Thousands have signed a petition blasting the upcoming Ben Stiller/Owen Wilson comedy "Zoolander 2" over an androgynous model played by Benedict Cumberbatch. "This is the modern equivalent of using blackface," it reads.
MORE COVERAGE: Photos of Owen Wilson on Marietta set of "Bastards"
Credit: Jennifer Brett
Credit: Jennifer Brett
The comedy, due out in February, finds Stiller and Owen Wilson's characters Derek Zoolander and Hansel trying to make a comeback via the reality game show route. They get back into the fashion world to help thwart a culprit trying to "kill all the beautiful people." Justin Bieber is among the lovely victims.
Cumberbatch plays a gender-neutral model named All. He appears for just a moment in the film's new trailer but that was long enough to outrage the nearly 7,000 people who signed a petition urging a boycott of the film.
"Cumberbatch’s character is clearly portrayed as an over-the-top, cartoonish mockery of androgyne/trans/non-binary individuals," the petition reads. "This is the modern equivalent of using blackface to represent a minority."
About the Author
