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Sunday, November 19, 2006

Today in Stranger Suggests

posted by on November 19 at 8:44 AM

‘Borat’ (OVEREXPOSURE) Everywhere Borat goes, people expose themselves as vicious, ignorant boors. There’s the rodeo bit, with its bloodthirsty homophobes, and the morally and physically nauseating frat boys. Then there’s the naked wrestling where Borat exposes himself. (Hairy!) My favorite moment is in Alabama, when the audience realizes that the kindest, most humane character in the movie is a chubby black hooker and the worst slimeballs are the white southern gentry who condescend to teach Borat etiquette. There is a nihilistic joy in watching these arrogant pricks die of exposure. (See Movie Times for details.) BRENDAN KILEY

RSS icon Comments

1

"There is a nihilistic joy in watching these arrogant pricks die of exposure."

Erwin Wurm perhaps views the artworld in a similar vein. Great show Jen, thank you, sincerely! I missed the lecture, any insights?

Posted by One Minute Sculpture | November 19, 2006 9:17 AM
2

Luenell, the "most humane character" that you mentioned? She's a comedian and actress, and not a hooker. If he actually did call up a hooker from an ad he found in the newspaper, and he pulled his Borat routine, he would have been blown off at best. Probably knifed at worst.

And I can't figure out how you can say that the people at that dinner were slimeballs. Aside from saying that he could easily become "Americanized", they came off pretty well. They didn't start talking about hanging gays or about how minorities had "all the rights" or whatever.

In fact, the idea that they'd agree to teach some random foreign journalist about American culture and etiquette actually seemed to be a pretty positive thing, as was the fact that they tolerated him up to the point when he invited a (fake) hooker to the house and brought his shit to the dinner table.

Sure, they were a little naive and definitely more than a little arrogant. But I sure as hell wouldn't have been that patient with that asshole, and they deserve credit for that.

Posted by bma | November 19, 2006 9:27 AM
3

Considering he vigorously insulted them, and then took a shit in a plastic bag and brought it back to the dinner table, I think they treated him with admirable restraint.

Posted by Fnarf | November 19, 2006 10:30 AM
4

Yes, because what American culture really needs is more ethnic stereotyping and smug cultural fisking. Good job Sacha Cohen!

Posted by Joshua | November 19, 2006 10:34 AM
5

Good point Joshua. Jewish jokes may be the funniest jokes. The ones about how easy it is to make money and, of course, the jewish mother ones are sweet.

It's almost time for Merry Juanica season!

Posted by takes one to know one | November 19, 2006 10:55 AM
6

Borat is so overrated. He found half a dozen jerks and put them in his movie. The Alabama people "condescend" to teach Borat etiquette?!? He's the one that signed up for the etiquette class and they volunteered to have him for dinner. For crying out loud, the lady politely instructed him on the wonders of toilets after he returned with a steaming bag of turd to the dinner table. Once they figured out he was full of shit, they sent his ass packing, as was well deserved.

There are certainly very funny moments and some jerks exposed to the world, but the Borat movie is no more an indictment on American culture than it is on Kazakh culture. Which of course is to say, none.

Posted by him | November 19, 2006 2:06 PM
7

What sucks about being among the dissenters in this Borat thing is people actually fucking try to explain it to you, like there is some subtle humorous nuance that you're missing.

The people who are being made out to be the biggest assholes aren't in the movie, they're in your face anytime that stupid ass is mentioned, woefully incapable of seeing any other opinion.

My biggest problem is that Sascha Baron Cohen is just not funny. As a comic talent, he is just dull.

Lenny Bruce, Bill Hicks, Wondershowzen? Wonderful, accute, incisive, gutbustingly funny social commnetary disguised as humor. Borat? Sophomoric, blunt, uninteresting and not funny.

Posted by Not Even A Little Bit Funny | November 19, 2006 4:35 PM
8

Hello, backlash. That's pretty strong. Borat is funnier than hell. It's just a mistake to read a lot of meaning into it. He's a comedian, not a moral philosopher.

Posted by Fnarf | November 19, 2006 4:46 PM
9

...and there's my dilema being illustrated right before your very eyes. I am being corrected for not liking Borat.

Fnarf, I've come to overthink this shit through constantly defending my opinion. My opinion is no more sophisticated than this: Sascha Baron Cohen is not funny. As a comic talent he is not funny to me. I love comedy. He stinks at it IMO. That's it.

Clever? Yeah. Amusing? Meh. Funny? Nah.

Never liked Ali G, people gave me a hard time and assumed I'm either being elitist or totally don't get it and now, lo and behold, Cohen's returned with Borat, just as unfunny to me and I'm elitist or stupid anew. I just don't like the dude as a comic. I don't like Dane Cook either but I seldom find myself being overhwelmed with disbelief or bafflement from other people hen I say this. At best I get, "Oh, well. Maybe he's not for you then." and the conversation moves on.

Posted by Not Even A Little Bit Funny | November 19, 2006 8:26 PM
10

Here is an interesting take on the line between the character of Borat and the comedian Sascha Baron Cohen himself....

http://www.redress.btinternet.co.uk/gatzmon25.htm

Something that ran through my mind while watching Borat, aka Baron Cohen mock the ultra-evangelicals in the church scene was what if a gentile comedian had pulled the same stunt in a synagogue?

Posted by Owen | November 20, 2006 10:14 AM
11

the condesceding Southern 'gentry' were repugnant and got what they deserved... they smiled their cheesy smiles when Borat insulted them and brought shit to the table, but the second a black woman showed up, they freaked...and it wouldn't have mattered if it had been a 'nice' well dressed woman, not presented as a hooker...it was her race they found offensive...

p.s. I think the movie is overrated, too...it's funny, but it's not THAT funny...

Posted by michael strangeways | November 20, 2006 11:41 AM
12

There's nothing more pointless and dull than a debate over whether or not something is funny. Some (myself included) think Cohen's bit is the funniest thing around today (although Eddy Izzard is pretty close). Other's don't. There's no accounting for taste.

However, it is INCORRECT that Cohen's humor depends entirely on revealing the vicious, ignorant, or boorish side of his victims. Half of what he does is to show real people dealing with embarassing situations, just like the old Candid Camera show. The punchline is just as often someone appearing confused/bemused or trying desparately to seek some common ground in response to an outrageous comment or act, as it is someone making a boorish or racist comment.

What struck me about the dinner party scene was how gracious and friendly the hostess was despite the fact that she had just been offered a bag of warm feces. And I loved the humor coach, the car salesman, and driving instructor.

Posted by Sean | November 20, 2006 12:15 PM
13

hheeeeheeeeheeeheeehe. I still break out into giggles thinking about that movie and especially the naked fight scene and the scene at the end where the guy with no arm has the rubber hand didlo duct taped to his arm. heeheeehee. Just the words 'wedding sack' do it to me. hehehe

Posted by giggles | November 20, 2006 1:03 PM
14

@Strangeways: How do you know it was her race that sent the Southerners over the edge? They never said anything in that regard. Maybe it was because she was a hooker (or, at least, an actress playing a hooker).

But I agree with Sean. The humor is seeing how people react when put in uncomfortable situations. But I get annoyed when viewers extrapolate those situations as an indictment on all of America.

Posted by him | November 20, 2006 3:33 PM
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I don't know how anyone can see that absurd yellow bathing suit and not laugh their ass off.

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