May 04, 2015

Ricky Lee defends Ridiculous 6

EXCLUSIVE: Native American actor defends Adam Sandler amid 'The Ridiculous 6' controversy

By Ethan SacksRicky Lee, who plays a medicine man in the Netflix Western comedy, reached out the Daily News to "set the record straight" over reports that several Native actors walked off the production, outraged over offensive stereotypes in the movie.

"There were four actors who left, but there were 150 extras, including grandmas and grandpas and children, who kept working," the 60-year-old Sante Fe-based actor told the News.
You expect old Native women and men to stand up and protest? When they were beaten at boarding schools for talking back to whites? They're about the last people I'd expect to make a move against a famous movie star and his followers.

Extras don't get to read the script. In a crowd of 150, most people will be too far away to hear the action. And old people can't hear well in general.

Also, Natives may speak a language other than English. Most people don't want to embarrass themselves in front of their peers. The children, the cameras, the heat, etc. may have distracted them.

Given all these factors, it's asinine to expect some sort of spontaneous protest. These people weren't young, savvy millennials used to demanding their rights. They were the exact opposite of someone likely to challenge an authority figure.The controversy was boosted by leaked cellphone video that caught a producer telling the disgruntled actors, that they "shouldn't be in the movie" if they're "overly sensitive" about the film's depiction of American Indians.

But Lee, who is visible in the footage, said the camera person, who took the video secretly, conveniently left out the rest of the producer's comments. He says associate producer Barry Bernardi promised that a disclaimer would be added to stress that the movie isn't historically accurate.
Only one in a thousand viewers will read the fine print in the credits. So that's like one-thousandth of a remedy. It's basically worthless.

That seems to be what Lee thinks the media has missed. The only person who's missed something is him.

He's missed how a disclaimer does nothing to address the problem. And how he's shilling for a racist against his own people.

For more on Adam Sandler, see Adam Sandler's History of Racism and Ridiculous 6 Adviser Speaks Out.

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