SixOhSix47 wrote:

ginandtacos.com wrote:Complete and utter shit. A show for white people to sit around and enjoy the comedic value inherent in how those wacky negroes and foreigners talk. Vociferously defended by people who would be offended if he came out in blackface and did a little Sambo dance - even though what he does isn't a whole lot different.

I disagree. I haven't seen that much of Ali G, but from what I have had the pleasure of catching, the show very cleverly reveals racism and homophobia; it is not exploitative.

Agreed, the only racism or homophobia I've seen on the show is displayed by the people that get interviewed, and they're mostly white. I can easily see why a lot of groups get offended by it though - I'm sure the Uzbeks aren't too happy especially with what Borat says about their young men.

ginandtacos.com wrote:Complete and utter shit. A show for white people to sit around and enjoy the comedic value inherent in how those wacky negroes and foreigners talk. Vociferously defended by people who would be offended if he came out in blackface and did a little Sambo dance - even though what he does isn't a whole lot different.

Woosh!

Over your head, by a few light years.

Da Ali G show is the only thing that can always make me laugh out loud by myself.

Baron Cohen appears to have drawn official Kazakh ire after he hosted the annual MTV Europe Music Awards show in Lisbon earlier this month as Borat, who arrived in an Air Kazakh propeller plane controlled by a one-eyed pilot clutching a vodka bottle.

Amazing.

Bradley R. Weissenberger wrote:"We do not rule out that Mr. Cohen is serving someone's political order..."

Perhaps, they should grab Mr. Baron-Cohen by his horns and throw him 'down the well'. And then have a big party!

Da Ali G character is OK, but really Borat is why I think this guy is a genius. The sketch where he does wine tasting, and shows the geezers pictures of his sister... OH! Too funny!

I also like the one where he exposes the latent (or maybe blatent) anti-semitism of small town Arizona folks. He almost looks horrified (but also justified) when everyone starts singing along...

There's a clip floating around somewhere (I don't think it was on the show) of him singing the national anthem of his native country at a minor league baseball game in the south. He says something along the lines of President Bush should drink the blood of all Iraqis and had to be quickly escorted from the premise. The fact that he repeatedly puts himself in harms way illustrates part of the greatness. The cringe factor of discussing anal sex with a group of Republicans in Arizona is worth the price of admission.

I rented the movie ("In Da House") and thought it was pretty darn good. I had no idea there was a feature movie. It's sorta on the same level/mentality as an SNL spinoff movie, but quite a bit more clever and actually very funny. I found myself LOL'ing quite a bit.

Yes, he puts his neck on the line, and Borat is full of clever sarcasm -- he truly brings out the hateful American psyche, by cleverly pointing out how some rube from a primative region of central-eastern europe is on the same level as your American rube.

Is that footage available anywhere? Borat is so ace! That Iraqi blood thing must have been a few weeks back. This week, it's cool to be against the war, and into 80's new wave dance rock! Maybe it was a question of presentation and timing. Maybe if he said it this week, while break dancing to the Human League, everyone would have been on board.

Borat's physical/slapstick humor is also brilliant. The way he stands uncomfortably close to people... His eastern european smooches... It's all so funny.

The adult film aspect that is pervasive in the show is also quite ace! He's not some boring American prude.

As far as being some sort of Sambo act, I don't think Ali G is meant to portray a Carribean/English type person. Instead, Ali G is akin to your caucasian gansta type that you will find in any shopping mall or hanging outside of 7-11 in New Jersey. Well, that's the American analogue. But these fake gansta types are in the UK too. If you watch the movie, you will see this, because you see his posse, and the rival gang as well. Then you get the point that they're middle-class kids trying to be all tough and gangsta-like.

Brilliant show. The interviews are hillarious. Who cares if he's poking fun at Cofi Annan? Do you really think the UN is some sacred institution? Anyone hear about the oil for food scandal?!? Did they UN rush in in Rwanda? Tibet? They're a bunch of political executives. Go ahead and make fun of them. I'll laugh. They're not as bad as our government, but they're still pretty bad and deserve to be lampooned.

If the UN had any nads, they would have put sanctions against the US for our "illegal" war. But they're too chicken to do that. We give them too much money. Completely nadless and useless political institution.

There is no world government. Conflicts between nations are solved by war or trade sanctions. Diplomacy is a joke when it tries to accomplish more than trade regulations/de-regulations. Neo realists are correct, because they are the ones who decide to go to war or impose trade sanctions, etc. Their theory may not be correct, but since they are foreign policy leaders, they "make it so".

Ali G knows this, and it's this sort of disrespect for institutions that deserve no respect that I admire. The guy has some serious gumption, and I admire that!