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September 14, 2006 3:07 AM

Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstanis the newest movie from Ali G creator Sacha Baron Cohen. Unfortunately, it seems to have sparked an honest-to-God diplomatic incident.
posted by EarBucket (51 comments total)

I'm not a fan of SBC's comedy - which gets tired pretty quickly IMHO, but this...

Baron Cohen responded to Ashykbayev in character by posting a video on the Official Borat website.

In the video, Borat said, "In response to Mr. Ashykbayev's comments, I'd like to state I have no connection with Mr. Cohen and fully support my Government's decision to sue this Jew.

"Since the 2003 Tuleyakiv reforms, Kazakhstan is as civilized as any other country in the world.

"Women can now travel on inside of bus, homosexuals no longer have to wear blue hats, and age of consent has been raised to eight years old."

... is genius
posted by stumcg at 3:27 AM on September 14, 2006

Borat is the one of the greatest characters ever. Sacha Cohen is a genius.
posted by heylight at 3:46 AM on September 14, 2006

I don't really care for his Ali G charcter, but man, I love me some Borat.
posted by QuarterlyProphet at 4:02 AM on September 14, 2006

I love it all.
posted by jikel_morten at 4:16 AM on September 14, 2006

At least this isn't some awful "resources of entire nation versus one man who just wants to be heard" scenario. Sascha Baron Cohen's yearly income must be close to the GDP of Kazakhstan so it's a pretty fair fight.
posted by Mayor Curley at 4:16 AM on September 14, 2006 [1 favorite has favorites]

Your statue of liberty, is she tight?
posted by furtive at 4:17 AM on September 14, 2006

This kind of publicity simply cannot be bought.
posted by enrevanche at 4:20 AM on September 14, 2006

Oh, but it can be engineered for a price.
posted by The White Hat at 4:27 AM on September 14, 2006

You know the president of Kazahkstan has a mustache - just like Hitler and Stalin and Hussein!
posted by benATthelocust at 4:47 AM on September 14, 2006

I had the most surreal experience about a year a go while leaving work in downtown Dallas. I was stopped at a red light and saw none other than THE Borat in the grey suit and everything (apparently the suit has never been washed). SBC was filming some on the street material in Dallas and I yelled out to him. I got a very dirty look from him and his crew so I went on about my business. I think ihis move will have a seen from a local rodeo that caused quite a local uproar.

Borat... I like!!!
posted by punkfloyd at 5:12 AM on September 14, 2006

Borat/Ali G went to the rodeo for the show on HBO a season or two ago; maybe that's what you saw?
posted by inigo2 at 5:24 AM on September 14, 2006

I think Borat's a real dick move.

"Borat certainly does not promote an image of Kazakhstan that is in sync with that which the government and its leader would like to promote abroad."

His blatant outpouring then prompted the Kazakh government to hire two public relations firms to counter the claims, and ran a four-page advertisement in The New York Times. The ad carried testimonials about the nation's democracy, education system and the power and influence enjoyed by women.

But Kazakhstan really isn't Democratic, so I hope Borat isn't the only thing Bush and Nazarbayev talk about.
posted by thirteenkiller at 5:35 AM on September 14, 2006

Thank you, please!
posted by mattr at 5:42 AM on September 14, 2006

I'm pretty sure Borat is a fake.
posted by srboisvert at 5:47 AM on September 14, 2006

Instead of freakin' out, the President of Kazakhstan should place a bunch of tourism ads everywhere. I'm sure that this combined with the movie would generate lots of interest in visiting Kazakhstan, some parts of it are beautiful.
posted by Vindaloo at 5:52 AM on September 14, 2006

It too bad SBC picked a random country that was minding its own business to pick on. I think Borat would be just as funny if he claimed to be from "Borchzicstan" or some other ficticious place that his interview subjects would hardly realize doesn't exist.
posted by StarForce5 at 6:23 AM on September 14, 2006

Here are the New Yorker and NPR interviews with Roman Vassilenko, press secretary for the Kazakh embassy in Washington. He has spent a lot of his time addressing Borat.
posted by horsewithnoname at 6:25 AM on September 14, 2006

Borat was in dallas shooting scenes for his new movie. I know he went to a yard sale and tried to hitchhike somewhere along the way. Unfortunately, people that knew him kept calling local radio stations saying who he was and where he was so they kinda killed the joke. I think he got some good stuff though.
posted by bob sarabia at 6:37 AM on September 14, 2006

You know the president of Kazahkstan has a mustache - just like Hitler and Stalin and Hussein!

