Joshua Goldman
Joshua Goldman
min read · October 12, 2025 · Entertainment

Ben Stiller: 'Tropic Thunder' Too Risky for Today's Comedy Scene

Ben Stiller has admitted that he doubts several of his popular comedy films from the 2000s would be able to be made today (pictured last week)

Ben Stiller's Dirty Secrets: The Comedian Who Can't Stop, Won't Stop Making Movies That Are "Offensive"

The 2000s were a wild time for comedy, and Ben Stiller was right in the middle of it all. The 59-year-old actor, director, and writer has just come clean about his biggest hits from that era - and let's just say he's not proud of some of them.

In an explosive interview with The Sunday Times, Ben dished about how the landscape of comedy has changed since the early 2000s. He admitted that many of the "landmines" (his words) that littered his biggest hits would never fly today.

Ben directed, co-wrote and starred in 2008 comedy, Tropic Thunder, about a group of hapless actors who are forced to fend for themselves after getting lost while filming a war movie on location in Vietnamese jungle (pictured in film)

Tropic Thunder: A Movie That Shouldn't Have Been Made

We're talking about Tropic Thunder, the 2008 comedy that co-starred Robert Downey Jr., Jack Black, Tom Cruise, and Matthew McConaughey. On paper, it sounds like a laugh-out-loud romp through the Vietnamese jungle - but in reality, it's a minefield of problematic jokes.

Ben confessed to The Sunday Times that he knew the film was "dicey" even at the time, thanks to its racist overtones and demeaning depictions of people with disabilities. He specifically referenced the character of Simple Jack, an intellectually disabled farm boy played by him, which sparked a coalition of more than 20 disability advocacy groups.

Robert Downey Jr.'s famously 'dicey' role in the movie saw his character donning blackface under the guise of a fictional procedure called 'pigmentation alteration' (seen)

"It wasn't just Twitter that killed it," Ben said wryly. "The instant reactivity can now just kill."

But here's the thing: Ben has never apologized for Tropic Thunder - and he still won't. In fact, he proudly defended his film on X (formerly known as Twitter) in 2023.

"I make no apologies for Tropic Thunder," he tweeted to a fan begging him to stop apologizing. "Don’t know who told you that."

Discussing the action flick and his 2001 hit, Zoolander (pictured) - which he also directed, co-wrote and starred in, Ben acknowledged that similar movies were less common today

The Birth of Edginess

Ben's admission is nothing short of astonishing, considering the movie was still making waves even after its release. And it gets even juicier: Ben said that the advent of Twitter in 2009 changed everything.

"It changed everything," he said. "People have an immediate response to share their displeasure."

Speaking about the number of jokes that would be deemed too offensive today, Ben described them as 'landmines everywhere', and specifically referenced the character of Simple Jack, an intellectually disabled farm boy he plays in Tropic Thunder (pictured)

The Dark Side of Comedy

Ben has always been known for pushing boundaries, but Tropic Thunder takes the cake (or should we say, it takes the landmine?). The movie's most egregious offense? Robert Downey Jr.'s character donning blackface under the guise of a "pigmentation alteration" procedure.

It was a joke that even Robert himself later admitted was "terrible." In an interview with The Joe Rogan Experience in 2020, he said: "I thought: 'Yeah, I’ll do that. I’ll do that after Iron Man'. And then I started thinking, 'This is a terrible idea.'"

Last year, Ben admitted that he doubted a film like Tropic Thunder would have been greenlit today, claiming 'edgier' comedy is now 'just harder to do' (L-R Jay Baruchel, Brandon T. Jackson, Ben Stiller, Robert Downey Jr, Jack Black in film)

The Problem with Studios

Ben's comments come at a time when the entertainment industry is grappling with its own reckoning. Studios are under pressure to greenlight films that won't offend anyone - and Ben has taken issue with this approach.

"You're more trepidatious, and there's no denying the environment is more volatile," he said of today's comedy landscape. "But when studios keep saying no, creatives will stop trying and pivot to movies they think will get made, and that’s awful."

In other words, Ben believes that comedians are too scared to take risks anymore - and it's stifling creativity.

The Final Verdict

Ben Stiller may not be apologizing for Tropic Thunder anytime soon, but his comments have sparked a much-needed conversation about the state of comedy today. Love him or hate him, one thing is certain: Ben Stiller is still making waves in Hollywood - even if they're not always laughs.

As he said himself: "I doubt [Tropic Thunder] would be made today." Well, maybe it's time for a new era of edgy comedies to take center stage. After all, as the great philosopher (and comedian) once said: "Dying is easy; comedy is hard."

References:

  • The Sunday Times
  • The Joe Rogan Experience