The main gang of That ’70s Show is a tight-knit group of misfit friends. While they always have each other’s backs, they are also not afraid to throw each other under the bus or screw around with one another. Every member of the gang gets treated in this way at some point or another, but some characters get the most of it. One of those characters is Fez.
Fez is the resident weirdo on That ’70s Show. He is a sex-obsessed, candy eating foreign exchange student who is always doing something inappropriate. Most notably, he is always spying on Jackie and Donna through their closets. However, he’s also often the punchline of someone’s joke or being used in a shameless prank by the guys. While there are some good things they did for him, here are some of the worst things the gang put Fez through.
Turning Him Into A Pothead
As soon as Fez meets the guys, his life is forever changed because they introduce him to their favorite pastime, smoking weed. From then on, he’s just as hooked on the stuff as everyone else. It puts him at risk because he’s already trying to adjust to life in America.
Now he has illegal drugs thrown in the mix. This was also putting him at risk because of his overly strict host parents. If they ever caught him while smoking weed, they could have had him sent back to his home country.
Got Him Arrested
In season five, episode 24, “Immigrant Song,” Kelso, Hyde, and Fez decide to vandalize the water tower for their senior prank. Kelso falls off like he usually does. After Hyde goes down to find him and take him to the hospital, they leave Fez up there alone to finish the job. That’s when the police show up.
Kelso and Hyde are so caught up over their fight over Jackie they don’t even realize that this happens, and Fez has to find his way back from the police station. During the arrest, the police run a background check on Fez and find out his student visa is about to expire upon graduation, which means he has to leave the country in a week.
Using Him As The Punchline Of Racist Jokes
Even though we never know Fez’ specific heritage, he’s still used as the source of a lot of racism throughout the show. There are always jokes at his expense, from Red calling him “The Foreign Kid” to Jackie refusing to acknowledge him because he’s a foreigner. In fact, sometimes he’s just called basically any foreign-sounding name.
Fez is the only one in the core group who is colored, and he’s also the one who gets degraded the most. At some point or another, Fez’ nationality and immigration status are part of the gang’s many, many jokes and burns. While there are a lot of That ’70s Show themes that wouldn’t go over well today, this is one of the worst.
Not Bothering To Remember His Real Name
Fez is originally given his name because the rest of the gang doesn’t want to try to remember or pronounce his real name. They do know his real name. He tells it to them when they first meet him. The school bell rings while he’s saying it, so the audience doesn’t hear it.
However, they immediately decide not to bother learning it because it’s too hard. So they just call him “Foreign Exchange Student (FES).” While his real name is difficult if they really cared they could have gotten the hang of it with practice. At one point, Kelso suggests calling him “Captain Poo-Face.” This isn’t very respectful to Fez.
Bringing Him To Canada Knowing He Only Has A Green Card
In season three, episode 23, “Canadian Road Trip,” the guys take a road trip to Canada to buy beer, where they are of legal age. Fez goes with them. Granted, this was a time when immigration wasn’t a hotbed issue and border security wasn’t as strict.
However, this whole trip puts Fez in a risky position because he only has a green card. They know that going over the border to get beer and smuggling it back is a tricky mission. They do get caught and arrested by Canadian mounties, but they get sent back empty-handed. In real life, this may have gotten Fez deported and he should never have gone with them.
Making Fun Of His Virginity
Of all of the gang, Fez is the last one to lose his virginity. This isn’t for his lack of trying, either. And the guys are always making fun of him for it, making him feel like less of a man because he hasn’t had sex yet. For the most part, this is something Fez can’t really control until he finds the right person.
Then, even when he does lose his virginity and is excited to announce it to the gang, Eric questions him sarcastically. He says, “This isn’t like that time you bought a hamster, named it Virginity, and then lost it, is it?”
Trashing Basically All Of His Hobbies
While the whole gang is basically like the outcast group, Fez is arguably the most like a misfit because his hobbies are different than the things everyone else likes to do. For example, Fez loves dancing and performing. In season four, episode 24, “That 70s Musical,” Fez is performing in the school musical.
However, he’s growing anxious because he’s convinced his friends aren’t coming as they think his love of theatre is lame. This prompts him to create musical fantasies in his head while waiting for them to show up.
Acting Like He’s Stupid When He Doesn’t Get American Slang
Anyone who has migrated to the U.S. or comes from a different cultural background knows that sometimes American slang and customs are tricky to get used to. This is a normal part of life for just about anyone. It doesn’t mean you’re stupid. However, on That ’70s Show, it apparently does.
While Fez adjusts to his new American life, his friends constantly treat him like he’s stupid because he doesn’t get their jokes or references. If he says a reference wrong, they just make fun of him instead of helping him understand what he’s saying.
Treating Him Like A Creepy Pervert
One of Fez’ signature shticks is that he “has needs” and is constantly trying to satisfy them, either by himself or with the ladies. But most of the time, he’s treated like some kind of creepy pervert. Especially by Jackie. Sure, Fez doesn’t really help himself in this department because he’s always trying to catch the girls naked or hiding in closets while they’re being intimate.
However, when he does those things it’s essentially shown as a harmless, naive act. But the way that the girls treat him demonizes him. When Fez finally does get a girlfriend, Jackie is actually jealous because he isn’t fawning over her anymore. Essentially, Jackie just likes the attention and uses him to make herself feel better.
Taking Advantage Of His Gullible Nature
Fez tends to listen to his friends and take their word for things. Often, the guys take advantage of that fact. Hyde in particular likes to feed him lies or misinformation in order to trick Fez into doing things for his own entertainment.
Whether that means joining him for dangerous pranks or getting him to say something that he doesn’t understand, this puts Fez into a lot of difficult positions that a true friend shouldn’t do.
