Robert Downey Jr. Defends Controversial Appearance in Tropic Thunder

The Controversial Appearance in Tropic Thunder

Robert Downey Jr. has defended his controversial appearance in Ben Stiller's directed comedy film Tropic Thunder. When it comes to comedy films in the early to late 2000s, the biggest trope was shock value as each movie tried to one-up each other. From American Pie to Step Brothers, each comedy film in that era had something that shocked audiences and 2008's Tropic Thunder was no exception. The film, starring Ben Stiller, Jack Black, and Robert Downey Jr., had a ton of outrageous moments within it, but none so much as Downey Jr.'s appearance in blackface, which the actor has recently spoken out in defense of.

Robert Downey Jr as Tony Stark in Iron Man

Marvel EntertainmentRobert Downey Jr first stepped into the role of Tony Stark with the MCU's first feature film, Iron Man, in 2008.

Downey Jr.'s Defense and Explanation

The actor recently appeared on Rob Lowe's Literally! podcast as part of his Oppenheimer awards campaign trail. During his appearance, Downey Jr. touched upon his Tropic Thunder role as Kirk Lazarus, an Australian method actor who controversially underwent 'pigmentation alteration' surgery to temporarily darken his skin for his portrayal of the black character. While many have voiced criticism towards the actor for doing blackface in the modern era, Downey Jr. was sure to explain that he never saw the role that way.

'The spirit that [Ben] Stiller directed and cast and shot Tropic Thunder in was, essentially, as a railing against all of these tropes that are not right and [that] had been perpetuated for too long,' Downey Jr. said. 'I was looking back at All in the Family, and they had a little disclaimer that they were running at the beginning of the show. People should look it up, exactly what it is, because it is an antidote to this clickbait addiction to grievance that [people seem] to have with everything these days.'

All in the Family and Social Commentary

All in the Family, a sitcom which ran from 1971 1979, began with a disclaimer that read: 'The program you are about to see is All in the Family. It seeks to throw a humorous spotlight on our frailties, prejudices, and concerns. By making them a source of laughter, we hope to show in a mature fashion just how absurd they are.' The main character of Archie Bunker (Carroll O'Connor) was known as a bit ignorant in his beliefs when the series began, but came around to a new way of thinking when faced with issues brought up by marginalized people. All in the Family broke ground in US television with its depiction of issues previously considered taboo for a network television comedy, such as racism, LGBT rights women's liberation, and more.