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Rumor: Bruno Added Scenes to Appease the Gay Community?

by Alex Billington
June 17, 2009
Source: The Wrap

There's one thing you don't want to do in Hollywood - upset the gay community. And unfortunately that's just what Bruno is doing. An editorial coming from GLAAD just hit Hollywood Reporter today and a separate article on The Wrap addresses the issue as well. However, Dominic Patten of The Wrap claims that Universal and Sacha Baron Cohen actually reshot part of the movie due to pressure from prominent gay individuals in Hollywood - like director Mike White - who apparently "found the Bruno character to be a depiction of fetishism rather than a comedic stereotype." Were there really reshoots on Bruno? I doubt it.

"When you see a Bruno clip in a room full of gay men, everyone laughs and it's fine," Queer as Folk star Peter Paige told The Wrap. "When you see a Bruno clip in a room full of straight men, they're all laughing, and it's a different thing. You start to go, 'Hmmm, I don't know how I feel about this.'" I don't know how I feel about all these gay complaints either. I thought everyone instantly knew that Bruno was, in essence, a pro-homosexuality, anti-homophobia comedy, with Cohen's confrontations with homophobic individuals being where the comedy comes from. I haven't seen the movie yet, but that's the exact idea that I thought everyone got from watching the trailer. Am I wrong? Does it really offend the gay community that much?

Here's where things get confusing - Mike White apparently also told The Wrap: "People are going to have a range of reactions to the film. I'm excited for people to see the movie, because it's going to generate a lot of interesting discussions." So he's upset but excited for people to see it? I, for one, agree with Brendon Connelly at SlashFilm - I hope Cohen and director Larry Charles didn't do any reshoots and don't recut the film just to appease the gay community. It's part of the very edgy nature of Sacha Baron Cohen to go as far as he wants no matter what anyone, gay or otherwise, thinks. But maybe the pressure is getting to them?

So really, I don't know what to make of this claim that Cohen added and/or reshot various scenes in Bruno. The Wrap even says that they added an "ending shot this spring with the participation of Elton John, Coldplay’s Chris Martin and other music celebrities, which seems to promote gay marriage in a spoof charity video." Although, the NY Times reports that Cohen did not get the rights to use Elton John's "Can You Feel the Love Tonight", that charming little song from Lion King. Does that mean that scene won't be added? Or does that mean that scene doesn't even exist to begin with? Who knows? What I do know, however, is that I can't wait to see Bruno. If this is the kind of reaction its getting, then I know he's done something right.

Explore tags: Editorials, Hype, Rumors

PinkSushi

i doubt it too, jst look at borat few years ago, i mean hollywood is mainly made of powerful jewish directors ,producer working, and the level of Anti-Semitism in that flick would deff pissed off most of them, bt still its the money those blockbasters generates,
Brian123

People just need to stop being so sensitive. You would think you would expect something like this after Borat.
http://fanboyz.net funnytunney

i hope they didn't do any reshoots or recuts because it's offensive. i'm a strong Christian but i'd never demand Bill Maher to touch his film religulous. comedy, documentary, heck even sesame street can be offensive to a single person. i understand the gay community is strong in hollywood, but if you can't laugh at yourself, you deserve to be laughed at
xerxex

haha...I wonder how many times he's gonna be sued for this one. I don't really care for Baron Cohen that much but come on!
b

Here's the deal as far as I can tell: They added a scene shot in the spring which helped to clarify the intent of the pic. This was thought or stated as a way to "appease" the gays after the fact. Hence, someone is dragging this out to mean something it isn't: that Cohen is bending under pressure, pressure that I think doesn't actually exist. From NYT: "The answer was no. Mr. John, along with the Walt Disney Company, which owns the copyright to the song but seeks his approval in such matters, learned of the scene’s particulars and blanched, according to one of Mr. John’s advisers. But then Mr. John reversed himself — kind of. He didn’t want to be associated with the provocative scene, but he ultimately agreed to perform part of another song that functions as a coda to the film." Here's the rest of the article if anyone wants it: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/14/movies/14barn.html?_r=1&ref=movies I loved Borat, but being striaght, white and laughing at broad US "ignorance," during the movie I can attest that most of the other guys there were laughing at the character himself, unaware of the stereotype and that the joke was, effectively, on them, or us. I'm sure the same will come of Bruno, which will be even more provacative, and may, for some, make them even more homophobic. Alas, I don't think its healthy as a nation to water down comedy and yes, (if I may call it) art, for the sake of political correctness. Even in smal issues, like the Letterman/Palin issue, it sickens me to see comedians having to beg forgiveness to anyone. To use a very old comedy example as an analogy, I'm sure there were jackasses out there who thought Hitler was awesome after seeing Chaplin's "The Great Dictator". But they missed the point. But, who knows if Chaplin's speech at the end of the film was added as a "coda" to show his intent. Am I wrong here?
dan

