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Thread started 02/26/12 11:41pm

Dave1992

Sacha Baron Cohen: "yay" or "nay" and why?

Born in 1971 in London, Cohen is a well-known comedian, mostly for his characters "Ali G", "Borat" and "Brüno". His mum is a Jew from Iran, his dad is Welsh.

Cohen is a very controversial comedian, due to his often extreme and cross-border style.

His characters are meant to represent certain stereotypes and also mock them, of course, but his main aim and success is to expose those people his characters talk to. By interviewing "real" people with no prior knowledge of him being an actor, it basically shows how our Western society is not so well-informed and liberal as we would like to think and sometimes it's even full of hypocrites and exposes all sorts of stereotypes. By being so border-crossing he often succeeds in defusing actual stereotypes. For example, if one of his characters is anti-semitic, the overall ridiculousness of that character and their statements automatically make anti-semitism seem ridiculous too.

The Characters:

"Ali G" is a wanna-be gangster from an English suburb. He is white, but would love to be black. He loves to play the "race-card", loves to tell stories from his "hood", but is actually an extreme loser. He is good at heart and actually very innocent, only his stupidity and pseudo-attitude makes him come across as sexist. He wants to identify with a certain group of people and a certain stereotype so much that he loses all of his potential. For example, he clearly shows that he is actually anti-homophobic quite often, but still he chooses to downgrade homosexuality, like a real "gansta" would. "Well.. now, dat dis 'as cum out, I just wanna say da' I ain't got nuffin against any of you; just don' try 'ittin' on me, 'kay?" (he said this at a discussion with well-known scientists about racism, after one of them said "we are all homo sapians")

"Borat" is a television-reporter from Kazakstan, whose mission it is to travel to America and interview all sorts of people, in order to bring the glory of the "U S and A - grrreatest country in da world!!" back to his homeland. He is extremely anti-semitic (and believes that Jews can change their shape and have little horns - which, of course, makes the whole point of anti-semitism seem ridiculous), claims that the government scientist in Kazakhstan has proven that a woman's brain has the size of a squirrels brain and loves sex (he would even masturbate in front of mannequins). At the same time, he shows some homoerotical tendencies and basically is a victim of his own culture. He is also actually good at heart, but simply does not know better.

"Brüno" is a wanna-be gay, Austrian "fashion tv reporter". He works for Austrian "Gay TV". He is not really homosexual, but rather wants to be homosexual and therefore walks differently, talks with a lisp, pays other men compliments all the time and tries to expose right-wring politicians, neo-nazis etc. by showing how they actually react to such stupid stereotypes and really think that this is what makes homosexuals homosexual.

And he's got a new movie coming out - "The Terrorist".

I find his works not only extremely funny (especially Ali G and Borat), but also very valuable and intelligent (although many people won't realise this on the surface). I was watching these movie in my country, sitting inbetween Austrian men and women, young and old, homosexual and heterosexual, christian, muslim and jewish, black and white and we were all laughing at each other. But mostly, we were laughing at ourselves. And in the end we understood that any kind of sexism, racism and belief in stereotypes is ridiculous.

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Reply #1 posted 02/27/12 3:39am

RicoN

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yes - some of the early Ali g stuff was amazing... so clever and so funny - killer combination

edit = typo

[Edited 2/27/12 3:40am]

Hamburger, Hot Dog, Root Beer, Pussy
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Reply #2 posted 02/27/12 3:57am

Serious

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I find his works not only extremely funny (especially Ali G and Borat), but also very valuable and intelligent (although many people won't realise this on the surface). I was watching these movie in my country, sitting inbetween Austrian men and women, young and old, homosexual and heterosexual, christian, muslim and jewish, black and white and we were all laughing at each other. But mostly, we were laughing at ourselves. And in the end we understood that any kind of sexism, racism and belief in stereotypes is ridiculous.

nod It's a yay for me thumbs up!. He is very much holding a mirror up to the peoples'/our faces, that's what I like most about him.

With a very special thank you to Tina: Is hammer already absolute, how much some people verändern...ICH hope is never so I will be! And if, then I hope that I would then have wen in my environment who joins me in the A....
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Reply #3 posted 02/27/12 4:08am

Ace

thumbs up! Brilliant satire.

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Reply #4 posted 02/27/12 6:07am

ufoclub

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thumbs up!

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Reply #5 posted 02/27/12 9:01am

Graycap23

Love this guy's work.

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Reply #6 posted 02/27/12 9:08am

Nothinbutjoy

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So he did show up at the Oscars dressed as a dictator and he spilled ashes, actually totally dumped an urn of ashes, on Ryan Seaquist.

Ryan took it in good humor. Others reporting did not.

