Borat

Borat Sagdiyev (Assumed Cyrillic: ????? ???????) is a fictional Kazakhstani media figure, created as satire and played by British comedian Sacha Baron Cohen. He is featured in each episode of Da Ali G Show, doing satirical interviews with various people who apparently do not realize the show is fake. He has visited Britain and the USA. The character's supposed Kazakh origins are purely a plot device; the near-total lack of knowledge of the country among westerners enables the show's writers to create outrageous dialogue while preserving a semblance of credibility with the interviewee.

Controversy

Borat has been the cause of some controversy, mostly related to his frequent displays of anti-Semitism. Sacha Baron Cohen, who plays Borat, is himself Jewish. Defenders use this to justify his character's racist nature, stating that the segments are a "dramatic demonstration of how racism feeds on dumb conformity, as much as rabid bigotry," rather than a display of racism by Cohen himself. http://news.independent.co.uk/people/profiles/story.jsp?story=553818

Related Topics:
Anti-Semitism - Sacha Baron Cohen - Jewish

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However, the Anti-Defamation League, a prominent Jewish lobby group, complained to HBO after Borat performed a country and western song that called on people to 'throw the Jew down the well', warning them that 'you must be careful of his teeth' and that 'you must grab him by the horns', to applause from an audience in Tucson, Arizona.

Related Topics:
Anti-Defamation League - Tucson, Arizona

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An interview with James Broadwater, a Republican candidate for U.S. Congress, caused Broadwater to receive some hateful emails after an episode of Da Ali G Show aired in which he stated that Jews will go to Hell. He was told that the interview would be played in foreign countries to teach others about the American political system. Broadwater later posted a letter on his website denouncing Da Ali G Show, explaining that his statement referred to a theological belief that anyone that "accepts Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior will spend eternity in Heaven, while everyone who rejects Him will spend eternity in Hell." Broadwater did not apologize for his comments, which many saw as insensitive and inflammatory. http://www.webgeordie.co.uk/borat/broadwater.htm

Related Topics:
James Broadwater - Republican - U.S. Congress - Email - Hell

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Everything that Borat says about Kazakhstan is incorrect. His outrageous statements about the country, about which most Americans and Europeans have little, if any, knowledge, demonstrate the ignorance of the show's targets, who assume unfamiliar countries are woefully underdeveloped in both technology and culture. Most people in Kazakhstan have never heard of Borat, but the Kazakhstani embassy in the United States has made a formal complaint to HBO to remove Borat http://www.kazakhembus.com/. Borat, in his defence, responded by releasing a statement of random cyrillic characters.

Related Topics:
Embassy - HBO - Cyrillic

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Most of Borat's interviews also carry with them a strong homosexual undertone. Interviews inevitably involve discussion of "khram" or about the sexual preferences of the interviewee, or other celebrities such as Freddie Mercury. Borat enjoys touching and holding men but has a noticeable aversion towards women. Borat describes his ideal mate as having at least some plough experience, no history of mental retardation in the family, and additionally, "must be tight like a man's anus".

Related Topics:
Homosexual - Freddie Mercury - Plough - Mental retardation - Anus

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Borat often finds himself in ridiculous situations that involve painfully funny physical comedy. Some have compared Sacha Baron Cohen's Borat character with some of Peter Sellers' work. However, it is not clear whether or not one of Sellers' characters would have told a female member of the Oklahoma City Council that he wishes to "make romance inside of you," followed by the exclamation "all day I think of you, no clothes, wa-wa-wee-wa. That is very wonderful."

Related Topics:
Physical comedy - Sacha Baron Cohen - Peter Sellers

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See also:

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