Da Ali G Show

Da Ali G Show was a satirical Channel 4 show (aired on HBO in the United States) starring British comedian Sacha Baron Cohen, who played three bumbling journalists — Ali G, Borat Sagdiyev, and Bruno — who interviewed unsuspecting people (sometimes very high-ranking officials) and made them look foolish.

Controversy

The questions and methods used by Sacha Baron Cohen through his characters do not come without occasional controversy. Some guests become upset when they learn they've been tricked, and various comments made on the show have caused outrage with viewers. In one episode, Borat went to a bar in Arizona and sang a song about Jews, in which he said, "Throw the Jew down the well/so my country can be free/you must grab him by his horns/then we have a big party," to which the bar responded gleefully, and joined in. This caused some disruption in the Jewish community, to which HBO spokesman Quentin Schaffer replied, "Through his alter-egos, he delivers an obvious satire that exposes people's ignorance and prejudice in much the way All in the Family did years ago" http://www.thejewishweek.com/news/newscontent.php3?artid=9732. It should be noted that Sacha Baron Cohen is himself Jewish. In another incident, Ali G said during an opening monologue, "afta the tragic events of 7-11," in reference to the 9-11 terrorist attacks on the United States.

Related Topics:
Borat - Bar - Arizona - Jews - HBO - All in the Family - 9-11 terrorist attacks

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One upset interviewee was James Broadwater, a Republican candidate for U.S. Congress. He was interviewed by Borat, who told him that the interview would be played in Kazakhstan and other foreign countries to teach others about the American political system. Borat's questioning led Broadwater to state that Jews would go to Hell if they did not follow the Christian religion. This comment sparked upset in some Jewish communities, and prompted Broadwater to post a letter on his website denouncing Da Ali G Show. http://www.webgeordie.co.uk/borat/broadwater.htm

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

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