What Did Elon Musk Say About Ben Stiller? ‘Tropic Thunder’ Reference Explained

What Did Elon Musk Say About Ben Stiller? ‘Tropic Thunder’ Reference Explained

As a seasoned gamer and movie enthusiast with a soft spot for comedies, I find Elon Musk’s recent antics on X (formerly Twitter) rather disheartening. His crude remark towards Ben Stiller, a beloved actor whose work I’ve appreciated over the years, feels like a step back in the ongoing discourse about respect and decency in our digital interactions.


On a well-known social networking site that Elon Musk owns, he sparked debate by making an unrefined comment about actor Ben Stiller. The remark was in response to Stiller’s public backing of Democratic nominee Kamala Harris for the 2024 U.S. elections, where he employed a disrespectful term.

Elon Musk mocks Ben Stiller using Tropic Thunder reference

On Wednesday, November 27th, Musk shared a widely circulated post from ex-investment banker and author John LeFevre, remarking in his caption, “Wow, he really went all out,” followed by two emojis depicting someone rolling on the floor with laughter.

In his recent social media post, LeFevre posted a Daily Mail article titled “Ben Stiller claims ‘Woke America’ has killed off ‘edgier’ comedy,” accompanied by an image from Stiller’s 2008 film Tropic Thunder. LeFevre added the comment, “Says this… Endorsed Harris…” in his caption.

It appears that Musk may have rephrased a conversation from the same film, where Kirk Lazarus (played by Robert Downey Jr.) made a remark about farmer Simple Jack similar to what Stiller’s character Tugg said. In another instance, Musk posted a relevant scene clip from the movie on his platform.

In a conversation with Collider, Stiller expressed doubts about remaking Tropic Thunder, given that the film features Downey Jr. in blackface makeup and today’s societal climate makes edgier comedy more challenging to produce. He also mentioned that it would be difficult to make such a production at the scale they originally did, considering the current economic dynamics of the movie industry.

Later on, the Emmy winner stated, “Initially, we made that attempt because I believed the joke was quite obvious about who it targeted – actors striving for awards. However, considering today’s context, I’m not sure if I would have dared to make that joke now. Honestly, that’s the truth.

In August 2024, Stiller publicly endorsed Harris. “I’m extremely thrilled about the future,” he expressed then. “There’s a lot of enthusiasm and momentum surrounding this movement at the moment. That’s why I’m here – because it’s time for change, and it appears to be taking place.

In the end, Kamala Harris was not successful against Donald Trump, who is set to assume the presidency from Joe Biden in January 2025.

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2024-11-28 15:10