Post #266884 by donhonyc on Wed, Nov 15, 2006 9:28 AM

But do NOT confuse "Borat" for "Jackass." The latter is just dumb; I don't mean that necessarily in a pejorative sense -- but rather in the way that "Benny Hill" is just dumb. The Borat character's ignorance, on the other hand, requires the nimbleness of a very clever mind. And while not all of his "victims" are bigots, he does try to aim primarily for bigots, elitists, and bullies of various stripes. The anti-semitism he both exhibits and exposes and the condacension his character engenders are all the more funny because we viewers, of course, all know that he's Jewish and Ivy League.

Cohen's work is not high brow and it's primary aim is simply to be funny -- but it is also immistakably satire. I tend to believe that exposing the ridiculousness of bigotry does more to mitigate it than any number of speeches and marches. Any film that does that and makes me laugh half as much as "Borat" is quite welcome in my view.

[ Edited by: monkeyskull 2006-11-14 23:53 ]

One of the important things about film whether the movie sucks or not, whether it's universally accepted by the public and/or critics is that it reflects the popular tastes of society at the time of it's release, or at least what the filmmakers think the popular tastes are. This is one of the aspects of film studies, or studies in popular culture. Make no mistake about it 'Borat' was able to happen because 'Jackass' ALREADY happened. There's no confusion there at all. In the plainest of terms, this is what people like at this moment. This is what people want to wait on long lines for and spend their money on right now. And I'll bet good money that a large segment of those people neither care about or buy into any of the intellectual spin your putting on this film. They are there to see people humilated, guys wrestling naked, etc., etc. Just like the 'Jackass' audience. Lowest Common Denominator...period. I know. I'm one of the few in the world that doesn't like this movie, but it's not just the movie, it's where people's heads are at and where they're headed to. Most of entertainment these days has nothing to do with imagination, but more to do with judgement and voyeurism and that is f*cked! It's like a constant train wreck with an eternal line of rubber-neckers.

I think alot of people would like to beleive 'Borat' is satire, but satire on what? The way average people react when they are put in uncomfortable situations? Yes there were some pokes at American culture in the film (Pamela Anderson, the rodeo, the drunk frat guys). But please don't tell me this is 'thinking man's' comedy and a wall to wall expose on the ignorance of Americans, which by the way...I'm all for watching. Like I mentioned earlier, The Daily Show is good at that. Benny Hill isn't even a fair comparison. Where that is naughty, bawdy humor, 'Borat' is selfish baiting of unsuspecting people. Some of the people in this film could've been from any Western country. This film didn't have everything to do with just Americans. You want good, funny biting political satire and commentary on the dim-wittedness of the common American? Watch 'All In the Family'. That did everything that 'Borat' wants to do without all of the sub-mental shannanigans. 'Borat' just proves that people in entertainment are too LAZY to come up with a character like an Archie Bunker and would rather take the easy way out and appeal to the neanderthal in all of us.

After I posted this thread I saw some clips of Sacha Baron Cohen and his Ali G character. What I saw of him was funny and definitely clever. He is definitely a talented person. And even though I am obviously not crazy about the Borat character, Cohen has proved that he can succesfully transform himself into a very convincing alter ego/persona. But at the time I saw this film I didn't know that Cohen was Jewish or Ivy League. Now that I know, I'm not sure if that makes things better or worse. Gee...another rich kid with all of the advantages in the world who gets to go out and make fun of people and make more money off of it. Isn't that just fabulous? And what about the cavemen and women in the audience that DON'T know Cohen's ethnic/religious background and will never care to know or find out that he's Jewish? Pretty cool right? Just perpetuate that negativity. Brilliant!!

[ Edited by: donhonyc 2006-11-15 11:18 ]