On Friday, we talked about how Native American actors walked off the set of Adam Sandler’s new film, Ridiculous Six. Netflix was dumb enough to pick this movie up after several studios said no (and for good reason). The Native characters were stereotypically drawn and given ridiculous names like “Smoking Fox” and “No Bra,” and the whole movie seemed like an unending trickle of racist jokes against Native women and elders.
There are a few updates. Defamer published parts of the script, and the excerpts are worse than one can imagine. Lots of names like “Sits on Face,” “Raspberry T*ts,” and “Flaming Wolf,” who speaks in broken English. A character jokes about putting the “peepee” in someone’s “teepee.” Netflix originally defended the movie as a “broad satire” in which all characters are in on the joke. The film’s Native American actors obviously disagreed.
Adam Sandler hasn’t said anything about this movie yet. But the movie does have one defender from its cast. Vanilla Ice, who plays Mark Freaking Twain, seems to think that he’s the definitive source on this movie’s offensiveness because he’s part Choctaw. He spoke with TMZ and dropped the following nonsense:
“I don’t think anybody really had any ill feeling or any intent or anything. This movie isn’t Dances With Wolves. It’s a comedy. They’re not there to showcase anything about anybody — they’re just making a funny movie, I think. I don’t have anything to do with it. I just play my part.”
[From TMZ]
So Ice thinks this movie is perfectly cool because it’s only making jokes. This isn’t supposed to be a documentary, you guys. It’s a comedy. Lighten up and play that funky music. Because (as AV Club points out) Vanilla Ice would never participate in the appropriation of anyone’s culture … except when it comes to his own rap career.
Oh, and guess who else stars in Ridiculous Six? Terry Crews! (Dude, I expected so much better from you.)
Photos courtesy of Vanilla Ice on Instagram, Fame/Flynet & WENN
No Terry Crews!!!!
He just takes all the jobs.
I know it’s pretty hard for a black actor, but I wish he said no. He could do so much better *sigh*
Steve Buscemi too, did Sandler deliver his first born? Does he owe him money?
For shame Steve Buscemi!
True Kiddo, he hits it sometimes but he does take a lot of these kinds of roles.
It’s not really an excuse, but he has said that he’s just hustling. I guess he’s goin’ while the goin’ is good, but he should be more selective. He’s hilarious on Brooklyn Nine Nine.
I love him on that show.
Hell I even liked him on White Chicks, it was one of those movies when I lived with my sister we would drunk watch and crack up at him
The most offe.sive part about all of this is Vanilla Ice and Adam Sandler are still working.
Lol
The most offensive part is that anyone calls it a comedy.
Risser Frasser and stuff! Also, his eyebrows didn’t really grow back right, did they?
Whose eyebrows? This deserves investi-mag-ations. Crime tape up.
Banilla Ice’s! Google old pics (if you can be bothered) and you shall see.
Why???? Terry Crews was in Blended he may be a feminist but I’ll never respect him because he plays the most offensive African stereotype in that film.
I think there was more offensive ones, the tour guides, the concierge in the hotel imho.
To be fair I never actually watched the movie I’ve just seen him in African garb (totally non correct I’m sure) singing that dumb ass Blended song with tribal people behind him and thought what an Ahole for doing that when he really should know better and could make money elsewhere .
I’m ashamed to say I watched it on a plane while I was trying to go to sleep (10 hour flight and very little to choose from).
I think Vanilla Ice playing Mark Twain tells us all we need to know about this movie. And why he thinks it can’t be offensive because it’s a comedy is beyond me.
Disappointed in Terry Crews, he knows better.
*like*
Sandler movies have been offensive sine the dawn of the 21st century.
Can south park do something about this?? I’m thinking the bono skit, but more about Sandler making the world actually watch visual sh%$
There is too much irony here to get into so I’ll reduce it to a basic translation:
” a check is a check. Please see my move so I can gain some semblance of relevancy again and maybe have the impetus to release another failed album”
Toody, he has disclaimers and personal separation/distance quotes in there, too:
They’re not there to showcase anything about anybody — they’re just making a funny movie, I think. I don’t have anything to do with it. I just play my part.”
You know a movie truly sucks when a ‘star’, who hasn’t been in the public’s conscientiousness for decades, relinquishes any real connection before the thing is even released.
Such a lame argument – it can’t be offensive because it’s a joke. How does that make sense to anyone?
Totally lame argument, but look at the source! If you’re being defended by Vanilla Ice, you lose by default.
Yes, that was my first thought upon reading the headline…that if Vanilla Ice is defending your film, you really are in a bad place.
Cannot argue with that. Lol
Perhaps Vanilla Ice doesn’t understand the difference between being in on the joke and being the butt of the joke.
And since when has an Adam Sandler movie been funny enough to be referred to as a comedy? Last I checked he has released some of the most heinously unfunny cinematic garbage I’ve ever seen.
I think people have gone insane with PC stuff. I was looking into what the Native Americans complaints were and this is from an interview from “Indian Country TOday”:
“We were supposed to be Apache, but it was really stereotypical and we did not look Apache at all. We looked more like Comanche,” he said. “One thing that really offended a lot of people was that there was a female character called Beaver’s breath. One character says ‘Hey, Beaver’s Breath.’ And the Native woman says, ‘How did you know my name?'”
“They just treated us as if we should just be on the side. When we did speak with the main director, he was trying to say the disrespect was not intentional and this was a comedy.”
