Video Blogs
TV Shows:
Find Articles On:
Who's onlineThere are currently 42 members and 1608 guests online.
|
Oscar from "The Office" is indecent in "The Proposal"
This weekend I happened to catch Sandra Bullock's new romantic comedy The Proposal, (or as I like to call it, Any Excuse to See Ryan Reynolds Shirtless). I have to say I enjoyed the film, as have a lot of other folks — 70 mill after two weeks and still going strong. Way to go, Sandy! Not bad at all for a 45-year-old Hollywood ingenue. But one running gag in the movie fell curiously flat to me, and that was Oscar Nunez's turn as an exotic dancer slash cater waiter slash soda jerk named "Ramone" who lives in a small Alaska town and forms what seems like an unhealthy obsession with Sandra Bullock's character. Over five seasons, straight Cuban actor Nunez has made quite an impression playing the put upon gay accountant "Oscar" on The Office. His character was central to what is widely regarded as the NBC sitcom's best episode ever: "Gay Witch Hunt." and even though I wish Oscar had more to do on The Office, the show (and the actor) deserves credit for providing one of network TV's few non-stereotypical gay male representations.
Oscar Nunez But in The Proposal, his Ramone is, uh, a muddle. The character is presumably straight, though the only evidence for this is his inexplicable obsession with Bullock's character. However, in many respects the character reads as stereotypically gay. Or at least he did to me, although I wonder if part of that reading is influenced by my strong familiarity with Nunez as gay Oscar on The Office? If so, that's probably unfair to Nunez, who shouldn't be burdened with typecasting just because he's played a popular gay TV character. But regardless, one wishes he hadn't been tapped for his part in The Proposal, because it was a downright icky role, particularly in the exotic dancing scene. The Proposal's director, Anne Fletcher, explained that scene and Nunez's take on it to the LA Times: "Ramone went to Chippendale's in the '80s and said, 'I'm bringing this back to Alaska and giving it to the ladies.' But you never are uncomfortable or creeped out; he does it with pure, genuine heart that only Oscar can bring to it." One has to wonder what Fletcher was smoking when she said that, because the whole point of the exotic dancing scene was to make Sandra Bullock's character (and hence the audience) uncomfortable and creeped out. I'm curious what other AfterEltonites think. If you've seen The Proposal, what was your take on Oscar Nunez's part in it? Submitted by on Wed, 2009-07-01 07:50. |
 Recent Comments
Recent blog posts
|
Welcome to AfterElton.com!
- Login
- Join Now!
News, Reviews & Commentary on Gay and Bisexual Men in Entertainment and the Media
Proposal stripping
I pretty much had an "ick" sort of reaction to both the character and the scene. Heh---hard to believe that I'd not be interested in a guy doing a strip-tease! Because quite honestly, I can say that good looks (or lack thereof) don't make that much of a difference to me; if I'm drawn to a fellow's personality, I'll find them appealing in some way.
But I REALLY did not want to watch this character take his clothes off; there was something very off-putting about him; I'm not sure what it was, exactly, because the character as written was a pleasant sort of fellow. So I felt every bit as awkward as Sandy when this scene was on-screen; didn't really find it amusing at all.
(Oh, have to add that I think Ms Bullock looked stunning in this film; she's ageing very well! I really do like her; she seems like one of the few celebrities out there who is a genuinely nice person---great sense of humour at any rate; you get the impression that she'd be a lot of fun to know in "real life.")
I'm like a superhero, with no powers or motivation...
Not that funny
I really did not care for the scene either and did not find it the least bit interesting or funny. Not that it was offensive, but it was just kind of... bad. I kind of disliked the whole movie in general, though. THe plot was kind of uninspired, and I think Ryan Reynolds was supposed to be the requisite "hottie," but as the previous post said, there needs to be some personality aspect there, which he just didnt' have. Sandra Bullock didn't really impress me either. I was pretty bored the whole time. But Betty White was good!
It was kind of the requisite "summer movie," though, so I don't think it was supposed to be intellectual.
No Oscar for Nunez
Actually, I thought Ryan
Actually, I thought Ryan was funnier in this fake "behind the scenes" footage, than he was in the film. Man, this just cracked me up (I think it's been mentioned on this site before):
http://www.funnyordie.com/videos/e8cdc3db45/sandra-bullock-ryan-reynolds-behind-the-scenes-of-the-proposalI'm like a superhero, with no powers or motivation...
I am always surprised, when
I am always surprised, when reading quotes from Hollywood movie makers, to see what a clueless, tin ear these people have with respect to whether gay humor is funny or just plain offensive, I mean, don't any of these alleged "cinema" artists even know one gay person who could educate them on what is so completely unfunny about gay stereotypes and gay ridicule in their movies?
I guess Hollywood is not exactly the gay dominated mecca that the Christian wingnuts keep insisting that it is.
The character wasn't gay
I really liked the movie!
I really liked the movie! I'm a big fan of Sandra Bullock and thoughtt she did a great job.
I did not get the vibe that Ramone was gay, and the stripper scene was one of my least favorites, totally could care less that it was included.
Betty White was great in this movie as well. The scene where Sanda is chanting and starts with that "to the window...to the wall..." song cracked me up so much! I loved it!
Huh...
I have to say, I didn't get a gay vibe from the character at all. I would agree that the joke of the role fell flat, but I actually enjoyed the movie as a whole...I thought Sandra Bullock and Ryan Reynolds had great chemistry.
I wonder if the accent that Nunez was sporting is helping lead to the perception of him being a gay stereotype? Maybe it's just because the character was expressly defined as heterosexual (or at least that's how I took his feelings towards Sandra Bullock's character), but I thought that the stereotype they were playing towards was the clueless Latin lover more than the lisping queen.
www.wdwsmmaos.blogspot.com