SBC isn't funny. borat wasn't funny and this movie looks to be more of the same.........."move along folks, nothing to see here".
Greedo

This reminds me of the reason Dave Chapelle said he stopped working on Chapelle's Show. That he was doing a racial sketch and the way one of the crew was laughing disturbed him, in that he was laughing at him, not with him. I don't think it'll do as well as Borat, because most men will shy away from it. It's not like Borat, who is sexist, but a man's man. It's more straight-forward male humor/immaturity.
gREYHALO

It seems that the gay community thought that Prop 8 would fail and that an in-your-face send up via Sacha Baron Cohen (SBC) would be the icing on the wedding cake. Now who is going to laff? I can tell you: Straights. SBC plays directly to the worst fears of the American Straight, and this film (combined with merciless pushing of the gay agenda) will push Gay Marriage back a few years or even a decade. Looks like gay liberal media has hurt itself. Unbelievable but true.
Haters

Really #8. You're so sure? When fox news et al get a hold of Bruno footage and proselytize about gay culture invading the heartland you think the debate will be over? Or will it just be beginning? I'm not just looking foreward to this movie, I'm looking forward to the media backlash, the good morning america segments, the SBC death threats, the protests outside theaters, the coverage on the daily show and the red face of every person trapped by an SBC interview (mel gibson? ron paul?) "Worst fears of the American straight". Seriously, where did you come up with this crap? A how-to guide you picked up in Jesus school?
Mat

I'm gay and Bruno looks fucking hilarious. Of course glaad is going to make a statement- that's their job. What's tiresome are people like those who've posted above who don't understand it's not about gay vs straight. It's about homophobia not about whether the straights or gays win or lose - not all straight people are homophobic as most of the above comments suggest. Doing so is a reflection of intolerance and ignorance. Just as Borat represented a stereotype we could both laugh at and with Bruno is a similar stereotype and stereotypes are funny- if you have a sense of humour. It's just fun to watch SBC fuck with the ignints. Now on to the next item on my "agenda"...
xerxex

"Whats up I'm Bruno!" The only problem I really have with this entire movie is that I deliever that line almost the same way!
germs

While I hope he didn't reshoot the movie, I do think perhaps adding a scene to better set up the movie's intent is a good thing. Too many people missed the point of Borat, and perhaps a little bit of clarification is needed.
http://www.ledscreenchina.com led panel

I doubt it.
Mario

SBC´s films are not meant to educate. If this ignites discussion, that´s more than fine. But a reshoot , just to please someone that is not the filmmaker, that is offensive.
Var2Apo

I agree with #14. It's like burning books because you don't like what's written. The nazi's did it a lot! Great job "Gay Community".
d1rEct

people need to learn it's only a movie, and if they can't stand to see an actor pretending to be gay (which is what an actor does) then don't see it.
http://blogger.xs4all.nl/vads Vitor

I'm going to attend the premiere next saturday evening and will let you know how the movie is like
Seductive Flamingo

His movies are meant to stir up the masses. Why the hell would he reshoot?! The movie is already getting attention and it hasn't come out yet. Score for SBC! PS. Sing it #16
JimBob

I get the feeling that this movie may very well cause a surge in gay hate crime. If there's anything homophobes do not like it is to have homosexuality shoved in their face. Those people, who likely will never see the movie but will see the poster all over town, and would never get the joke, may well renew their hate for homosexuals with a vengeance. I sincerely hope that won't be the case though.
Wyatt

**Spoiler warning** Watching the trailer is enough to say: This movie is a lemon. It's been awhile out, and 2 of my friends (straight) and I watch it on a video. First five minutes: sex scene, including fisting, etc. Let me tell you somhttp://www.firstshowing.net/2009/06/17/rumor-bruno-added-scenes-to-appease-the-gay-community/ething: they don't know it's suppose to be a critique on homophobia. They think the fisting, the champange, the fire hydrant are all "common". Or at least from their reaction: the idea of this movie failed. We go through the first Paula interview (which can easily spotted as faked, and makes absolutely no sense even for anybody with basic reasoning skill), and finally the first video showing. Come on. Any producer worth his money would have screen it first, and there are layers of aides who would have said some review BEFORE the boss actually see it. So illogical and stupid that it's not even funny. Few minutes after, my friend says he'll quit watching. He stormed off even before I did. He didn't even know that I'm gay and I appreciate his action very much, even if he said he quit because it's just disgusting and not funny in the slightest. In which I agree. But hey, I'm also the guy who think Superbad; a story that makes audience cheers for successful DATERAPE a lemon.