DreamWorks has put the kibosh on simplejackmovie.com -- a website aimed at promoting the studio's upcoming comedy "Tropic Thunder" -- in response to criticism from disability rights advocates. The elaborate site was created by the marketing department of Paramount Pictures, which releases all of DreamWorks' films, as an homage to a character played by Ben Stiller's Oscar-chasing actor character. In the film, which opens Aug. 13, Stiller plays a thesp best known for his performance in a fictitious drama titled "Simple Jack" -- a satirical jab at Hollywood actors' proclivity for taking on mentally challenged characters. The site, which was aimed at teenage boys and garnered fewer than 35,000 hits, featured a poster with Stiller and the tagline "Once upon a time ... there was a retard." A consortium of groups including the Special Olympics and the Down Syndrome Assn. of Los Angeles first contacted the studio Friday and set up a meeting with DreamWorks CEO Stacey Snider and other senior executives to discuss their concerns about the film.http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117990121.html?categoryid=13&cs=1&nid=2570
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