Tropic Thunder: Why RDJ’s Blackface Wasn’t Controversial

2008’s Tropic Thunder saw an RDJ blackface character, yet surprisingly this didn’t receive a major backlash or cause any real controversy for Robert Downey Jr. or the movie. Director Ben Stiller plays Tugg Speedman, a washed-up action star actor struggling to transition into more dramatic roles. His hopes for a career revival rest on the shoulders of the fictional movie-within-the-movie, Tropic Thunder. He decides the best way to reclaim his stardom is by the use of blackface — a decision that caused controversy both within the movie and the real world.