-So they looked more like Comanche rather than Apache and it’s a huge insult in a comedy?
They were “treated” like they should be on the side? (they were extras!! that’s how extras are treated!
– they were given offensive names like “Beavers Breath”? (Blazing Saddles and any other Mel Brooks films and /or other comedies could not be made today (AIrplane, Stripes, etc)
I’ve said this before, watching Brooks’ films, you laughed at the stupid stereotypes, watching Sandler’s films, you groan at the stupid movie. Saying something offensive, doesn’t make it a good joke. If it isn’t a good joke, it remains offensive only.
Yes, Brooks was clever in the message, it was mocking stereotypes. Sandler is all fart jokes and saying beaver because he has the mind of a horny 12 year old boy who equates that with being funny.
There’s a finesse Brooks has that makes you see the stereotype for the ridiculousness that it is. Not “tee hee, fake Indian names that sound dirty are funny!” While I agree Blazing Saddles could not be made today, it was offensive in a “if you believe these racist stereotypes are true then you’re the idiot” way, not a blatant “let’s make fun of this culture for the sake of making fun of it” way.
Thanks Wren & Lindy79, you articulated that much better than I could.
Thanks folks for the intelligent insights. This movie sounds atrocious. Even 12-year-olds deserve better. Adam Sandler is a father; is this how he raises his kids?
Mel Brooks turned film stereotypes upside down and inside out (“What’s a dazzling urbanite like you doing in a place like this?”). His satire had a little bit of shock value. Adam Sandler rolls in stereotypes like a pig in… It’s so predictable. He must have found F-Troop to be the height of comedic genius.
Mel Brooks’ films are satire and make fun of the the people who are ignorant/bigoted.
I don’t want to make assumptions here. Perhaps you were raised on a reservation? But I think that the only people who should freely express outrage over things being “too PC nowadays” are members of the group being maligned. That doesn’t mean that someone is 1/68th Choctaw. That means someone who has actually experienced the true difficulties and challenges of growing up oppressed because of their heritage.
As someone who grew up as a middle-class white kid in middle America, I’m not about to tell Native Peoples, African Americans, Asians, etc to get a grip and stop being so PC about everything.
Vanilla Ice is a wannabe no blood in that cone comes from any First Nation, Ice is Dutch and German his linage is available online. This demoralizing piece of racist crap is having a horrible impact – the defenders of this pathetic attempt on satire are spreading their filthy views of who we are as a people. It is emotionally exhausting to defend my history, my family and to ensure my granddaughters believe they are equal – it is heartbreaking to know my granddaughter is not invited to birthday parties or no one shows up for her birthday because parents or her peers believe she’s a dirty Indian. This type of “entertainment” reinforces the horrible stereotypes – perhaps someone should have sat down Sandler and showed him the documentary Reel Injun or the aftermath of a racist attack in the NFB film “For Angela” – just for the record – not one of my ancestors were on welfare, not one of my family depended on the government for support. Our names have been the brunt of jokes for years I have a name and mine is not connected to a body function..I am “She who walks in the east” an honourable name #NotyourhollywoodIndian.
Rosalee,
I wish that there was a like button for your comment. It hurts my heart to hear about your granddaughter. I don’t want else to say…there is nothing else. This film is SO disrespectful on so many levels. Clearly Terry Crews should no better but doesn’t. And Adam Sandler, who is Jewish, I would hope be more sensitive to cultural stereotypes since he belongs to a group which has also been subjected to so many harmful ones.
I’m Jewish, and TBH, I’m embarrassed that Sandler is Jewish too. His only good contribution to our culture was giving us a Chanukah Song.
I know! His Chanukah song was gently humorous and became a minor classic (well, in certain circles). The CD with it was titled “What the hell happened to me?” Well, what the hell happened to him?
Your comment is very enlightening and emotional at the same time. Thanks for sharing.
I wish everyone who says the world has gotten insanely PC could read your post. It’s about real people, and real feelings. Thanks for sharing.
What did the Native Americans expect the movie to be? A classic? It’s Adam Sandler!
I can’t believe the was a time when Vanilla Ice was considered cool
Um, how about expecting it to not be a racist piece of crap for starters? It doesn’t have to be a classic, just not wholly offensive and ignorant.
There’s a difference between being in on the joke and being the butt of the joke. The script was using the native’s culture to make racist, stereotypical “Indian” jokes. Some of the actors walked out, they have every right to. The world doesn’t need more racist trash about First Nations people.
On the actors’ Instagram pages you can read all the nice little racist comments from white people who are upset the actors didn’t agree with the script; clearly the actors walking out was needed. White people (yes, it’s always white people) want PoC to be complacent with the abuse that is thrown at them.
#notyourhollywoodindian
You gotta know your career is really starting to swirl around the drain when Vanilla Ice is the only one stepping up to defend your honor
I trust Vanilla Ice’s views on comedy, he’s been a joke for the better part of 25 years, hasn’t he?
I don’t see how Adam Sandler could be so clueless. It was not that long ago that No Doubt had to pull their video depicting themselves as Native Americans. There was an interesting NPR report in 2008 about how the “Sixteen Candles” character of “Long Duk Dong” impacted Asian American teens. It seems we haven’t learned much since 1984.
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=88591800
What dirt does Adam Sandler have on Hollywood producers? His movies suck and they are financial desasters. Why is he still getting work? Whyyyyy,
shut-up VI you have a soul patch – your authority on any subject is not valid.