Comments on: Once Upon A Time There Was A Retard….

By: Streaky McShorts

Streaky McShorts — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 16:20:46 +0000

I think you’re all retards.

By: James

James — Mon, 25 Aug 2008 18:01:42 +0000

Okay you are offended, but you do not have the right to ban any for of expression or any word. There is a reason free speech is protected by most western countries and that is if you ban even one word you set a dangerous president as you are effectively controlling an individuals right to free thought.

You all have the right to protest your views for/against something, the right to try to educate others and the right to leave a theater if offended but NEVER the right to tell others what they are allowed to see.

By: Chalkie2000

Chalkie2000 — Fri, 15 Aug 2008 18:10:23 +0000

Wow. You really didn’t get it. Ben Stiller is not poking fun at the mentally challenged, he is poking fun at pretentious actors who would arrogantly attempt to portray a mentally challenged individual in a vain attempt to be recognized as an oscar worthy actor.

Oh and also you must be aware that any attempt to publicly boycott this film will only result in a higher interest for it and will only serve to propel it to number one faster. Whereas if you had been able to shrug it off the film and offending word would have been forgotten much more quickly.

By: Scattered Mom

Scattered Mom — Fri, 15 Aug 2008 15:28:26 +0000

You can show your support against the use of the r-word by going here and getting a button for you blog…

http://www.r-word.org/

By: JJ

JJ — Fri, 15 Aug 2008 02:47:01 +0000

Thanks for taking a stand against this wretched movie. I have been encouraged that so many have responded positively to our protest. Yes, some
people are clueless and prefer to remain that way, but most people can see the harm in hate speech if we help them to see the impact it has on those targeted by that speech. Please keep up the good work.

By: Suzie

Suzie — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 22:45:50 +0000

Thank you for the addresses! I have written a letter but the websites of Dreamworks and Paramount have no place for comments or addresses to send things to. I wonder why?

By: Joe

Joe — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 22:27:31 +0000

Exactly what I was afraid of the minute I learned my grandson has DS: A cruel word in many respects, insensitive and ignorant, with too many enablers of the long term misuse of the term, which I hesitate to even spell out.

Joe

By: Sheri

Sheri — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 17:30:32 +0000

As a mom of a DD labeled as mentally retarded, I agree that it is inappropriate, insensitive and sad that the movie and shirts were even made. I certainly will not see the movie and am disappointed in Ben Stiller, et al. Though I am not really offended by the word retard, even when used derogatorily, because I know what my child is and how amazing she is despite any disabilities she has. She will have to deal with insensitive, unaware, unintelligent people all her life, so I take every opportunity to tell her and anyone else that will listen that she is amazing (even just being alive, let alone the other things she can do). To anyone who looks down on or mocks my daughter or anyone who is mentally challenged I say – “she has a brain injury – what’s your excuse?”

And the truth of the matter is that some will think that using that word and that plot point in that movie is funny and not making fun of the mentally challenged, because they don’t get the hurtfulness of it. They may even think, like above, that it is somehow helping the society’s view of the intellectually disabled. It is not helping – helping is respecting, accepting, loving and caring for them.

Tammy, thank you for your post and I wish the best to you and your family, especially Parker.

By: Chris (Nana's mom)

Chris (Nana's mom) — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 12:12:39 +0000

Great post as usual, Tammy. My favorite line was that Parker had to fight for life- he shouldn’t have to fight for acceptance. Amen.

By: Susan

Susan — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 05:39:56 +0000

@Jules, (this is Susan here… one of the writers here at 5 Minutes for Mom)

Tammy and the rest of us understand very clearly that the movie intended to make fun of Hollywood actors and that “the entire movie is a parody of the stupid things that actors will do to obtain a gold statuette.”

The problem is that while using satire to make their point about stupid actors, they used hateful language and vulgar humor to make fun of innocent people.

The laughs are at the expense of the intellectually disabled as well as at actors. And the problem is that the intellectually disabled cannot afford to have those blows against them, whereas actors are at no risk of suffering.