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Cage fighting, cheap beer and ... Bruno!

Posted: Wednesday, July 09, 2008 6:45 AM by Kurt Schlosser
Filed Under: ,

By now, in our hyper-immediate, straight-to-the-Web culture of infotainment, I guess I would have expected most people to be familiar with Sacha Baron Cohen, aka Borat, aka Ali G, aka Bruno. Thankfully, for the sake of comedy, many people are not familiar with him.

Cohen isn't just a prankster running around on some obscure corner of cable television. The British comic made his mark on HBO with "Da Ali G Show" and introduced viewers to the characters mentioned above. Borat, the fictional journalist from Kazakhstan, rose to big-screen fame in 2006 with "Borat: Cultural Leanings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan." The film won two Golden Globe awards and was nominated for an adapted screenplay Oscar. Borat/Cohen was everywhere after seemingly rising to fame based on the premise that he was nowhere -- at least nowhere anyone had seen him in the United States, which made his brand of comedy possible.

Image: "Bruno"
Universal

And now Cohen is back at it, but not with the over-exposed Borat. He's back with Bruno, the fictional homosexual Austrian fashion TV reporter who no one knows. Yet.

Cohen is in the midst of bringing Bruno to the big screen and this week brings news of a spectacular stunt in the great state of Arkansas. (By the way, the rumored movie title? "Bruno: Delicious Journeys Through America for the Purpose of Making Heterosexual Males Uncomfortable in the Presence of a Gay Foreigner in a Mesh T-Shirt"). You can learn all you need to know about how things went down in Texarkana and Fort Smith over at The Smoking Gun. In short, Cohen lured specators to what they thought was a night of cage fighting, $1 beer and "hot chicks," according to an event poster. What they got was angry, at the sight of two men undressing and kissing in the ring -- and at being duped.

It's classic Cohen guerilla comedy tactics designed to turn unsuspecting Americans into extras in his latest project. I was convinced that after Borat became such a big film success, Cohen would have to change course completely. Apparently not. It's a big country out there, and if you like to laugh, that's a good thing.

 

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Comments

Cohen is a comic genius. I can't wait to see the film and watch all those homophobic men squirm in their seats. I hope he's able to dupe more of them with his antics.

Matt, Omaha (Sent Wednesday, July 09, 2008 10:12 AM)

Cohen is the next great comic.  He has the Carlin-like quality of inducing self-introspection to show us how rediculous some of the mainstream beliefs and ideas are.  This next film picks fun at homophobia (especially in the south).  Republicans use it as a wedge issue and he uses it to make an ass out of southern, white bread America.

Jon Thums (Sent Wednesday, July 09, 2008 10:43 AM)

What do you mean Bruno is someone "who no one knows."  Anybody who is somebody knows of Bruno.  If you've ever watched D Ali G Show, you know Bruno.  Bruno is genius.  Sasha is genius.  The best part of Sasha's comic genius are the incidents of people who feel they've been duped and are humiliated and embarrassed by their normal and natural behavior that they don't want America or anyone else to see.  Shasha rocks!

Christie, Visalia California (Sent Wednesday, July 09, 2008 11:04 AM)

I am on the floor, p***ng my pants right now. We've been watching Bruno for years! I wonder if Shaud Williams (Buffalo Bills player) will go see the movie. One of the best skits Bruno ever did was with Shaud on the receiving end. No pun intended.

Andrew Mostovoy (Sent Wednesday, July 09, 2008 11:20 AM)

Just reading the story of the goings-on are hilarious enough. Saw his youtube short of some college pukes going on and on as he was asking them to take of their shirts, lower their pants and then drops the bomb that it is for a gay tv channel in Austria. The hilarity ensued.

spewak (Sent Wednesday, July 09, 2008 11:20 AM)

I like SBC a lot, loved him in Talladega Nights and Sweeney Todd and he's smart about women (Isla Fisher!)but I just didn't care for Borat. I know, I'm the only one but it didn't make me laugh. Not once.

Kathleen, Twin Cities, MN (Sent Wednesday, July 09, 2008 12:23 PM)

I am a 44 yr old mother and I absolutely love Sasha and all his characters, I must have watched Borat 15 times it is hysterical I can't wait to see Bruno in action. He is a comic genius, no where near George Carlin though sorry to say. George is a legend.....