So does Bush... only he shaves it off every day, so that no one will catch on.
posted by sonofsamiam at 6:41 AM on September 14, 2006

THis has been going on for some time now. Borat is the only image most people in the US (and probably other places) have of Kazakhstan.

Here is a link to a December 2005 story about the row over Borat's old URL, which was in the .kz domain.

All that aside, I think Borat is hilarious. There was a great bit where he got a bunch of yokels to sing along to "Throw the Jew Down the Well"; it was both mortifying and hilarious.
posted by Mister_A at 6:45 AM on September 14, 2006

It too bad SBC picked a random country that was minding its own business to pick on.

Kazakhstan has a funnier name than other random countries. Besides, isn't it a good thing that the Kazakh government wants to be seen as modern, tolerant and liberal?
posted by hoverboards don't work on water at 6:59 AM on September 14, 2006

If you haven't heard about its premiere at the TIFF, that's a story unto itself.
posted by chunking express at 7:18 AM on September 14, 2006

And this would be the story!
posted by chunking express at 7:18 AM on September 14, 2006 [1 favorite has favorites]

It too bad SBC picked a random country that was minding its own business to pick on. I think Borat would be just as funny if he claimed to be from "Borchzicstan" or some other ficticious place that his interview subjects would hardly realize doesn't exist.

That's right.
posted by thirteenkiller at 7:24 AM on September 14, 2006

The Borat illusion is fragile enough as it is -- he would have a harder time pulling it off if he also made up a fake nation of origin that (some) people would call him on.
posted by brain_drain at 7:36 AM on September 14, 2006

The Khazakstani President said he wanted to "preserve Khazakstan's reputation", but I didn't even know it had one beyond the stereotypes Cohen is portraying.
posted by D J Robertstein at 7:48 AM on September 14, 2006

I feel for the Kazakhs though. How would you feel if the #1 symbol of your country was someone pretending to be a yokel and spouting a bunch of crap that has zero to do with your actual country?

Most Americans are just too damn stupid to know anything thing about the real Kazakhstan

You know the president of Kazakhstan has a mustache - just like Hitler and Stalin and Hussein!


This is what the president of Kazakhstan. You just illustrated the ignorance that Americans are known for with that comment. I shouldn't be surprised though, after all you're from Kentucky.

But seriously though, borat has nothing at all to do with the real Kazakhstan, in appearance (Kazakhs actually look like East Asians) or in attitudes (Anti-Semitism? Where does that come from?)

The guy just makes fun of these people for no reason at all, and it's really not fair (IMO)
posted by delmoi at 7:55 AM on September 14, 2006

The Khazakstani President said he wanted to "preserve Khazakstan's reputation", but I didn't even know it had one beyond the stereotypes Cohen is portraying.

Of course you didn't, you're just an ignorant American!
posted by delmoi at 7:55 AM on September 14, 2006

Can I do a dirt in here?
posted by dr_dank at 7:59 AM on September 14, 2006

I feel for the Kazakhs though. How would you feel if the #1 symbol of your country was someone pretending to be a yokel and spouting a bunch of crap that has zero to do with your actual country?

Sadly, that's how I feel everytime Bush opens his mouth.
posted by [insert clever name here] at 8:10 AM on September 14, 2006

I can't stand Ali G, but I loves me some Borat.

Jagshemash!
posted by mrbill at 8:11 AM on September 14, 2006

My mother, she didn't love me. She said she wished she was raped by someone else.
posted by gfrobe at 8:15 AM on September 14, 2006

How would you feel if the #1 symbol of your country was someone pretending to be a yokel and spouting a bunch of crap

As an American, I guess I'd feel about the same as I do right now.
posted by notswedish at 8:30 AM on September 14, 2006 [3 favorites has favorites]

I'd bet that Bush would find Borat hilarious. I bet this is the first time he's heard of Kazakhstan too. Along with many Americans (I don't blame them).

Kazakhstan is a democracy where the executive branch has almost all the power, and the government owns most of the press and media. It's against the law to say anything offensive about the higher officials of government. No surprise that the official response would be an attempt to suppress "Borat" through legal action and through an appeal to the US President. Kazakhstan has plenty of oil and mineral resources to help its case.
posted by zennie at 8:32 AM on September 14, 2006

It too bad SBC picked a random country that was minding its own business to pick on. I think Borat would be just as funny if he claimed to be from "Borchzicstan" or some other ficticious place that his interview subjects would hardly realize doesn't exist.

