[Dean's World] Dean: "Borat," AKA Sacha Baron Cohen

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Posted by Dean:
"Borat," AKA Sacha Baron Cohen
http://www.deanesmay.com/posts/1163125704.shtml


   There's a comedy character who is very popular right now calling
   himself "Borat," a clueless journalist from the nation of Kazakhstan.
   There's even a Borat movie out right now.

   Borat is better known as the British Jewish comedian named Sacha Baron
   Cohen. Cohen also has another character he's well-known for
   portraying, known by the name "Ali G." Both characters are very
   popular. You can read about Cohen and his characters [1]right here.

   Now, with all the obvious disclaimers ("some of my best friends are
   British and/or Jewish") I must say that I cringe when I see Cohen
   doing his "Borat" shtick. He's often very funny but he makes me wince
   anyway.

   Why? Most people have never heard of Kazakhstan, but it is a real
   country. A quite poor country with an average income of less than
   $8,500 per year. They have their own native language but about 95% of
   them also speak Russian. Why? Because they were conquered by the
   Soviet Empire, and the Soviets relocated a bunch of Russians to live
   there--and the Russians who are there now are mostly quite rich
   compared to the average native Kazakh.

   You can learn a lot about Kazakhstan if you are so inclined. I suggest
   reading the [2]CIA World Factbook and [3]Freedom House reports on the
   country. But basically it's a very poor country that was forcibly
   invaded and oppressed by the Soviets, and that still to this day is
   mired in poverty, poor education, a dysfunctional political system,
   and etc. They were forced by the Soviets to learn Russian (and by the
   way, "Borat" speaks broken Russian that's about as bad as his English
   from what I hear). Kazakhs are about 45% Orthodox Christian, about 45%
   Muslim, with the other 10% kind of a mixed bag. They also are still
   kind of behind the rest of the world on civil and political freedoms.

   So what is pampered, well-off Western comedian Sacha Cohen doing?
   Savagely mocking people from a poverty-stricken third-world country
   still trying to make its way out from under Soviet brutality. This
   wealthy, well-off British comedian routinely portrays them as a bunch
   of savage, illiterate, hairy rednecks with backward values and low
   intelligence, with their women being little more than hairy slaves and
   whores.

   Which is not to say there's no place for politically incorrect humor.
   But there is such a thing as going too far if you ask me.

   I'm not trying to make anyone feel guilty for thinking "Borat" is
   funny. But at a deep level I can't help but wonder: wouldn't this have
   worked better if he'd at least made up a fictional backwoods country,
   calling it "Karnakistan" or something? And couldn't he do something to
   make it clear that he doesn't actually despise people from poor and
   impoverished nations?

   Call me PC if you like. But "Borat" really makes me wince.

   Maybe if I knew Cohen was of Kazakh stock and truly loved the Kazakh
   people it wouldn't bug me so much.

   Or have I missed something here?

References

   1. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sacha_Baron_Cohen
   2. https://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/kz.html
   3. http://www.freedomhouse.org/template.cfm?page=22&year=2006&country=6990