Online Reporter
Actor and filmmaker Ben Stiller has criticised the White House after a clip from his 2008 film “Tropic Thunder” appeared in a controversial video montage posted on the administration’s social media accounts.
The video, shared with the caption “Justice the American way,” mixed drone footage of recent military strikes carried out by the US and Israel in Iran with scenes from popular films, television shows and video games.
Among the clips featured were moments from “Top Gun: Maverick”, “Braveheart”, “Transformers”, and “Iron Man 2.”
Stiller, who played action star Tugg Speedman in “Tropic Thunder”, quickly responded on X after spotting the film’s inclusion in the montage.
“Hey White House, please remove the Tropic Thunder clip,” he wrote. “We never gave you permission and have no interest in being a part of your propaganda machine. War is not a movie.”
The sequence reportedly used a brief shot of Tom Cruise’s character, Less Grossman, dancing at the end of the film, inserted alongside imagery celebrating the strikes.
The White House video also featured clips from franchises and series, including “Gladiator”, “John Wick”, “Breaking Bad”, “Superman”, “Deadpool” and the video game “Halo.” Stiller’s response reflects a broader backlash from artists and entertainers who have previously objected to the use of their work in political messaging tied to Donald Trump and his administration. Singer Kesha earlier criticised the administration after her song “Blow” was used under a video titled “Lethality,” which showed a jet launching a missile and destroying what appeared to be an enemy vessel. — iolnews.
