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I guess it's time to 'fess up about a quirk of mine.

We all have those things, those pop culture things, for which we have to turn off our critical brains, switch off our rocking analysis and simply be entertained. Some friends of mine love action movies, some love sci fi/fantasy. As a Trekkie I understand. But one of my escapes has been my shameful secret until now.

I like rom coms.

Worse, I like schlocky Hollywood-style BAD rom coms.

Please don't judge me.

Amongst my favourite rom com actors is Sandra Bullock, so when I saw my first ad for the movie "The Proposal" (while watching the Oscars earlier this year), I knew I would see it.

It received horrible reviews, so I knew what I was getting into when me and my friend A made our date for dinner and a movie last night.

 Oh the lack of humanity.

The "plot" is that they work in publishing, hardworking sincere "everyman" Andrew is bitchy, mean Margaret's executive assistant. A few early scenes show us what a horrible person she is, and that everyone hates her, including him. When she comes into the office people text things like "It's here" and "The witch is on her broom". She's a Canadian and learns she's about to be deported. She decides to force Andrew to marry her, and in a moment of faking the legitimacy of their relationship in front of the immigration officer, invites herself to his family's celebration (in Alaska) of his grandmother's birthday.

Bla bla they fall in love by the end.

Great. Sounds like a lovely waste of time for me and A. Turn off the brain and away we go.

But. There was racism.

Now, in a movie about immigration to the US, there of course had to be racism. Damn! What were we thinking?

Margaret and Andrew go to an immigration office in New York City. The place is filled with brown people talking numerous languages, and dressed what would be thought of as non-USian clothing.I don't think of this as particularly racist, except for the underlying "othering" and disrespect given, but that can also be about Margaret (who, as part of her meanness, is very self-centred). Margaret takes one look at the line (full of brown people), and barges to the front. The man of colour behind the desk gives her a look but doesn't refuse her service.

This whole "front of the line" piece actually represents how white folks who are immigrating from English-speaking countries do get put on the fast track for immigration to the US, perhaps an unintended ironic non-ironic move on the part of the filmmakers. 

Now, to the really problematic stuff. 

Andrew and Margaret arrive in Alaska. 

The first time we see the character "Ramone", a Latino man, is during the party arranged for Andrew's return. Ramone is a waiter at the (catered) party at Andrew's parent's house. Of course Andrew's family is filthy rich. The next time we see Ramone he's an exotic dancer at an impromptu "bacherlorette" party for Margaret. Then he's working in the general store, then he's the minister at their wedding. He flirts with Margaret, stuffs an appetizer in her mouth, the lap-dancing scene is actually painful to watch, and his simpering and calling her "mi amore" is simply ghastly.

The only racist scene which does not have Ramone in it, is a scene in the wood in which Betty White, playing "Gammy", is doing a ceremony in the woods to welcome Margaret into the family. This scene is a despicable display of mocking and appropriating bits and pieces of "Americanized" First Nations culture. There's a bonfire, there's drums on a portable CD player, there's Betty White in a cape and feather headdress. By the end of the scene the two white women are dancing to a rap beat. It's "funny". 

But I need, for my own sanity, to deconstruct Ramone. Why a latino man? In Alaska? His presence also has nothing to do with the "plot" either.

My theory is this: Someone must be othered. Someone must be made fun of. The sparse audience laughed in all the "right" places. Such as every time Ramone talked, with a "heavy accent" of course. His behaviour, which was fairly shocking, and his subordination to the powerful white women who were the ones around him most of the time. His power and masculinity were effectively truncated, not unlike the subservient Black stereotype.

 I also think there's a very strong association in the minds of many USians of "immigrant" with "Latin@". Regardless of the truth. So keep hammering that in. In Alaska.

If there had to be a character in the movie to play the role of court jester, fool, clown, simple-minded strange half-man, why not also make him racialized? The equivalent of the "slipping on a banana peel" gag, it's a cheap easy laugh for the filmmakers to put in. They probably found it funny, and assumed (correctly) that the mostly white audience would also find it funny.

Every time Ramone appears, the audience was already giggling in anticipation, while A and I cringed, talking to each other during the scene, waiting until it was over. Not unlike what I do in more violent movies.

The final insult is a montage sequence at the end of the movie where the immigration officer assigned to Margaret's case is interviewing Margaret, Andrew, his parents, his grandmother and Ramone. It's funny-ish, not spectacular, but after we see Ramone in the sequence, which makes no sense plot-wise, I realize that Ramone is going to be "used" until the very last second, wringing dry every last bit of "humour" at his expense, including, predictably, the questioning of his immigration status, making him spell him name and then asking him to spell it again, "in English".

To the actor who played Ramone (and any actor of colour who's ever played a demeaning racist character): I have no issue with you. Hollywood will always find actors of colour to play the racist roles that Hollywood constructs. This might even be your big break, and maybe in a few years when you're successful and don't have to kiss director and producer ass, you can share the racist bullshit you tolerated, as you announce the opening of a new production company for actors of colour, by actors of colour.