From what was reported, Ryan could press charges (assault I think) if he wanted to, but has no intention of doing so at this time.

I like SBC.

I'm firmly planted in denial
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Reply #7 posted 02/27/12 10:20am

Vendetta1

Nay because he is not funny to me.

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Reply #8 posted 02/27/12 10:26am

missfee

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Nothinbutjoy said:

So he did show up at the Oscars dressed as a dictator and he spilled ashes, actually totally dumped an urn of ashes, on Ryan Seaquist.

Ryan took it in good humor. Others reporting did not.

From what was reported, Ryan could press charges (assault I think) if he wanted to, but has no intention of doing so at this time.

I like SBC.

What? It was just a joke. I saw it and laughed my ass off.

I will forever love and miss you...my sweet Prince.
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Reply #9 posted 02/27/12 10:46am

Genesia

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Vendetta1 said:

Nay because he is not funny to me.

highfive

We don’t mourn artists because we knew them. We mourn them because they helped us know ourselves.
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Reply #10 posted 02/27/12 11:06am

Dave1992

Vendetta1 said:

Nay because he is not funny to me.

Fair enough, but would you please evaluate on why he is "not funny" to you?

This is extremely interesting, because his humour is quite straight-forward and, even though he is very border-bending and has a style of his own for sure, "classical", as in his jokes work by the same parametres "regular" jokes would use.

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Reply #11 posted 02/27/12 11:10am

Vendetta1

Dave1992 said:

Vendetta1 said:

Nay because he is not funny to me.

Fair enough, but would you please evaluate on why he is "not funny" to you?

This is extremely interesting, because his humour is quite straight-forward and, even though he is very border-bending and has a style of his own for sure, "classical", as in his jokes work by the same parametres "regular" jokes would use.

I'll have to think about it and get back to you. I really don't know how to explain it other than he doesn't make me laugh.

I saw that Bruno movie and didn't laugh a single time. I know he's trying to make a point with his comedy and I get it, but that doesn't make it funny to me.

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Reply #12 posted 02/27/12 11:14am

Genesia

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Vendetta1 said:

Dave1992 said:

Fair enough, but would you please evaluate on why he is "not funny" to you?

This is extremely interesting, because his humour is quite straight-forward and, even though he is very border-bending and has a style of his own for sure, "classical", as in his jokes work by the same parametres "regular" jokes would use.

I'll have to think about it and get back to you. I really don't know how to explain it other than he doesn't make me laugh.

I saw that Bruno movie and didn't laugh a single time. I know he's trying to make a point with his comedy and I get it, but that doesn't make it funny to me.

I don't get the appeal of this guy on any level. He's just not funny.

We don’t mourn artists because we knew them. We mourn them because they helped us know ourselves.
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Reply #13 posted 02/27/12 11:20am

Vendetta1

Genesia said:

Vendetta1 said:

I'll have to think about it and get back to you. I really don't know how to explain it other than he doesn't make me laugh.

I saw that Bruno movie and didn't laugh a single time. I know he's trying to make a point with his comedy and I get it, but that doesn't make it funny to me.

I don't get the appeal of this guy on any level. He's just not funny.

I don't get it either.

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Reply #14 posted 02/27/12 11:26am

Dave1992

Genesia said:

Vendetta1 said:

I'll have to think about it and get back to you. I really don't know how to explain it other than he doesn't make me laugh.

I saw that Bruno movie and didn't laugh a single time. I know he's trying to make a point with his comedy and I get it, but that doesn't make it funny to me.

I don't get the appeal of this guy on any level. He's just not funny.

You can't tell me you seriously don't find any of this funny or that you don't get his appeal on any level. That'd be quite sad lol

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Reply #15 posted 02/27/12 11:27am

Genesia

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Dave1992 said:

Genesia said:

I don't get the appeal of this guy on any level. He's just not funny.

You can't tell me you seriously don't find any of this funny or that you don't get his appeal on any level. That'd be quite sad lol

You know how unfunny I find him? I'm not even going to click on that.

We don’t mourn artists because we knew them. We mourn them because they helped us know ourselves.
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Reply #16 posted 02/27/12 11:29am

Efan

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I like him, but I have a hard time watching him for a great length of time. I can't stand watching something where I get the douche chills, even when I dislike the person who's being made a fool of. For that reason, I can't really sit through much of it.

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Reply #17 posted 02/27/12 11:38am

Vendetta1

Dave1992 said:

Genesia said:

I don't get the appeal of this guy on any level. He's just not funny.

You can't tell me you seriously don't find any of this funny or that you don't get his appeal on any level. That'd be quite sad lol

I guess I'm sad because that shit was not funny to me. neutral

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Reply #18 posted 02/27/12 11:39am

Genesia

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Efan said:

I like him, but I have a hard time watching him for a great length of time. I can't stand watching something where I get the douche chills, even when I dislike the person who's being made a fool of. For that reason, I can't really sit through much of it.

