Posted on 09/30/2006 2:42:07 AM PDT by MadIvan
AMERICAs efforts to secure future energy supplies the Great Game of 21st-century global diplomacy became entangled yesterday with an even greater game: that of poking fun at Kazakhstan, as played by the British comedian Sacha Baron Cohen.
As George Bush was playing host to President Nursultan Nazarbayev of Kazakhstan, a country desperate to be taken seriously, Cohen, in his role of Borat Sagdiyev, a fictional Kazakh TV reporter, upstaged them both.
Borat issued an invitation last night to George Walter Bush and other American dignitaries, Donald Rumsfeld, Bill Gates, O. J. Simpsons and Mel Gibsons, to a private screening of his new moviefilm, Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan, which will have its British premiere at The Times BFI London Film Festival next month.
The US event, would, he promised, be followed by a cocktail party at a Hooters restaurant, a chain famed for scantily clad, heavily cleavaged waitresses serving cheap chicken wings and beer.
Borat the film had its premiere at the recent Toronto festival and opens in November has developed a huge following in the US.
The film includes lines such as: We have many hobbies: disco dancing, archery, rape and table tennis. Other pastimes include the running of the Jews and dog-shooting. The White House, unsurprisingly, responded sniffily to his invitation, saying that Mr Bush would not be attending the event and denied that the film had been discussed during yesterdays talks. This is not a presidential matter, a spokesman said.
But it has been impossible to avoid Kazakhstans efforts to rebut Cohens depiction of the country during its presidents visit this week.
Its Government has spent heavily on television adverts describing Kazakhstan as the beautiful heart of Eurasia, along with a four-page supplement in The New York Times boasting about its sophisticated culture, booming economy, sushi bars and religious tolerance.
Borat hit back by staging an impromptu press conference outside Kazakhstans Embassy on Thursday. These are disgusting fabrications, he said, waving the newspaper advertisement, claiming it was perpetrated by evil nitwits from neighbouring Uzbekistan.
If there is one more item of Uzbek propaganda claiming that we do not drink fermented horse urine, give death penalty for baking bagels, or export over 300 tonnes of human pubis per year, then we will be left with no alternative but to commence bombardment of their cities with our catapults.
Kazakhstans Foreign Minister has, without any intended self-irony, made similar suggestions that Cohen, who is Jewish, may be acting on behalf of someones political order to denigrate the country.
The Government has not ruled out taking legal action against him.
WIT AND WISDOM?
Borat on sexual equality In Kazakhstan we say: God, man, horse, dog, then woman, then rat
On leisure In Kazhakstan we have many hobbies: disco dancing, archery, rape and table tennis
On civil rights Since the 2003 Tulyakov reforms, Kazakhstan is as civilized as any other country in the world. Women can now travel inside of bus. Homosexuals no longer have to wear blue hats. And age of consent has been raised to 8 years old
On democracy Democracy is different in America. For example: women CAN vote but horse can not!
On England Every Englishman must have a hobby. Some like to collect the stamp, some like to make the jam, but the most fun is to a kill a little animal with a shotgun or rip them up with wild dog
On Canadian diplomatic etiquette It also tradition in my country for wife of the Premier to give visiting dignitaries hand relief and mouth party if they royalty
This is absolutely bloody hilarious. :)
Regards, Ivan
Ping!
Borat is tops. Love him!!!
finally a reporter that has more credibility than the slimes team of dowd, krugman. and friedman combined.
Borat's the best. "We support your War of Terror..." Can't wait to see this movie.
Borat is King! I can't wait to see this film.
ping
Regards, Ivan
Haha, Sacha Baron Cohen, genius.
They had an article about the movie in the Wall Street Journal. As Borat he claims that "he has nothing to do with this guy Cohen" ... and to "kill the Jew".
Are the old Ali G Shows worth watching?
Do you remember that fad website that made the rounds several years ago, I believe he was a Turkish guy who's friends made a gag website. Can't remember his name, but it was very similar to Borat.
I wonder if that was where Cohen got his inspiration.
I like Borat, but nothing tops Ali G and his julie ;)
hysterical!
He reminds me of Andy Kaufman, in his ability to make people uncomfortable.
ROFL at Kazhakstan leisure time.
I think Borat is confusing Democrats with Uzbeks.
This fellow is the Peter Sellers of this generation.
I had heard that fermented horse urine has quite a kick.
The true test of someone's intelligence is how quickly they pick up on the fact that it is a joke.
Youtube has some deleted scenes from the movie up. The best one is him telling a doctor that he has had many STDs "Ladies love Borat, high five".
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