherwise, though, it is the same pattern as that of a typical person. Retarded is an accurate word. "Slow" is not the same as stupid. It just means that it takes longer to acquire the same skills.
An autistic person, though, shows a much more "scattershot" pattern of development. This person will seem quite skilled in some areas and quite unskilled in others. Just as important as peak performances, though, is the method of acquiring those skills. Notice that the vertical dots expose gaps. (You may have to click the image for the larger version. I didn't make the open circles large enough to show well at this resolution.)
The autistic person will make leaps of understanding to higher levels of performance without having mastered what are normally considered the intermediate and necessary skills. These gaps show why some autistics can seem superficially to be very "high functioning", if you briefly encounter them and notice only their highest level of mastery in the various axes of development. Closer familiarity, though, will reveal the gaps of understanding beneath those peaks of function.
So... Tropic Thunder. It doesn't do anything to explain the concept of retardation and how it can be a normal state of development for someone. The movie does do a little better on issues of race. It might actually work as satire for racial issues. But not for retardation. The one insight it seemed to offer was that actors who go "full retard" in a role don't really win any acknowledgement for their effort, but the ones who go "half retard" do. Maybe that observation is meant to reveal how uncomfortable society is with this issue. I think that was its point. If so, then I think it is a useful point.
Overall, though, I find the earlier hoopla over this movie to be justified. Tropic Thunder does not successfully satirize retardation; the movie uses it for amusement value.
I joined the local Bears last night for dinner and then a trip to a local drive-in theater. The movies at the theater were "House Bunny", "Tropic Thunder", and "Step Brothers". I'd never have paid to see any of them normally, but it seemed like a good excuse to go out and experience at least a little bit of social exposure, so I went last night to watch all 3 movies.
Tropic Thunder had a few amusing moments, but overall it didn't really work for me as satire. The use of the word retarded still came across as a synonym for stupid. That's not what the word means. The word actually has a very useful and descriptive meaning, but stupid is not it.
This image is one person's representation (not my original creation) of how 3 kinds of people can develop in various skills by age 20. The typical person follows the top line of development. The vertical dots represent the sequence of skills that are learned in order to reach the pinnacle of mastery by age 20.A mentally retarded person will follow the same pattern of development. Their pattern, though, is literally retarded. It is slowed down. Otherwise, though, it is the same pattern as that of a typical person. Retarded is an accurate word. "Slow" is not the same as stupid. It just means that it takes longer to acquire the same skills.
An autistic person, though, shows a much more "scattershot" pattern of development. This person will seem quite skilled in some areas and quite unskilled in others. Just as important as peak performances, though, is the method of acquiring those skills. Notice that the vertical dots expose gaps. (You may have to click the image for the larger version. I didn't make the open circles large enough to show well at this resolution.)
The autistic person will make leaps of understanding to higher levels of performance without having mastered what are normally considered the intermediate and necessary skills. These gaps show why some autistics can seem superficially to be very "high functioning", if you briefly encounter them and notice only their highest level of mastery in the various axes of development. Closer familiarity, though, will reveal the gaps of understanding beneath those peaks of function.
So... Tropic Thunder. It doesn't do anything to explain the concept of retardation and how it can be a normal state of development for someone. The movie does do a little better on issues of race. It might actually work as satire for racial issues. But not for retardation. The one insight it seemed to offer was that actors who go "full retard" in a role don't really win any acknowledgement for their effort, but the ones who go "half retard" do. Maybe that observation is meant to reveal how uncomfortable society is with this issue. I think that was its point. If so, then I think it is a useful point.
Overall, though, I find the earlier hoopla over this movie to be justified. Tropic Thunder does not successfully satirize retardation; the movie uses it for amusement value.
no subject
Date: 2008-Sep-21, Sunday 09:05 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-Sep-22, Monday 03:59 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-Sep-21, Sunday 10:24 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-Sep-21, Sunday 11:29 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-Sep-22, Monday 04:04 pm (UTC)If there were any way at all of determining what a person's maximum ability would be during their lifetime, then I suppose failing to reach that pinnacle could be considered stupidity. But then, the movie Gattaca had pretty good commentary about the dangers of defining such limits. "What if somebody exceeds their (genetic) potential?"
Maybe stupid is willfully choosing ignorance on a matter. Maybe that's a useful working definition.
Tropic Thunder
Date: 2008-Sep-22, Monday 03:01 am (UTC)Thanks.
Re: Tropic Thunder
Date: 2008-Sep-22, Monday 04:07 pm (UTC)Yes, Jon Stewart's two-faced tv persona bothers me too. He talks about "retarded" stuff and "that's so gay" too. He should know better, I think.