No, it wouldn't be. It really wouldn't.
posted by Artw at 9:05 AM on September 14, 2006

delmoi, that's an old photo. Here's a more recent one:


posted by brain_drain at 9:13 AM on September 14, 2006

Kazakhstan is a democracy

The OSCE says their elections aren't free and fair, and they're barred from entry to the Council of Europe.
posted by riotgrrl69 at 9:19 AM on September 14, 2006

"Women can now travel on inside of bus, homosexuals no longer have to wear blue hats, and age of consent has been raised to eight years old."

... is genius

It is genius. But you should have provided a link to the YouTube video of that.
posted by deanc at 9:25 AM on September 14, 2006

Most Americans are just too damn stupid to know anything thing about the real Kazakhstan

Perhaps that's the point: Borat is often about getting Americans to open up about how mind-blowingly stupid, bigoted and provincial they can be, despite being a superpower.
posted by Blazecock Pileon at 9:26 AM on September 14, 2006

The FPP is missing the local Kazakhstani angle.

Genius.
posted by Four Flavors at 9:42 AM on September 14, 2006

Good golly, Four Flavors, that link is funny.
posted by brain_drain at 10:13 AM on September 14, 2006

"Borat is often about getting Americans to open up about how mind-blowingly stupid, bigoted and provincial they can be, despite being a superpower."

At last somebody gets it. The clue train is pulling out people; all aboard...
posted by 2sheets at 10:14 AM on September 14, 2006

"Borat is often about getting Americans to open up about how mind-blowingly stupid, bigoted and provincial they can be, despite being a superpower."

Not that I disagree with this (at all), but I'm curious if Borat was part of the ALI G show when it was only shown in the UK? I never saw any of those episodes. Was Borat teaching this same lesson to the UK, or is it exclusively a lesson for the US? : )
posted by stifford at 10:33 AM on September 14, 2006

How would you feel if the #1 symbol of your country was someone pretending to be a yokel and spouting a bunch of crap

As an American, I guess I'd feel about the same as I do right now.

Except I'm pretty sure our yokel isn't pretending.
posted by oats at 11:17 AM on September 14, 2006

Most recognizable Kazakh to me (and likely Vuelta a Espana winner): Alexandre Vinokourov

Also, Blazecock Pileon is exactly right.
posted by turbodog at 12:55 PM on September 14, 2006

All someone needs to do is register rat.kz and then create a virtual domain of bo.rat.kz
posted by spock at 2:35 PM on September 14, 2006

I've found an incredible oversight in the internets: Amazingly, "kazakh babes" returns no porn.
posted by spock at 2:40 PM on September 14, 2006

That's no oversight, that's why Borat spends so much time in other countries.
posted by InfidelZombie at 3:08 PM on September 14, 2006

Iowa calling Kentucky ignorant. Heh
posted by Carbolic at 3:31 PM on September 14, 2006

I heard there was a scene in the film where Borat gets into a fight with his manager that ends with them both wrestling naked in front of a convention that's in their hotel.

I laughed out loud for ten minutes just imagining it. Does it matter that I really don't care what country he says he's from? 'cause I don't. As for anyone who actually believes anything 'Borat' says about Kazakhstan; should we really be overtly concerned about these people? Won't they eventually die from huffing to much spray paint or something?
posted by Bageena at 7:21 PM on September 14, 2006

Borat is often about getting Americans to open up about how mind-blowingly stupid, bigoted and provincial they can be, despite being a superpower.

Not that I disagree with this (at all), but I'm curious if Borat was part of the ALI G show when it was only shown in the UK? I never saw any of those episodes. Was Borat teaching this same lesson to the UK, or is it exclusively a lesson for the US? : )

I have absolutely no idea when they started showing Da Ali G Show in the US, but Borat has always been a regular feature (IIRC), and most of his segments that spring to mind were shot in England.

I am not sure why he is supposedly about showing Americans, specifically, as being ignorant or provincial, but I bet he could make a joke or two about the tendency to assume that everything revolves around them for some incomprehensible reason.

I think he works on a more personal level than that - ie how far can you push peoples' willingness to tolerate the most cringeworthy attitudes, whilst still maintaining the appearance of openness and acceptance of otherness?
posted by UbuRoivas at 7:30 PM on September 14, 2006