BEN STILLER SPEAKS OUT ABOUT BOYCOTTS OF HIS FLICKTROPIC THUNDER

Tropic Thunder director and star Ben Stiller, has spoken out about recent criticism that the movie depicts a negative portrayal of those with mental handicaps.
"It's sort of edgy territory, but we felt that as long as the focus was on the actors who were trying to do something to be taken seriously that's going too far or wrong, that was where the humor would come from," Stiller, 42, told MTV on Monday. "[The joke is on] actors reaching for roles in terms of hopefully winning awards."
Twenty-two disability groups are protesting Tropic Thunder.
"Some people have taken this as making fun of handicapped people, but we're really trying to make fun of the actors who use this material as fodder for acclaim," co-writer Etan Cohen told MTV. "The last thing you want is for people to think you're making fun of the victims in this who are having their lives turned into fodder for people to win Oscar."
Peter Wheeler, a spokesman for the Special Olympics is urging people to boycott the movie.
"We are asking people not to go to the movie and hope to bring a consciousness to people about using derogatory words about this population," Wheeler told Reuters. "That will be the start of a nationwide protest. We will continue to be vocal about the destructive effect of this film."
Chip Sullivan, a spokesman for DreamWorks said: "We have had productive discussions with representatives of disability advocacy organizations and look forward to working with them closely in the future. However no changes or cuts to the film will be made."
He added, "Tropic Thunder is an R-rated comedy that satirizes Hollywood and its excesses, and makes its point by featuring inappropriate and over-the top characters in ridiculous situations. The film is in no way meant
to disparage or harm the image of individuals with disabilities."
The flick, which opens August 13, stars Ben Stiller, Jack Black, Tom Cruise and Robert Downey, Jr.
Stiller recently revealed that he was "blown away" by Downey Jr.
"I started trying to copy him," the comic told Playboy. "It was like, 'Wow, this guy's a genius; maybe if I do what he does, I'll be a genius too!'"
Stiller joked: "If he had spun around and thrown oat bran at the moon, I'd have run out, bought some oat bran and started spinning. I want to look like I'm as big a genius as he is."
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