Lori, Virginia (Sent Wednesday, July 09, 2008 12:46 PM)

While I loved him in Talladega Nights, and Borat was funny the first time I saw it (not something I can watch more than once, 'cuz the naked hotel thing is just too much), It seems like his characters are all pretty much the same thing, oddball foreigners bent on irritating and embarassing Americans.

Lyndsay, Fairfield, CA (Sent Wednesday, July 09, 2008 1:20 PM)

Comparing Cohen to Carlin is like comparing Brad Pitt to Robert Redford.  Sure, both are great at what they do, but they are completely different...

Cohen's genius is more along the lines of Andy Kaufman.  Or Jim Carrey or Eddie Murphy.  You "know" him but you never know what you'll get from him.

anon, SF Bay Area, CA (Sent Wednesday, July 09, 2008 1:29 PM)

Can't wait for the film to come out. Click on the "smoking gun" website and follow the links there to read  what some of the audience at the even had to say. If they were worried that the movie is out to make them look like hicks...well, they did a pretty good job themselves posting their comments.

E., NY (Sent Wednesday, July 09, 2008 1:30 PM)

This guy is more sickening and pathetic than funny.

Nick, Pittsburgh PA (Sent Wednesday, July 09, 2008 1:48 PM)

To Kathleen, Twin Cities, MN:
you aren't the only one, my son rented the movie and begged me to watch it with him, that I was going to love it, I didn't. He is a funny man, but that Borat movie was just not at all funny to me...

jerseygirl (Sent Wednesday, July 09, 2008 2:12 PM)

Andy Kauffman laid the groundwork for hacks like this over 30 years ago. It's the same in all of the arts, folks.  It's all been said, all been done, and by better craftspeople than this.

Mike, Portland, ME (Sent Wednesday, July 09, 2008 2:34 PM)

People who don't like Borat/SBC/Bruno dont like him because his characters point out what they don't want to admit: that bad qualities still exist in parts of the country (i.e. his "throw the jews down the well" song from an episode of the Ali G show). I think he's hysterical. People he tricks in the movies say they're angry because he duped them, but in reality they're angry because they made themselves look like fools and it's caught forever on film.

Becky, St. Louis, MO (Sent Wednesday, July 09, 2008 3:07 PM)

And Andy Kauffman stole his act from Buster Keaton, Laurel and hardy and Charle Chaplin 40 years before him. Grow up people Comedy is subjective and Cohen has his place in it. Some of his stuff is good and some not so good. I like Ghalligher but I can't stand Carrot Top.

donniboy9 Central Texas (Sent Wednesday, July 09, 2008 3:13 PM)

Becky in St. Louis, I disagree. I like Sasha, like much of his work and sadly, haven't seen the HBO show (costs extra, darn you, HBO!) but I didn't like the movie Borat. SBC isn't Andrew Dice Clay where this character ADC was always ADC, in everything. I just didn't care for Borat, that particular movie. SBC is a true performer so I do like a lot of what he does. In fact, I found his romance in Talladaga Nights to be one of the most honest romances on film. What's not to love about a guy who loves another guy who trains German Shepards.

Still Kathleen, still in Twin Cities, which are still in MN (Sent Wednesday, July 09, 2008 3:18 PM)

This guy is an idiot and I cannot believe that anyone would compare him to Carlin. I unwittingly rented his firt movie and got 20 minutes into it until I could no longer stand to subject myself to his stupidity. It amazes me that anyone with an IQ higher than 40 would willing watch this stuff.

