Adam Sandler Calls ‘Ridiculous 6’ Native American Controversy a ‘Misunderstanding’
Several actors and the film’s cultural adviser walked off the New Mexico set citing offensive jokes
Anita Bennett | July 19, 2015 @ 3:38 PM
Last Updated: July 19, 2015 @ 4:15 PM
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Adam Sandler wants to set the record straight about his Netflix comedy “The Ridiculous 6,” which saw several Native American actors storm off the set earlier this year.
“It was just a misunderstanding and once the movie is out, it will be cleared up,” Sandler told The Associated Press Saturday at the premiere of his new movie “Pixels.”
“Ridiculous 6” spoofs Westerns and takes its name from the classic “The Magnificent Seven.” But not everyone is laughing.
As TheWrap previously reported, about a dozen actors and the film’s cultural adviser walked off the New Mexico set in April citing offensive portrayals of Native American women and elders.
The actors cited such examples as characters named “Beaver’s Breath” and “No Bra,” along with a scene involving a woman squatting and urinating while smoking a peace pipe.
When the controversy unfolded, Netflix said it was standing by the project and the humor in the film.
“The movie has ridiculous in the title for a reason: because it is ridiculous,” the streaming giant said in a statement in April. “It is a broad satire of Western movies and the stereotypes they popularized, featuring a diverse cast that is not only part of — but in on — the joke.”
“The Ridiculous 6” features an all-star cast including Taylor Lautner, Terry Crews, Danny Trejo, Rob Schneider, Nick Nolte and Luke Wilson. The film is co-written by Sandler and produced by his Happy Madison production company. It is set to premiere Dec. 11 on Netflix.
7 Hollywood Figures Ruined by Racist Rants - Before LA Clippers Controversy
PAULA DEEN: This celebrity chef arguably became more famous after admitting in a deposition that she uttered the N word on multiple occasions during her 67 years of life. The notoriety came with a big price tag, though. TheWrap estimated that the moment of honesty cost Deen $14.5 million in endorsement deals after losing her lucrative Food Network gig.
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MEL GIBSON: This two-time Oscar winner went from aging action hero to falling star when he was pulled over in 2006 for driving under the influence, and then proceeded to blame all of the wars in the world on "f--king Jews." His career never quite recovered, and took another hit in 2010 when a recording of a phone call with his baby's mama, Oksana Grigorieva, hit the web with more racial slurs. Oh, and then there was that profanity-laden rant in front of screenwriter Joe Eszterhas.
DON IMUS: This shock jock made the mistake of referring to the Rutgers women basketball team as "nappy-headed hos" in 2007. As a result, his CBS radio show, "Imus in the Morning," was cancelled. Fortunately for Imus, he was back on the radio waves less than a year later on an ABC station.
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MICHAEL RICHARDS: The once-loveable "Seinfeld" star lost his temper on a heckler at a stand-up comedy show in Los Angeles, and lost a lot of love from fans in the process. A video featuring Richards repeatedly calling the audience member the N word went viral, and his stand-up comedy career went bye-bye.
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JUSTINE SACCO: A public relations executive should probably know better than to publicly joke that white people can't get AIDS. Sacco, however, did just that last December with a single tweet reading, "Going to Africa. Hope I don’t get AIDS. Just kidding. I’m white!" After landing in South Africa, she promptly lost her corporate communications job at Barry Diller's media company, IAC.
BRENDAN EICH: Mozilla's Brendan Eich has historically been known as a Silicon Valley power player, and his ascension to CEO of the popular internet service provider surprised nobody. But right after the pen lifted from the paper, it was revealed that Eich gave a $1000 donation in support of Proposition 8, which banned gay marriage in California. The fallout was swift and severe: Mozilla employees revolted and OkCupid banned Firefox users from accessing their site. Eich stepped down days later.
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GILBERT GOTTFRIED: The comedian, best known in his later years for lending his signature voice to the Aflac Duck, was silenced by the insurance company in 2011 after Gottfried's finger tips typed out one too many racist jokes following a devastating earthquake and tsunami in Japan.
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Only time will tell what consequences await Clippers owner Donald Sterling, but racist rants, bad jokes and N bombs can destroy careers – here’s proof.
PAULA DEEN: This celebrity chef arguably became more famous after admitting in a deposition that she uttered the N word on multiple occasions during her 67 years of life. The notoriety came with a big price tag, though. TheWrap estimated that the moment of honesty cost Deen $14.5 million in endorsement deals after losing her lucrative Food Network gig.
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