MistyMountainHop

Fez would've lost his virginity to her, and maybe it would've been a good experience for him instead of that awkwardness with Nina. Or it could've been awkward but still good since he and Rhonda were really in love.

Fez: How was that, my lovely?
Rhonda: It was great! I've never been with someone I've loved.
Fez: Was I stallion?
Rhonda: Of my heart.
Fez: And elsewhere?
Rhonda: We'll work on it.
Fez: Ai...
Rhonda: Perk up! It means we get to do it a lot until you get better. And then we'll get to do it a lot when you're really good.
Fez: Yes!
Rhonda: How about we go again? Now that I know what I'm working with, I can give you notes.
Fez: Notes, eh? I am a good student. ... Will I have to write any of this down?
Rhonda [laughing]: No.

---

Meeting Rhonda's parents ... would they be like her or completely different? Or somewhat like her? What would they think of Fez? Maybe they'd love him already because Rhonda loves him.

msstock87

That is true, maybe it would have been less awkward with Rhonda. Fez seemed most comfortable with Rhonda though, like he was his real self.

MistyMountainHop

Yeah. Before its relationship's terrible ending, Rhonda seemed to bring out the best in Fez.

msstock87

I loved how Fez and Rhonda greeted each other!

MistyMountainHop

Mashed Potato and Cocoa Puff?

msstock87

It was cute and unique!

MistyMountainHop

Speaking of Fez and Rhonda, what do you think they'd get each other as gifts (birthday, Christmas, etc.)?

msstock87

Hmm I can see her getting Fez candy for sure. That seems to be a sure fire win with him!

MistyMountainHop

Yes, and she'd probably get him an extra one that she'd give him the next day because that chocolate would be gone before the night was through.

Grazzhopper

Oh, how very relatable!

Maybe Fez would attempt to get Rhonda edible lingerie, I wonder how well that would go over.

MistyMountainHop

Depending on how it tastes, she might forgo wearing it and eat it herself.

Dr.PP

Fez had girlfriends on throughout the series, but the way they made him have "effeminate" interests & act increasingly sassy/flamboyant & have that stuff with Kelso & Fenton? He may be foreign, but Tomas wasn't depicted that way. Does anyone have an opinion on what the creators/actor's intentions with this aspect was?

I think you all bring up good points about him being more or less, an underdeveloped character. The hammy lines & delivery, the redundant one note jokes, seems like maybe he was just as a contrast boost to Eric. It was interesting to see him put on some weight in later seasons, t.v. characters who incessantly eat, especially candy don't seem to gain weight...

MistyMountainHop

In season 1, Fez isn't written as a perv but as someone who doesn't understand how far to take a joke. Being new to American culture makes figuring this out even more difficult for him. He's trying to fit in with his new friends, and sometimes he tries too hard. He's also no more or less horny and eager to lose his virginity than Kelso and Eric.

As the series goes on, however, his virginity and now-excessive horniess become a consistent punchline. Instead of innocently not knowing how far to push a joke, he consciously and willfully crosses lines he shouldn't, like hiding under Donna's bed and in her closet.

My personal headcanon is that he comes from a country where men have emotionally and physically (e.g., holding hands, embracing) intimate platonic relationships/friendships. The stigma attached to that in the U.S. doesn't exist in his country. That's why he wants to hold hands with Hyde after Hyde offers his protection from bullies, why he can appreciate Kelso and Hyde's beauty on an aesthetic level, etc.

Other people headcanon Fez as bisexual or pansexual. Those are valid interpretations, too.

Dr.PP

Yeah, when they tell Fez he's acting questionable, but he still does it, it's not a funny cultural misunderstanding anymore. I agree with your take on the way platonic male pals can be like where he's from & I think a lot of comedy could have come from that, as much as show the awkward discomfort western type male friends can exhibit toward eachother, as to say they're being really square. But instead it comes across more exclusively as just making Fez seem even more creepy or bordering on being a closeted gay at times. Why give Fez the line about how Eric's Buddy is obviously gay? Seems more like something Hyde would've said. Some of the diologue they gave him felt to me really contrived & I rarely laughed, like calling people whore so much. I feel like Fez was an unfortunately missed opportunity & I'd like to have seen "the foreign kid" or otherwise the only composite other/oddman out have better material. I think Rhonda, Caroline & Nina were best characters to play off of & have something interesting happen involving him. The other central characters I felt had more to do or say, even when not in romantically involved.

I feel that the other guys could've given him more conversation about dating. Early on Fez seemed to be desperate & take any connection he could get. Later he seemed to have ample opportunities, yet his silky smooth surface act hadn't really changed to a more authentic or genuine incarnation of a growing Fez. He displayed his insecurity & self esteem issues many times throughout the series, almost consistently.

When he initially rejected Jackie, was that the second time we see him stand up for himself since breaking up with Caroline? I mean in a lasting action, not just a passing quip/one liner.

I've never seen Wimer talk specifically about different parts of the characterization. Just that Fez is foreign & trying to fit in.

MistyMountainHop

That's likely because Fez isn't fleshed-out enough as a character. We don't know what his internal conflicts are. Or, really, how he feels about trying to fit into a new culture and with his friends. Whenever he has a girlfriend, we get some conflict for him (internal and/or external) and stakes.

He stands up for himself against Kelso several times. When Kelso ridicules him for being foreign, Fez sabotages Kelso's plan to make money of The Hub's pinball machine. It was a clever and devious move.

As for "standing up to" Jackie, that whole arc is a problematic mess. The moment Fez realizes that treating Jackie with respect won't get him what he wants - -i.e. her romantic/sexual affection -- he begins to disrespect her. In the early seasons, he's not kind to her simply for the sake of being kind but to get something from her. Unlike Hyde, who often sacrifices his safety (internal and external) for her because he believes it's the right thing to do, not because he wants or expects some kind of (romantic/sexual) reward from her.

Of course, that doesn't excuse how Jackie takes advantage of Fez's desire for her affection, but she never promises him anything in return. Never indicates he'll be "rewarded" for carrying her luggage, etc. He's offering, so she accepts. If she'd realized he believed she owed him romantic/sexual affection for his "good deeds," she would've rejected his "kindness".

I've never seen Wimer talk specifically about different parts of the characterization. Just that Fez is foreign & trying to fit in.[/QUOTE]