Update: Gawker has obtained an early draft of the script for The Ridiculous Six from 2012 and highlighted many of the jokes that caused Native American actors to walk off set on Wednesday. Although the version Gawker has is from 2012, it appears that many of the lines remain unchanged since then, as several of them were cited in Indian Country Today's article.
"The film only returns to scenes involving Native Americans intermittently, but nearly every single one features blockheaded riffing on demeaning stereotypes," Gawker noted about the script. There's a line where a character named Will Patch says to a female named Sits-on-Face (which may have been changed to No Bra in the current shooting script), "Say, honey: how about after this, we go some place and I put my peepee in your teepee?"
Basically, it's the sophomoric and juvenile humor we've all come to expect from Adam Sandler movies, but with a heavy dash of cultural insensitivity. You can read more jokes, which an 8-year-old who's never been taught about tolerance and respect might find funny, here.
The following post was published on April 23, 2015:
According to a new report, approximately a dozen Native American actors walked off the set of Adam Sandler's latest movie yesterday. "The actors, who were primarily from the Navajo nation, left the set after the satirical western's script repeatedly insulted native women and elders and grossly misrepresented Apache culture," Indian Country Today Media Network wrote. The film, which is called The Ridiculous Six, is intended to be a spoof of The Magnificent Seven. The actors who walked off set, many of whom are members of the Navajo Nation, claimed that even though the movie is intended to be a comedy, it is negligent and offensive in its portrayal of the Apache and insulting to women. One such example is a joke using fake Native names such as Beaver's Breath and No Bra. There's also an issue with costume accuracy. "We were supposed to be Apache, but it was really stereotypical and we did not look Apache at all. We looked more like Comanche," Loren Anthony, a member of the Navajo Nation, told ICTMN. The actors also claimed that prior to the walk-off, they had been repeatedly marginalized and disrespected on set. When they brought up issues with the costume details and the script, producers spoke down to them and weren't receptive to changes. A spokesperson for Netflix, which is financing the film with Sandler's Happy Madison Productions, defended The Ridiculous Six to Deadline. "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." Producers have called the actors and consultants who walked off set on Wednesday back. One consultant, David Hill, who is Choctaw, seemed optimistic. "I hope they will listen to us," he told ICTMN. "We understand this is a comedy, we understand this is humor, but we won’t tolerate disrespect." Loren Anthony has been sharing photos from the set on Instagram, including the below shot of Adam Sandler in costume. (ICTMN)
According to a new report, approximately a dozen Native American actors walked off the set of Adam Sandler's latest movie yesterday. "The actors, who were primarily from the Navajo nation, left the set after the satirical western's script repeatedly insulted native women and elders and grossly misrepresented Apache culture," Indian Country Today Media Network wrote. The film, which is called The Ridiculous Six, is intended to be a spoof of The Magnificent Seven. The actors who walked off set, many of whom are members of the Navajo Nation, claimed that even though the movie is intended to be a comedy, it is negligent and offensive in its portrayal of the Apache and insulting to women. One such example is a joke using fake Native names such as Beaver's Breath and No Bra. There's also an issue with costume accuracy. "We were supposed to be Apache, but it was really stereotypical and we did not look Apache at all. We looked more like Comanche," Loren Anthony, a member of the Navajo Nation, told ICTMN. The actors also claimed that prior to the walk-off, they had been repeatedly marginalized and disrespected on set. When they brought up issues with the costume details and the script, producers spoke down to them and weren't receptive to changes. A spokesperson for Netflix, which is financing the film with Sandler's Happy Madison Productions, defended The Ridiculous Six to Deadline. "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." Producers have called the actors and consultants who walked off set on Wednesday back. One consultant, David Hill, who is Choctaw, seemed optimistic. "I hope they will listen to us," he told ICTMN. "We understand this is a comedy, we understand this is humor, but we won’t tolerate disrespect." Loren Anthony has been sharing photos from the set on Instagram, including the below shot of Adam Sandler in costume. (ICTMN)