'Lone Ranger': Cleft-Lip Charities Upset Over William Fichtner's Villain

[The Straight Story]

Organizations condemn the movie for using the facial feature to make a character appear more evil.

Disney's The Lone Ranger is facing a fresh round of controversy over one of its characters, but this time Johnny Depp's portrayal of a Native American isn't the subject of the outrage.

Instead, charities are upset that William Fichtner's Butch Cavendish features a cleft lip, a prosthetic that may have been added in part to make him appear more sinister.

According to the character synopsis, Cavendish's "terribly scarred face is a perfect reflection of the bottomless pit that passes for his soul."

Esteban Lasso, executive director of Canadian-based "cleft care" charity Transforming Faces notes that children with cleft lips are often bullied at school or depicted as villains, saying in a statement: "It's disheartening that a major motion picture would perpetuate this negative perception and we hope that in future, birth defects and facial differences will not be used to portray 'evil' characters," Lasso said.


http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/lone-ranger-cleft-lip-charities-590224

[FSogol]

1. The character didn't have those scars when he appeared as a younger man in flashbacks

therefore, that is a mouth injury, not a character that was born with a cleft lip/palate. Kudos to Lasso for whipping up a faux controversy to promote his very good organization.

[djean111]

2. Thank you.

[Jeff In Milwaukee]

3. Oh for shit's sake...

Some people need to just go out and get laid every once in a while.

[Greybnk48]

4. Agreed. Was going to say much the same thing.

And the villain doesn't have a cleft lip, it's clear in the movie it's a cut. I'm very tired of this sort of nonsense.

[exboyfil]

5. Wonder what he has to say about

Manhunter/Red Dragon. A cleft lift and palate is a defining feature of the serial killer Dolarhyde. This is such a defining feature that he has a special set of dentures that he uses to torture his victims.

[NoPasaran]

6. I think we may be in spitting distance of Peak Outrage

[kaiden]

7. Ridiculous!

This "cleft lip" on Fitchner is on the right side of his mouth, not exactly where real clefts are.

[Javaman]

8. hell, if that's the case...

I've been bald since I was five and I get really pissed that almost all evil villains in movies these days are bald!!!!

I will now promptly file my outrage with the local media for my guaranteed 15 minutes of fame.

Thank you very much!