Brüno Gehard

Brüno Gehard ([ˈbryːnoː gəʔˈhart], sometimes spelled Bruno or Brueno) is a satirical fictional character portrayed by British comedian Sacha Baron Cohen. A flamboyantly gay Austrian fashion reporter, Brüno first appeared during short sketches on The Paramount Comedy Channel in 1998, before reappearing on Da Ali G Show. Following the success of Ali G Indahouse and Borat, Universal Studios gained rights to produce and release a feature film, Brüno.[1] Along with Baron Cohen's other character, Borat, Brüno has been retired.[2][3]

Brüno Gehard
First appearance	"Law" (2003) (Da Ali G Show)
Last appearance	Brüno (2009)
Created by	Sacha Baron Cohen
Portrayed by	Sacha Baron Cohen
In-universe information
Nickname	Brüno
Gender	Male
Occupation	Fashion reporter Fashion journalist
Significant other	Lutz Schulze
Children	OJ (adopted son)
Nationality	Austrian

MTV Movie Awards

In May 2009, Brüno appeared at the MTV Movie Awards dressed as an angel with wings strapped to his buttocks hanging from the ceiling. As part of a prank, after an alleged equipment malfunction, he was lowered onto rapper Eminem who was seated directly beneath him. Brüno landed in Eminem's lap with his exposed rear end in Eminem's face. Members of D12, including Swifty, Kuniva, and Bizarre all helped to remove Brüno after Eminem said "Yo, get this motherfucker off me, man!" Eminem and the rest of the D12 members left the Awards, with Jesski shouting "Is the Real Slim Shady going to stand up?" Eminem appeared surprised, and slightly angry about the prank the whole time, but later claimed to reporters how he "laughed uncontrollably for about three hours" in his hotel afterward.[4] Later Eminem himself claimed that the stunt had been planned and rehearsed beforehand; Baron Cohen had discussed the idea with Eminem, who is a fan of Baron Cohen's work and agreed to do the stunt.[5]

Reaction

The character was well received by The Guardian, who described Brüno as, "howlingly funny, staggeringly rude, brutally incorrect and very often just brilliant".[6]

LGBT response

Some LGBT groups have criticized the character as perpetuating LGBT stereotypes.[7] "Sacha Baron Cohen's well-meaning attempt at satire is problematic in many places and outright offensive in others," Rashad Robinson, senior director of media programmes for the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) told the New York Times.[8]

Ayman Abu Aita Lawsuit

Baron Cohen appeared as Brüno on the Late Show with David Letterman in July 2009,[7][9] where he made reference to Ayman Abu Aita, whom Brüno interviewed in the movie, as a terrorist. Ayman Abu Aita was identified in the film as a member of the Al Aqsa Martyrs Brigades,[10] an organization responsible for numerous suicide bombings.[11] However, Abu Aita says that he was never a member of Al Aqsa Martyrs Brigades, though he identified as such in a 2002 Boston Globe article.[12][13] Abu Aita served two years in a prison in Israel for his role in the Second Intifada.[12] Aita made plans to sue, saying that he was misled and that he did not sign release forms for the footage of him which appeared in the film.[14] Baron Cohen increased his security detail after WorldNetDaily claimed to receive a statement from the Al Aqsa Martyrs Brigades threatening his life following the premiere of the film.[15] In December 2009, Abu Aita sued Cohen and Letterman in Washington D.C. Federal Court.[16] In November 2010, the lawsuit was dismissed in Washington D.C. Court so as to be refiled in the Supreme Court of New York.[17] The record of the New York court indicates that the case was discontinued and disposed on July 16, 2012.[17]

References

1. "Hollywood Reporter "Uni wins 'Brüno' auction for $42.5 mil"". hollywoodreporter.com. Archived from the original on 2006-12-14. Retrieved 6 November 2018.
2. Yahoo News: Cohen puts Bruno to bed Archived July 22, 2009, at the Wayback Machine Yahoo, 18 July 2009
3. Sacha Baron Cohen – Cohen Puts Bruno To Bed ContactMusic.com, 18 July 2009.
4. ""Eminem: I Laughed for 3 Hours Over Stunt"". Archived from the original on 2009-08-11. Retrieved 2017-12-12.
5. "RR Exclusive: Eminem Speaks On MTV Stunt & Robbery Rumors". Rap Radar. 2009-06-03. Archived from the original on 2009-06-11. Retrieved 2012-01-27.
6. Bradshaw, Peter (July 10, 2009). "Bruno – film review". The Guardian. London. Retrieved July 11, 2009.
7. Martin, Cindy; Collett-White, Mike. "Cohen camps it up as Queen's guard for UK premiere". reuters.com. Retrieved 6 November 2018.
8. Mackay, Mairi. "'Vassup!' 'Bruno' hits the carpet for London premiere". edition.cnn.com. Retrieved 6 November 2018.
9. Marshall, Tim (2009-07-30). "Bruno 'Terrorist': Producers Cheated Me". Sky News. Retrieved 2012-05-24.
10. Mackey, Robert (2009-08-06). "Did a Fake Interview With a 'Real Terrorist' in 'Brüno' Cross a Line?". New York Times. Retrieved 2012-05-24.
11. "Jerusalem bombing kills 9 bystanders". CNN. 2 March 2002.
12. Nissenbaum, Dion (2009-07-16). "Palestinian 'terrorist' plans suit over unwitting role in 'Bruno'". McClatchy Newspapers. Archived from the original on 2013-02-06. Retrieved 2012-05-24.
13. Shadid, Anthony (2002-03-23). "Fatah's Young Militants Vow to Fight on". Boston Globe.
14. The Guardian, 31 July 2009, The non-profit worker from Bethlehem who was branded a terrorist by Bruno
15. "Palestinian group threatens Sacha Baron Cohen." Archived 2009-07-31 at the Wayback Machine JTA. 28 July 2009.
16. Zongker, Brett (2009-12-09). "Ayman Abu Aita Sues 'Bruno,' Letterman For $110M". Huffington Post. Retrieved 2012-05-24.
17. Supreme Court Records Online Library, case 102524-2011