Okay, that's a new one! lol

We don’t mourn artists because we knew them. We mourn them because they helped us know ourselves.
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Reply #19 posted 02/27/12 11:51am

funkmunki

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The ending of this is just hysterical

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Reply #20 posted 02/27/12 11:53am

jone70

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Not a fan. His schtick gets tiring very quickly for me. It's funny for maybe one or two lines, but then I find it annoying. It's too over the top or like he's trying too hard or something.

The check. The string he dropped. The Mona Lisa. The musical notes taken out of a hat. The glass. The toy shotgun painting. The things he found. Therefore, everything seen–every object, that is, plus the process of looking at it–is a Duchamp.
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Reply #21 posted 02/27/12 12:04pm

sonic

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jone70 said:

Not a fan. His schtick gets tiring very quickly for me. It's funny for maybe one or two lines, but then I find it annoying. It's too over the top or like he's trying too hard or something.

hes an asshole.....nuff said.

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Reply #22 posted 02/27/12 12:09pm

BklynBabe

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neither yay or nay, just why?....
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Reply #23 posted 02/27/12 12:13pm

Vendetta1

BklynBabe said:

neither yay or nay, just why?....

falloff

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Reply #24 posted 02/27/12 12:20pm

Dave1992

Vendetta1 said:

Dave1992 said:

You can't tell me you seriously don't find any of this funny or that you don't get his appeal on any level. That'd be quite sad lol

I guess I'm sad because that shit was not funny to me. neutral

What is going through your head when you see that first thing, him turning around and having Italy on his back with the words "Save Africa" next to it? Absolutely nothing?

hmmm

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Reply #25 posted 02/27/12 12:23pm

Genesia

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Vendetta1 said:

BklynBabe said:

neither yay or nay, just why?....

falloff

co- falloff

We don’t mourn artists because we knew them. We mourn them because they helped us know ourselves.
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Reply #26 posted 02/27/12 12:24pm

Dave1992

sonic said:

jone70 said:

Not a fan. His schtick gets tiring very quickly for me. It's funny for maybe one or two lines, but then I find it annoying. It's too over the top or like he's trying too hard or something.

hes an asshole.....nuff said.

Now why would anybody say that? I don't know you personally, but people who have called Cohen an "asshole" or "arrogant" or whatever have usually been either boring, submissive, humble bores or simply do not get the purpose, intelligence and value of his humour.

Like I said, I don't know you personally, but your "nuff said" suggests that you didn't really think this through or that you simply don't want to take your time explaining why someone is an "asshole" to you.

Please evaluate.

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Reply #27 posted 02/27/12 12:26pm

Dave1992

Efan said:

I like him, but I have a hard time watching him for a great length of time. I can't stand watching something where I get the douche chills, even when I dislike the person who's being made a fool of. For that reason, I can't really sit through much of it.

The douche chills things I can relate to when it comes to "Brüno". Most of the time he is just way too cringe-worthy and extreme for the sake of it and I sort of just feel embarrassed for him, rather than for anybody else. Which clearly sets Brüno apart from Ali G and Borat - they really exposed people.

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Reply #28 posted 02/27/12 12:27pm

Genesia

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Dave1992 said:

sonic said:

hes an asshole.....nuff said.

Now why would anybody say that? I don't know you personally, but people who have called Cohen an "asshole" or "arrogant" or whatever have usually been either boring, submissive, humble bores or simply do not get the purpose, intelligence and value of his humour.

Like I said, I don't know you personally, but your "nuff said" suggests that you didn't really think this through or that you simply don't want to take your time explaining why someone is an "asshole" to you.

Please evaluate.

Wow.

We don’t mourn artists because we knew them. We mourn them because they helped us know ourselves.
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Reply #29 posted 02/27/12 12:32pm

Dave1992

Genesia said:

Dave1992 said:

Now why would anybody say that? I don't know you personally, but people who have called Cohen an "asshole" or "arrogant" or whatever have usually been either boring, submissive, humble bores or simply do not get the purpose, intelligence and value of his humour.

Like I said, I don't know you personally, but your "nuff said" suggests that you didn't really think this through or that you simply don't want to take your time explaining why someone is an "asshole" to you.

Please evaluate.

Wow.

Horrible, innit?

There are loads of people I know who simply said "nah, he's an asshole!", but didn't even know why. Those people were quite stupid, too.

You probably just don't find him funny, because he's too extreme or whatever. But I doubt you'd brush him aside without having properly thought about the whole thing, would you?

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