Borat's New Pals Aren't So Happy About Stardom
Filed under: Comedy, 20th Century Fox
One of the most deliciously fascinating aspects of Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan is the way in which the masterful comedian Sacha Baron Cohen gets "normal" Americans to lower their guard, say some really ignorant things, and not even realize how goofy they are. But since the producers were smart enough to get the paperwork filed in advance, all the footage is entirely legal, hilariously legit and (often) painful to watch.A recent Newsweek article caught up with several of the interview subjects found within Borat, and (needless to say) a solid handful of them are not all that happy with their newfound noteriety: A car salesman was given $150 for three hours of his time -- and still harbors some unkind memories of Borat's visit. A Washington D.C. "humor coach" found it odd that the crazy Kazakhstani paid him in advance -- and in cash. An etiquette teacher from Alabama seems rather perturbed that she'll be appearing in "an R-rated film." (Sheesh, what year is this??) And the rodeo cowboy who trashed Muslims and gays ... well, he hasn't seen the flick yet, but odds are he'll soon be seen as a local hero. And the irony just keeps on coming...
The article is pretty darn enlightening to me, as I spent hours after seeing Borat wondering: How the HELL did he get normal folks to let down their guard and display such, well, honest behavior? And therein, I think, lies the genius of Sacha Baron Cohen's approach: By presenting such an "undesirable" foreigner, he allows his subjects to grow confident and perhaps a little superior. And that's where the "warts and all material rears its hilariously ugly head. You just might want to wait until after you see Borat before reading this article, but see the flick you absolutely must. It opens on November 3rd, and I'll be there on opening night. Yes, again.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
11-04-2006 @ 9:17AM
Miguel Jimenez said...
I am a BORAT fan and I get the joke. He is reminicent of the Andy Kaufman character "foriegn man" who later became "Latka Gravis". That character often crossed the line and many did not understand the humor. It is refreshing to see a comic genius like Sacha Cohen take this simply idiotic representative of a fictional country across the US and inadvertantly (or vertantly?) expose some Americans for what they really are.
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11-06-2006 @ 7:48PM
Chris said...
Fictional country? Hate to break it to you Miguel, but Kazakhstan is quite real. Borat is fictional, and isn't even speaking the native language, but the country he claims to be from can be found on any post-USSR map.
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11-13-2006 @ 12:26AM
Robert said...
"idiotic representative of a fictional country"
It might be funnier if the country he is mis representing was indeed fictional, however it is quite real... And some of the accusations he's made as to his country's customs etc. are pretty insulting to that country he is pretending to hail from.
As for making Americans say some really stupid things... Beer does it every night, swing by any trashy bar in town and enjoy the show.
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11-06-2006 @ 5:37PM
flamer's grill said...
Of the interview subjects, I thought most of them have nothing to be ashamed of. The car salesman was talking to a fellow male and going through a standard sales pitch. The etiquette and humor coaches were both professional and patient and behaved like they should have in a professional environment. Even the driving teacher took almost everything in stride, and he seemed to have the most to lose: HIS LIFE (he was, of course, under the assumption that Borat actually was a kazakh with poor driving skills).
The rodeo cowboy should be red faced, as he offered his racism unsolicited. "That's what we're tryin to do here as well" was his response when Borat told him that homosexuals were lynched back in his native Kazakhstan. It's one thing to find gays/jews/etc a little annoying or distasteful; it's another to happily advocate their murder.
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