Sacha Baron Cohen - The Real Borat - Finally Speaks

The Rolling Stone ^ | 11/16/06 | NEIL STRAUSS

[SirJohnBarleycorn]

In his only interview as himself, Sacha Baron Cohen talks about growing up kosher in London, inventing a new kind of comedy with Ali G and conquering Hollywood with Borat

(snip)

Since reaching star status in Britain in 1998 with his other alter ego, the wangsta jester Ali G, Baron Cohen has never done an interview in his home country as himself and has never done an interview this extensive anywhere.

(snip)

When Baron Cohen first heard that the Kazakh government was thinking of suing him and placing a full-page ad promoting the country in The New York Times, he was editing his movie in Los Angeles. His reaction: "I was surprised, because I always had faith in the audience that they would realize that this was a fictitious country and the mere purpose of it was to allow people to bring out their own prejudices. And the reason we chose Kazakhstan was because it was a country that no one had heard anything about, so we could essentially play on stereotypes they might have about this ex-Soviet backwater. The joke is not on Kazakhstan. I think the joke is on people who can believe that the Kazakhstan that I describe can exist --who believe that there's a country where homosexuals wear blue hats and the women live in cages and they drink fermented horse urine and the age of consent has been raised to nine years old."

In actuality, it turns out that Borat is a far more damning critique of America than it is of Kazakhstan. The jokes that Baron Cohen mentions above -- and all the rest about beating gypsies, throwing Jews down wells, exporting pubic hair and making monkey porn -- are clearly parody. But the America that Borat discovers on his cross-country trek here -- rife with homophobia, xenophobia, racism, classism and anti-Semitism -- is all too real.

"I think part of the movie shows the absurdity of holding any form of racial prejudice, whether it's hatred of African-Americans or of Jews," Baron Cohen says.

(snip)

It soon becomes clear that he is not merely curious or vegetarian or allergic to peanuts. He keeps kosher and is making sure that there is no shellfish, pork or other forbidden food or food combination in the dish. A devout Jew, Baron Cohen also keeps the Sabbath when he can, which means that he doesn't work from Friday evening to Saturday evening.

[Alouette]

Sabbath observant "if it fits your schedule" is not how it works.

But that's how Joe Lieberman and Dr. Laura thought it worked.

I have no problem with people making an honest effort, only with those who brag about it.

[SolidWood]

"racism, classism and anti-Semitism"

The credo of the Democrats?

[karnage]

The movie is hilarious.

[Canard]

"Cohen appears to strive for accuracy in the same way as Michael Moore and Morgan Spurlock."

He doesn't 'strive for accuracy' in anyway at all or claim to. Did you think it was a documentary?!

[MeanWestTexan]

"I have no problem with people making an honest effort, only with those who brag about it."

Ditto.

[dead]

I agree. But Cohen seems to find jackasses in America ... and nowhere else. Not even his native Britain.

You're wrong. He made his career finding jackasses in the UK. He just got much more famous in America when he brought his act here.

[agere_contra]

In actuality, it turns out that Borat is a far more damning critique of America than it is of Kazakhstan.

Please note: this is Neil Strauss saying this, not Borat

[karnage]

I guess you've never seen his material of Borat in England - where he sends up lawn bowling clubs, rowing, fox hunting, the British class system, etc. Hilarious. The Brits come off every bit as bigoted and dorky as the Americans he duped in the movie. The scene where he gets British aristocrats to gleefully admit that there is nothing more fun than killing small animals is just priceless.

[AnotherUnixGeek]

"I was surprised, because I always had faith in the audience that they would realize that this was a fictitious country and the mere purpose of it was to allow people to bring out their own prejudices. And the reason we chose Kazakhstan was because it was a country that no one had heard anything about

Very parochial. Just because Cohen hasn't heard anything about Kazakhstan doesn't mean the rest of the world hasn't. If he was trying for a fictitious country, he should have used a fictitious name. Obviously he never even considered what the reaction of the people of Kazakhstan to his misrepresentations might be - obviously he never considered anything about them. Incredibly elitist attitude.

