Tropic Thunder has caused controversy in the disability advocacy community. A website for Simple Jack, a faux film exhibited within the film, was pulled on August 4, amid several groups' concerns over its portrayal of mental retardation, called "intellectual disabilities" by disability advocacy groups. A spokesman for DreamWorks stated "We heard their concerns, and we understand that taken out of context, the site appeared to be insensitive to people with disabilities." A coalition of more than 22 disability advocacy groups, including the Special Olympics and the Arc of the United States, object to the repeated use of the word "retard", which disability advocates call "the R-word" because of its negative connotations. DreamWorks initially spoke of screening the film with the groups to determine if the film still offended the groups. However, the screening was postponed to the same day of the premiere on August 11 instead of August 8. After some representatives for the groups saw the private screening, they picketed outside the film's premiere. Timothy Shriver, the chairman of the Special Olympics stated "This population struggles too much with the basics to have to struggle against Hollywood. We're sending a message that this hate speech is no longer acceptable."
Disability advocates and others who have previewed the film report that the offensive treatment of individuals with mental disabilities is woven throughout the film’s plot. Disability advocates are urging people not to see the film, claiming it is demeaning to individuals with mental disabilities. They fear it will encourage bullying. Etan Cohen, the co-writer of the film, claimed "Some people have taken this as making fun of handicapped people, but we're really trying to make fun of the actors who use this material as fodder for acclaim." He went on to state that the film lampoons actors such as Dustin Hoffman and Tom Hanks who portrayed mentally retarded characters in Rain Man and Forrest Gump, respectively. A DreamWorks spokesman did not directly respond to the criticism, stating that the film "...is an R-rated comedy that satirizes Hollywood and its excesses, makes its point by featuring inappropriate and over-the top characters in ridiculous situations." The film's advertising has been altered, but none of the scenes in the film were edited as a result of the opposition
