The freedom to offend

Some special interest groups have declared war on “Tropic Thunder,” and it’s gonna get ugly.

The comedy, out this Wednesday, mocks a group of pretentious actors who are shooting a Vietnam War movie on location. Little do they know that they’ve been dropped in an actual war zone – but they think it’s all part of the Hollywood smoke screen.

The comedy includes a white actor (Robert Downey, Jr.) in black face, but several groups who represent the mentally and physically challenged are outraged by the movie’s film within a film – “Simple Jack.” (hat tip: Dirty Harry’s Place)

A boycott is coming to a theater near you.

In “Simple Jack,” Stiller plays the title character, a mentally challenged man whose behavior is ripped right out of the simpleton handbook.

Offensive, right?

But the subplot’s point is to mock Stiller’s character for taking on a role he thinks will earn him an Oscar. Hey, it worked for Dustin Hoffman with “Rain Main,” right? Stiller is the butt of the joke all the way through.

That won’t stop the protests, even though boycotts typically serve as meaty PR for the film in question.

So can we expect Stiller’s Hollywood pals to rally to his defense? Maybe throw the “free speech” card down? Don’t hold your breath. You’ll hear more crickets chirping than actors rushing to the nearest reporter’s notepad to defend their peers – and the ability to create art as they see fit.

Expect some tap dancing by Stiller and co. – and maybe even a PSA or two to smooth things over.

Will be fascinating to see how it all plays out, even though we’ve seen this production before.

UPDATE: Here’s one call to shut the film down for good.

UPDATE 2: The LA Times tracks down a gaggle of film critics, including yours truly, who are standing up for the film.

(Photo: Jack Black, Robert Downey, Jr. and Ben Stiller are hunting fictional Viet Cong soldiers in “Tropic Thunder”)

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