In actuality, it turns out that Borat is a far more damning critique of America than it is of Kazakhstan. The jokes that Baron Cohen mentions above -- and all the rest about beating gypsies, throwing Jews down wells, exporting pubic hair and making monkey porn -- are clearly parody. But the America that Borat discovers on his cross-country trek here -- rife with homophobia, xenophobia, racism, classism and anti-Semitism -- is all too real.

Try hard enough and you'll find homophobia, xenophobia, racism, classism, and anti-Semitism everywhere. Lord knows you won't have to try as hard in England as you will in most of the US. The idea of someone from the UK presuming to mock Americans for classism and anti-Semitism is preposterous. How many fake interviews and takes did it get to find the people who eventually made the final cut? More than it would have taken anywhere in Western Europe.

[Nonstatist]

It's okay though, because it's genuinely witty and funny and at times hilarious?

Yeah, I think so.

[Jibaholic]

I thought the movie was hysterical. And like it or not, there are racists and bigots out there. Is it a significant cause of poverty like the breakdown of the family? No.

But does it exist and is it something that we should expose to public shame? Yes.

[bondjamesbond]

I may have to go out and see that stupid movie after all...

[jrawk]

Really?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wVtPuRTwGo4

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=txfHVG3ioAs

He started this routine in Britain. The same jokes work there as here. Borat's comedy in my opinion does not expose prejudice as much as it exposes the willingness of people to not offend someone or create confrontation to the point of agreeing with things that are not part of their character. Sure at times it may, but many more times I see clever editing or social facilitation as what is actually on display. Fact is, you could get the same footage in Kazakhstan.

-- lates
-- jrawk

P.S. it is hysterically funny.

[gaijin]

When he attends a dinner party, it's at a home on SUCCESSION drive.

When he mocks frats boys, they're from the University of NORTH CAROLINA.

When he smashes up stuff in an antique shop, it's one that sells CONFEDERATE STUFF.

When he mocks a politician, it's ALAN KEYES --an "uppity" black man who has gotten in his head that he's a conservative. Later, he gets Bork.

When he invades a place of worship, it's an evangelical CHURCH.

Virtually the only time in the movie that he's really unPC is when he calls a feminist "pussycat" --that is COVER for his core agenda, which is attacking traditional values.

When Cohen markets a movie where he vigorously insults muslims, THEN I will consider him edgy.

[rawcatslyentist]

>"He looks like Frank Zappa to me."

Tengo na minchia tanta

Cool tune till you find out what the lyrics REALLY mean! I suspect the same of BoreRat!

[JerseyHighlander]

SOrry, but the Brits do a damn well good job finding the worst stereotypes of British Jews ad running with it in entertainment media. Have you seen "Lock, Stock, and 2 Smoking Barrels"?

[Mac1]

"What would the reaction be if an American went to England, found a few examples of English Jews who would reinforce the worst stereotypes of Jews imaginable, and deceived and then mocked them on camera in a way that was genuinely witty and funny?"

Why don't they just do it?

[buffyt]

Sasha Cohen the ice skater co-wrote a book "FIRE ON ICE".
Photography done by MY NIECE KATHY GOEDEKEN!

GO KATHY!

Sasha Cohen: Fire on Ice: Autobiography of a Champion Figure Skater by Sasha Cohen, Amanda Maciel, Kathy Goedeken (Illustrator) Kathy used to be an olympics photographer. She is no longer doing that. She had a great time traveling for years, doing photography!

[Enterprise]

"Every nation has jackasses, and laughing at them is the appropriate response."

[Enterprise]

But the America that Borat discovers on his cross-country trek here -- rife with homophobia, xenophobia, racism, classism and anti-Semitism -- is all too real.

It's true. Really. They're called Democrats. Honest!