When Netflix signed Adam Sandler to a four-picture deal, I’m sure they didn’t anticipate controversy to arise, but over a dozen Native American actors walked off the set of his latest film, The Ridiculous Six, over how they were being depicted in the film. Reports suggest the walk-off happened because the film insulted “native women and elders and grossly misrepresented Apache culture.”
Actor Loren Anthony told Indian Country Today Media Network, “They just treated us as if we should just be on the side. When we did speak with the main director, he was trying to say the disrespect was not intentional and this was a comedy.”
The article by Vincent Schilling also mentioned some of the jokes that the Native American actors found particularly offensive:
The examples of disrespect included Native women’s names such as Beaver’s Breath and No Bra, an actress portraying an Apache woman squatting and urinating while smoking a peace pipe, and feathers inappropriately positioned on a teepee.
Netflix responded to Vulture saying “The movie has ridiculous in the title for a reason: because it is ridiculous. 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.”
This isn’t the first time Netflix has been under some heat for the portrayal of Native Americans, as they received attention on Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt when they portrayed Caucasian actor Jane Krakowski as a Native American character.
Despite the walk-off, filming of the project isn’t expected to be delayed.
The Ridiculous Six is the first Adam Sandler project to appear exclusively to Netflix, it also stars Will Forte, Taylor Lautner, Steve Buscemi, Danny Trejo and Terry Crews. No release date has been announced.
