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August 13, 2008 Dear COPAA Members –
I viewed the film in one of the advance screenings. On a personal level, I must say that I found the film to be nothing short of disgusting. Our coalition members who have also seen the film agree that there are several scenes of significant concern; and that overall the satire Simple Jack permeates the plot in a way that is harmful to people with disabilities. The film is demeaning and provides ample ammunition for bullying. The film has “catch phrases” that will long out live the film. These mean phrases have significant potential to find their way into the slang lexicon of America. Stiller clearly understands that humor at the expense of others only has a chance to be considered funny, not offensive, when one adheres to the "nothing about me without me" principle. Unfortunately he does not follow suit in regards to individuals with disabilities, and thereby makes perhaps his greatest blunder. The Coalition has been in dialogue with DreamWorks for the past two weeks, and the demands made spanned a range from apology, to fixing the film before release or DVD release, to producing a national educational campaign, to leading an initiative with other studios to address the problem more broadly. DreamWorks continues to dialogue with our coalition regarding what they propose to do to address the harm created by this movie. COPAA sincerely thanks all of the members of the national coalition for coming together in a powerful way to address this issue. We specifically thank The Arc, Special Olympics, AAPD, Self-Advocates Becoming Empowered, and local chapters of People First for their leadership, expenditure of enormous amounts of resources, and mobilization of vast networks in a quick and effective manner. We have signed onto the Statement of Support and Solidarity and urge all of you to participate in protest of this movie. Here are just some of the ways in which you can participate:
Resources:
For more information visit one of these links:
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As you know COPAA is a member of the national coalition regarding the DreamWorks film “Tropic Thunder,” by and staring Ben Stiller due for release today. The concern about the movie is the use of the “r” word and inclusion of a satire about people with intellectual disabilities called Simple Jack. People with disabilities deserve only one "R" word – RESPECT. 
