“Iron Man” actor Robert Downey Jr. has long defended his performance in Ben Stiller’s 2008 comedy “Tropic Thunder,” in which he was cast as an egotistical Australian thespian who undergoes “pigmentation alteration” surgery to darken his skin for the purpose of portraying a Black soldier in a war film. In recent years, Downey Jr. has faced criticism for his performance as Blackface in the film, but the actor has never responded positively to the criticism.
Downey Jr. distinguished himself from Norman Lear’s iconic sitcom “All in the Family” during an appearance on Rob Lowe’s “Literally!” podcast while campaigns for the “Oppenheimer” awards. He compared “Tropic Thunder.” He stated that both works expose “erroneous tropes that have been perpetuated for far too long” and have been criticized by those who fail to see the big picture.
“When I reflected on ‘All in the Family,’ they had a small disclaimer at the beginning of the show,” Downey Jr. said of the backlash the Lear sitcom received for addressing social issues such as racism in a manner never before seen on network television. “Because it is an antidote to this clickbait addiction to grievance that [people] seem to have with everything these days, it is recommended that individuals look it up, precisely as it is.”
The “All in the Family” disclaimer stated, “You are about to view the program ‘All in the Family.'” It attempts to illuminate our frailties, prejudices, and concerns in a humorous manner. By rendering them amusing, we aim to demonstrate, in a mature manner, precisely how implausible they are.”
“The language communicated, ‘Hey, this is the rationale behind our engagement in activities that, in isolation, could be dissected and deemed improper and undesirable.'” Jr. Downey continued. “Audiences once had an understanding; I do not mean to imply that they no longer have an understanding; rather, I am stating that the situation has become extremely murky. “‘Tropic Thunder’ was essentially directed, cast, and shot with [Ben] Stiller as a protest against all of these inappropriate and long-standing stereotypes.”
Downey Jr. reminisced in a 2020 episode of “The Joe Rogan Experience” podcast that his mother was “horrified” upon learning of his participation in “Tropic Thunder.” “Bobby, I’m telling you, I have a bad feeling about this,” his mother advised him.
Downey Jr. stated at the time that although he had a negative vibe about “Tropic Thunder” and the potential backlash it could generate, he couldn’t help but think to himself, “I get to witness firsthand the self-centered insanity of artists and what they occasionally believe they’re permitted to do.”
