We’ve got it wrong about Adam Sandler‘s latest comedy, the Netflix-backed Western/comedy The Ridiculous Six. That’s what the star/co-writer/producer of the film has to say about it, at least. Turns out the film making gags like to walk off set is actually a “pro-Indian movie” and how they’re just “being good people.” There’s also apparently “no mocking.” It appears we’ve been dealing with the next Smoke Signals and we didn’t even have a clue.
It was on the red carpet for this weekend’s Pixels where the exhausted-looking comedian tried to set the record straight. He told the Associated Press the bad word-of-mouth was all “a misunderstanding” and had the following to say to ScreenCrush.
I talked to some of the actors on the set who were there and let them know that the intention of the movie is 100% to just make a funny movie. It’s really about American Indians being good to my character and about their family and just being good people. There’s no mocking of American Indians at all in the movie. It’s a pro-Indian movie. So hopefully when people see it — whoever was offended on set and walked out, I hope they realize that, and that’s it. It was kinda taken out of context.
I think the key phrase here is “kinda taken out of context.” It’s a little contradicting to claim you’re not mocking something at all, yet also say your controversial antics were only sorta put in the wrong light. That said, I believe I understand where Sandler is coming from.
There’s a good chance his streamed movie will play out somewhat similar to 2007’s I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry, where he took a controversial subject, tried to make fun of it with making jabs at gay culture, then by the end tries to teach a half-hearted message on acceptance and whatnot. I haven’t seen Ridiculous Six, of course, to verify this, but it sounds about right. But perpetuating the same stereotypes through half-hearted jokes doesn’t necessarily make things okay, even if you turn around at the end and go, “Don’t worry guys, we’re cool. And also, don’t laugh at these people and their ways of living.”
Ridiculous Six co-star Vanilla Ice also came out to defend the movie as “a comedy” and “I don’t think anybody really had any ill feelings or any intent or anything,” also taking a moment to reveal this “isn’t Dances with Wolves.”
But they’re not the only ones sticking up for the movie. Netflix themselves issued a statement back in April, when the controversy was at its peak, saying “The movie has ridiculous in the title for a reason: because it’s ridiculous. It is a broad satire of Western movies and the stereotypes they popularized featuring a diverse cast that is not only part of — but in on — the joke.” Also, Netflix and Sandler are still working hard with one another, as they’ve just recently started production on their second film alongside one another, The Do-Over, where the latter also stars alongside fellow Ridiculous Six star David Spade.
If it’s not apparent already, I take their words with a grain of salt. Slated for an Oscar-eligible December 11 release, perhaps it’s up to us to figure out where exactly the comedy line it toed on this one. If he turns out to be right, I’ll eat my words. Typically where there’s smoke, though, there’s fire.
