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

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.

It's almost time for Merry Juanica season!

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.

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.

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.

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?

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

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.

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.