Did Adam Sandler go too far with his latest, Netflix-backed comedy The Ridiculous Six. Approximately a dozen Native-American actors on the project believe as much, as they walked off the set of the Happy Madison production when jokes taking offense to their culture, women and elders crossed their line of decency.
The report, provided by Indian Country Today Media Network, notes the actors were disgruntled by jokes directed towards characters called “Beaver’s Breath” and “No Bra” that “grossly misrepresented” Apache culture in Sandler and Tim Herlihy‘s screenplay. Initially, these actors’ involvement had the security of a Native American cultural advisor assigned to the picture, but he left Sandler’s comedy too this Wednesday.
Apparently, things began to get tense this Monday, when culture attire deemed inappropriate was assigned to the performers. When these actors addressed their concerns to the producers, they were told, “If you guys are so sensitive, you should leave.” Sure enough, they ended up taking their considerations to heart.
Speaking to Vulture, a spokesperson from Netflix addressed the issue with the following statement:
The movie has ridiculous in the title for a reason: because it is 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.
Of course, Sandler built his career on comedies poking fun at cultures, races and genders outside Sandler’s own, and in turn, Sandler knows how to take a joke himself. Without reading the screenplay, it’s hard to tell how appropriate these actions were, but there does seem to be some offense earned if these reports are as truthful as they seem. Also, it’s not much of a stretch to imagine these jokes in a Sandler farce, Netflix-guided or not.
There’s something inherently troubling about this multi-million project making tired jokes on a minority notorious for how their picked on by their country. This is a race that still fights, to this day, to live in a country where a football team is not called the Redskins. Sandler’s lowbrow humor certainly adds insult to injury in that regard, and it’s not as though fans accept him the way they used to with open arms.
With that, is this truly the point where Sandler went too far? It’s hard to say. It’s not the end of his career, but it does demonstrate a performer hell-bent to stay true to his conventions, insulting as they may be or not. More importantly, will this publicity continue to alienate Ridiculous Six or give it more viewers? That’s a question to be answered in the months to come.
