Recommendations of the Editorial team
Ben Stiller has vented his anger over the White House’s use of a clip from “Tropic Thunder” in its war propaganda. “Hey White House, please remove that Tropic Thunderclip,” he wrote on social media. “We never gave you permission and have no interest in being part of your propaganda machine. War is not a film.”
The White House’s
The clip ends with the voiceover from “Mortal Kombat”: “Flawless victory.” The final fade-in simply reads: “The White House: President Donald J. Trump.” The clip used from “Tropic Thunder” shows Tom Cruise as film producer Les Grossman dancing.
Stiller’s reaction to the propaganda video
Stiller directed, starred in and co-wrote the screenplay for “Tropic Thunder.” The comedy, which was released in 2008 and was a success at the box office, stars Jack Black and Robert Downey Jr. at Stiller’s side: a group of hapless actors who believe they are filming in a war film and inadvertently become real soldiers. Downey was nominated for an Oscar in the Best Supporting Actor category.
The White House released the supercut as the United States and Israel continue to bomb Iran, an offensive that has already left several American soldiers dead.
There is no end to the campaign in sight, and US President Donald Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth have warned Americans that more deaths are likely. The government has so far been unable to clearly state the war aims. The primary goal at the moment, as the video suggests, appears to be to cause as much havoc as possible and then brag about it.
