FSR’s Neil Miller Joins Tropic Thunder Debate at CNN

Posted by Cole Abaius (cole.abaius@filmschoolrejects.com) on August 13, 2008

While the Olympics has inspired our very own Executive Editor Neil Miller to do the first push-up he’s done in twelve years, it only took a call from CNN to get him to write his second opinion piece in one week regarding Tropic Thunder and the groups boycotting the film because of its depiction of the cognitively disabled.

“Everyone has a right to be offended and to speak out against such an offense. The real issue concerning this debacle is whether groups should be drumming up public outrage and making outlandish demands of a Hollywood studio based on a movie, especially one that is clearly a parody of the Hollywood system itself. The answer is no.”

His article is featured as a counterpoint to Chairman of The Special Olympics Timothy Shriver’s piece calling for Paramount and theaters to pull the film and for audiences to avoid it.

Be sure to check out Shriver’s article and read Neil’s fightin’ words. Also be sure to let your own voice be heard, whether you’ve got a burning opinion about the film, the boycott, or about the picture of Neil that accompanies his article. Nothing spells “legitimate journalist” like aviators, right?

We here at Film School Rejects are really proud of Neil, who is probably still passed out from doing that push-up. Hopefully he wakes up before we eat the cake we bought him.

Hate mail and work out advice may be sent to editors@filmschoolrejects.com.

Also, for those interested, CNN posted this report from last night’s Tropic Thunder premiere in Los Angeles:

| | Read more articles by Cole Abaius