Borat, Borat...enough with BORAT!!!

Ever feel like you are missing something? This is the way I have been feeling regarding the Borat phenomenon that seems to be sweeping the planet. The comedy, Borat: Cultural Learnings of America For Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan, has been the number one movie two weeks running and could become the highest grossing comedy of all time (not that this matters-the highest grossing sports film of all time? Anyone? The Waterboy!!)

And the news following this phenomenon is relentless. Here is an article about him appearing on Saturday Night Live with Hugh Laurie. Even funnier, an article about the actor who plays Borat, Sacha Baron Cohen getting beaten up after that Saturday Night Live appearance. He approached this New Yorker and said, “I like your clothings. Are nice! Please may I buying? I want have sex with it.” The guy responded by pounding the crap out of him. Hugh Laurie actually had to come to his defense.

Apparently this is Cohen's thing, he continues to do interviews and appear on the street in character. The last actor I remember who did this was Paul Ruebens/Pee-Wee Herman, and that helped in the killing his career.

Apparently, there are a lot of Borat fans where I work as a segment with Cohen (in character as Borat) was on the Tonight Show and even appeared in a segment with a very uncomfortable looking Martha Stewart.



Controversies continue to dog Cohen/Borat. The villagers of Glod, Dâmboviţa County, Romania who claim they were lied to by Borat producers regarding the nature of the film. They did not know they were going to be portrayed as ignorant and say they were only paid the equivalanet of 6 american dollars for their appearance in the movie.

There are the two drunken frat boys who appear in the film swearing and making racist and sexist comments are suing 20th Century Fox and the three production companies. THey say they were duped into appearing and were liquored up before appearing on camera. They have since left their fraternity and school and are suffering from mental anguish.

If you don't know the character of Borat, he is this "reporter from Kazakhstan" and he appears places has a funny voice, makes sexist and anti-semitic remarks and is generally inappropriate to everyone involved.

Here is an article from MSNBC which details everyone else who where unknowingly in on the joke and are threatening lawsuits, have lost their job or just genuinely embarrassed.

Salon.com also has an interesting article about what was real and what was faked throughout the film. Chicago film critic/columnist Richard Roeper has also weighed in on the topic of Borat, first giving the film a marginal thumbs up and saying that what Cohen/Borat was doing was simply a rip off of what Andy Kaufman used to do in the 70s. Which makes me wonder if all of these controversies are also simply part of the act.

Since we are talking comedies, one of my favourite comic actors is Billy Crystal.

Top 5 Billy Crystal films
1. City Slickers
2. When Harry Met Sally...
3. Forget Paris
4. Running Scared
5. Mr. Saturday Night

One addendum to this blog entry, even J-Mac has jumped on board so I may be all alone on this one. I told her what I was writing about today and she said that she really wants to see it and when I told her about all the controversies surrounding it, my Scottish partner said, "Americans just don't understand British humour."