Anthony, Ontario, Canada (Sent Wednesday, July 09, 2008 3:23 PM)

sad that this vulgarity passes off as comedy these days.

pat,L.A. (Sent Wednesday, July 09, 2008 3:34 PM)

I am a huge fan of the show, but wasn't a fan of Borat as well as Indahouse.  The comedy he brings with his characters just doesnt relate well to the bigscreen in my opinion.  Coming up with movie plot makes the film seem forced and almost lost in what its trying to achieve.  If any of you haters have only seen the movies please watch the series from HBO before judging.  His comedy is truly brilliant- it is great comedy as well as a great study of sociology.  A lot of the comedy is getting people to admit or agree with his outlandish comments or insights, but the great underlying comedy in all of it is that the people he interviews actually believe that everything is legit- its especially hysterical when he interviews people of prominence and he just toys with these people who have no clue.  I have the DVDs of the shows and watch them on HBO whenever their on- but I couldn't even finish Borat!!  So please, if you've only seen the movie, please give the show a shot.  Im really sad that its become so popular obviously ending all hopes of continuing the show!

T, LA (Sent Wednesday, July 09, 2008 4:55 PM)

Well, I submit that most people DON'T understand comedy or how difficult it is. It is, in fact, like the NBA or NFL...only a tiny fraction of a percent of all players ever get a whiff of the "big leagues", much less a long career there.

Comedy is no different. Sometimes, your stuff works and you kill the audience. Other nights, you get killed instead, listening to the sound of crickets after you deliver what seemed like a great joke or bit.

I've seen George Carlin, Robin Williams, Rich Little, John Byner, and a slew of comedians and impressionists over the years and GASP!, every single one had a joke or gag fall completely flat and just lay there on the stage.

Andy Kaufmann did some brilliant stuff, but he wasn't immune. Some stuff just didn't work.

SBC is no different. Da Ali G shows were uneven. His turn in Talledega Nights was good, but not great. Borat was OK for me, but not something I'd own or watch again.

A Bruno movie MIGHT be funny, be there's no guarantee of that.

And, at the end of the day, it's good to remember that "one man's wet dream is another man's nightmare"....especially in some parts of the U.S.

Ernst Bakerquist (Sent Wednesday, July 09, 2008 5:13 PM)

Cohen is a GENIUS! He can pull it off and wether it pisses people off or makes them laugh their pants off people are talking about him which is what it's all about.  LOVE HIM!!!!

Keith, Oklahoma City, OK (Sent Wednesday, July 09, 2008 5:37 PM)

John Byner and Rich Little have no place in a message board about ground breaking comedy.

And although I'm sure it would have been difficult I think Sasha could have found places in this country that would have still been oblivious to "Borat" . This country elected George W. Bush twice. The majority of the population isn't that smart or aware. 10% of the voting public think Barack Obama is a muslim. I guarantee you could show "Borat"'s picture to many many people in many locations and they would say it was Saddam Hussein.

Mike Medeiros Fall River, Ma. (Sent Wednesday, July 09, 2008 7:02 PM)

I was at the Texarkana fight and the articles I've read make it sound like the audience was just suddenly shocked by two guys ripping each other's clothes off and making out.... That's not at all what happened. There were 4-5 regular fights first. The MC, Straight Dave, in between the fights would throw out gay bashing jokes. The crowd at first either didn't react, or just mildly applauded. Then before the main event fight (that never happened) Straight Dave went on for about 10 minutes with gay bashing jokes. The audience just sat there at first just trying to wait it out and see the last fight. Then he would say something like "gay's deserve to be beaten" and the crowd would just cuss at him and yell to get the main event fight on. Everyone was getting pissed at him. Then another guy was in the ring (apparently "Bruno", we never see him up until this point and it's 2 hours and a few $1 beers later for all. He never speaks and you never pay attention to him until he is getting attacked) and Dave would say, "who wants to see me beat this fag" and the crowd was screaming that they wanted to beat up Dave. You could tell the little fight was staged and was stupid, as was the kiss. After they finished fighting, dave was just yelling at the crowd "any of you other fags want to fight me" and then people jumped the cage and chased him off. Texarkana didn't put up with the gay bashing. That's the impression I got from what I saw and what happened around me. The crowd did get angry, but mostly at straight Dave's comments. I can't wait to see the editing.... I bet Ft. Smith and Texarkana will be edited together into whatever they want it to look like.

Jeff, Texarkana, AR (Sent Thursday, July 10, 2008 1:20 AM)

1 word for sacha.... ledgend! out there to show how wonderfully stupid people really are!

Balraj ,Youngstown,Ohio (Sent Thursday, July 10, 2008 12:30 PM)



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