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Wednesday 20 January 2016

These Are The Adam Sandler Jokes That Some Native Americans Are Mad About

The controversy over the alleged offensive stereotypes strewn throughout Adam Sandler and Netflix's upcoming western-themed comedy, The Ridiculous Six, saw about a dozen Native American actors walk off the New Mexico set. Now the film’s intentionally crass, incidentally contentious discourse has been revealed by way of a draft of the script.

A report from Defamer delves into a draft of the The Ridiculous Six script dated December 7, 2012 that reveals some of the repulsive repartee at the center of the strife. Here’s a list of the insensitive infractions in question.

1) Sandler’s character, Tommy, aka Three Knives, a white man raised by Native Americans since childhood is married to a woman named Smoking Fox. A recurring joke refers to her "sweet zum-zum."

2) A female character named Beaver’s Breath, is propositioned by a male character, asking, "Hey Beaver’s Breath." To which she responds, "How did you know my name?"

3) A "sexy" female character named No Bra (originally named Sits-on-Face in the 2012 script), is depicted crudely squatting to urinate behind a teepee while stereotypically lighting up a peace pipe.

4) Will Patch (Will Forte) propositions Sits-on-Face by asking her, "How about after this, we go someplace and I put my peepee in your teepee?"

5) Cicero (Danny Trejo) interacts with Sits-on-Face by calling her "Strawberry Tits," to which she indignantly corrects him, saying "I am Sits-on-Face." Cicero responds, "Well, then I’m Stiff-in-Pants!"

6) There are numerous instances of crudely-punned pseudo Native American names like Five Hairy Moles, One Eyebrow, and Four Pickles.

The report reiterates that this intel was taken from an older script and it is entirely possible that revisions may have mooted some of these scenes. However, some of the examples specifically involving Beaver’s Breath and Sits-on-Face have already been discussed in numerous reports as points of contention. Overall, these scenes paint a broad picture of juvenile japes that might get a snicker, but could understandably come across as patronizing and offensive to the Native American actors who are made to carry out this proliferation of crude cultural misconceptions.

The film, co-written by Adam Sandler and his creative partner Tim Herlihy, has had its share of issues dating back a few years. In fact, The Ridiculous Six was apparently toxic enough that Warner Bros., the studio that backed some of Sandler’s biggest hits, wanted nothing to do with the film. However, the film would eventually serve as a kick-off for the groundbreaking four-picture production deal between Netflix and Sandler. 

While scenes in question are almost comical in their outmoded sensibilities, it’s difficult to determine the course of their intentions. We know that we’re talking about an Adam Sandler film, which makes it a dumb, raucous romp by default. It’s a narrative that Netflix embraced in their recent public defense of Sandler, emphasizing the "ridiculous" aspect of the very title. In that sense, the structure of the stereotypes in the script sound so blatant that it is entirely possible that their idiocy is meant to be the joke itself, and that no specific malice was intended.

Regardless, it should be interesting to see how this production develops, especially considering that The Ridiculous Six could set the tone for Netflix’s return on a huge investment in Sandler.        

Adam Sandler Biography

Actor, comedian, and musician Adam Sandler was a cast member on Saturday Night Live and is the star of such films as Punch-Drunk Love and The Wedding Singer.

Adam Sandler - Silly Goofy Guy (TV-14; 1:06) A colleague describes Sandler's unique style and simplifies the comics routine to a mere few words.

Synopsis

Born on September 9, 1966, in New York City, Adam Sandler was always the class clown but didn't consider becoming a comedian until his brother encouraged him to perform at a Boston Comedy Club. He was a regular on MTV's Remote Control and on NBC's Saturday Night Live before devoting himself to making movies. Sandler is best known for comedy but has also received critical praise for his dramatic work.

Early Career
Actor, comedian, musician. Born on September 9, 1966, in New York City. Raised in Manchester, New Hampshire, as one of seven children, Sandler was always the class clown. However, he never aspired to be a comedian until age 17 when his brother encouraged him to perform at a Boston comedy club.

