‘Tropic Thunder’ Director Ben Stiller Stands Up To Cancel Culture: “I Make No Apologies”

Tropic Thunder seems to always stir up a new controversy on the internet in some way or another, but even 15 years after its release, creator Ben Stiller continues to stand by his infamous movie. 

In a tweet posted to his account on Tuesday (Feb. 21), Stiller — who directed and co-wrote the film — proudly defended his 2008 comedy and denied rumors that he has apologized for any of its off-color jokes.

“I make no apologies for Tropic Thunder,” he tweeted. “It’s always been a controversial movie since when we opened. Proud of it and the work everyone did on it.”

He was replying to a tweet from user @BennySings, who told Stiller to “stop apologizing for doing this movie.”

I make no apologies for Tropic Thunder. Don’t know who told you that. It’s always been a controversial movie since when we opened. Proud of it and the work everyone did on it. 🙏✊😊

— Ben Stiller (@BenStiller) February 21, 2023

While Stiller denied making apologies for his work, one Twitter sleuth dug up a 2018 tweet from the actor in which he acknowledged that he did apologize upon the movie’s release.

“Actually Tropic Thunder was boycotted 10 years ago when it came out, and I apologized then,” Stiller wrote at the time. “It was always meant to make fun of actors trying to do anything to win awards. In the same tweet, he asserted that he continues to “stand by” the apology and the movie.

Actually Tropic Thunder was boycotted 10 years ago when it came out, and I apologized then. It was always meant to make fun of actors trying to do anything to win awards. I stand by my apology, the movie, Shaun White, And the great people and work of the @SpecialOlympics. https://t.co/RqID5jIXP1

— Ben Stiller (@BenStiller) October 30, 2018

If you’re wondering what all the buzz is about, anyway, here’s a quick summary: people have taken issue with Stiller’s portrayal of a character with disabilities, plus Robert Downey Jr.’s role as an Australian actor who undergoes “pigmentation alteration” to play a Black character in the film. 

Disability groups called for a national boycott of Tropic Thunder prior to its release in 2008, citing issues with the film’s use of hate speech and Stiller’s character. DreamWorks spokesperson Chip Sullivan released a statement at the time that described the film as “an R-rated comedy that satirizes Hollywood and its excesses” by “featuring inappropriate and over-the-top characters in ridiculous situations.”

But Sullivan maintained that “the film is in no way meant to disparage or harm the image of individuals with disabilities.”

As for Downey, he addressed the controversy himself in 2020 when he appeared on The Joe Rogan Experience. He said at the time, “It was impossible to not have it be an offensive nightmare of a movie, and 90 percent of my black friends are like, ‘Dude, that was great.'” 

After noting that other actors also passed on the controversial role, Downey said that he chose to listen to his heart when he began to feel hesitant.

“My heart is, a) I get to be black for a summer in my mind, so there’s something in it for me,” he told Rogan. “The other thing is, I get to hold up to nature the insane self-involved hypocrisy of artists and what they think they’re allowed to do on occasion — just my opinion.”

“Not in my defense, but Tropic Thunder was about how wrong that is,” Downey said in the same interview.

Tropic Thunder always seems to cycle back into the cultural discourse every year or so as people grapple with its comedic legacy. But 15 years later, Stiller refuses to budge.