Sandler continued to perform after he left Boston to attend New York University. After graduation, he became a regular on MTV's game show,Remote Control. In 1989, he starred in his first film, Going Overboard. He was later spotted by Saturday Night Live cast member Dennis Miller who got him a job on the show, which lasted from 1990 to 1995. It was there that Sandler created such characters as Cajun Man, Opera Man and Canteen Boy.

Film Debut

Through juvenile antics and sometimes offensive stunts, Sandler kept loyal fans laughing throughout the '90s. His first title film role came in 1995 withBilly Madison. Numerous films followed, including Happy Gilmore in 1996,The Wedding Singer co-starring Drew Barrymore and The Water Boy in 1998,Big Daddy in 1999, and Little Nicky in 2000.

In 2002, Sandler co-starred with Winona Ryder in Mr. Deeds and the critically acclaimed Punch-Drunk Love opposite Emily Watson. The following year he starred opposite Jack Nicholson in the hit comedy Anger Management. Sandler reteamed with Barrymore for another romantic comedy 50 First Dates (2004), which fared well at the box office. Taking a more dramatic turn, he starred the dramedy Spanglish (2004) as a husband experiencing trouble with his wife (played by Tea Leoni) and developing a relationship to his housekeeper (played by Paz Vega).

Dramatic Roles

Sandler has continued to vary his work from broad comedies to more weighty material. Remaking 1974 comedy The Longest Yard (2005), he played a convict who organizes a football game between the inmates and the guards - a role originated by Burt Reynolds. Reynolds also appeared in the remake along with comedian Chris Rock and singer Nelly. The next year, Sandler played an architect who discovers a remote control that gives the power to fast-forward or rewind his own life in Click (2006). He took on the role of a man who lost his family in the September 11th terrorist attacks in Reign Over Me (2007). Through an accidental meeting with an old friend (played by Don Cheadle), Sandler's character began to rebuild his shattered life. Sandler earned some positive reviews for his performance with Variety calling him "compelling" and "excellent."

Return to Comedy
Returning to the over-the-top comedy he is most famous for, Sandler produced and starred in I Now Pronounce You Chuck & Larry (2007). He played a straight firefighter who pretends to be in a gay relationship with a widowed firefighter (played by Kevin James) so that his friend can receive domestic partner benefits for himself and his children.

For his next venture, Sandler played an Israeli commando who fakes his own death to move to America to pursue his dream of becoming a hair dresser inYou Don't Mess With the Zohan (2008). He also produced and co-wrote the film. Continuing to work behind the scenes, Sandler served as a producerThe House Bunny (2008), the sorority house comedy starring Anna Faris.

In his next release, Bedtime Stories (2008), Sandler played a man who tells his niece and nephew bedtime stories, which suddenly begin to come true. The film also features Keri Russell as his love interest, and the remaining cast includes Teresa Palmer, Guy Pearce, Lucy Lawless, and Russell Brand. Sandler also starred in the 2009 summer comedy, Funny People, which was directed by Judd Apatow.

Sandler enjoyed great success with the 2010 comedy Grown Ups co-starring Salma Hayek, Kevin James and Chris Rock. He wrote the script for the movie as well. Seemingly bullet-proof at the box office, he raked in more than $26 million for the first weekend of Jack and Jill (2011)—a remarkable feat for a movie widely maligned by critics. The following year, Sandler lent his voice to the animated film Hotel Transylvania.

Outside Acting

In addition to his acting, Sandler has made several comedy albums. His first was the Grammy-nominated They're All Gonna Laugh At You (1993), which became an instant hit and expanded his fan base among young people through offensive songs and sketches. His most recent release was 2004'sShhh . . . Don't Tell.

Sandler has been married to actress Jackie Titone since June 2003. The couple has two daughters: Sadie and Sunny.
 
 
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