...is the next funniest show on television. It is a work of absolute genius. It couldn't have been any funnier if it were scripted.

Most incredible moments, both in the episode "Art":

The inept Borat, in the acting studio, having flubbed the improv, is politely told by the unimpressed but sympathetic acting teacher "I thought there were some excellent moments there."

An annoyed Buzz Aldrin explains the meaning of humor to Ali G after Ali G tells a dumb moon joke without understanding the punchline: "Things are funny, or comedic, because they mix the real with the absurd."

Fink about dat.

Borat is the best! Definite classic moments right there.

respect.

Have they shown the one with the gun control campaigner over there yet?

Ali: Yeah but if you have a gun all the bitches love you don't they?

Campaigner: Well they won't love you when you get shot and you're sitting in a wheelchair will they? Have you thought about that?

Ali: Yeah but.. up until then?

He's hysterical. I can't believe how he manages to keep a straight face in those interviews!

He has two other productions I've seen that any fan of his should definitely check out. The first is a feature length film! I guess, as the English folks will confirm, he's been around for a bit over there. The title is Ali G In Da House.

The second is an E-True Hollywood Story type mockumentary, with the hysterical title: Ali G: Before He Was Massive.

Funny stuff.

I had caught Ali G giving a speech to college grads on HBO, between movies. I thought it was pretty funny, so I checked out the Ali G show's first episode. All I'll say, is it wasn't as funny as I had hoped. It was Jackass mentality at best.

<<<-- Originally posted by Robert Knecht Schmidt :
An annoyed Buzz Aldrin explains the meaning of humor to Ali G after Ali G tells a dumb moon joke without understanding the punchline: "Things are funny, or comedic, because they mix the real with the absurd."
-->>>

Was that the sketch where he referred to Aldrin's colleague as "Louis Armstrong"? :)

<<<-- Originally posted by Keith Forman : I had caught Ali G giving a speech to college grads on HBO, between movies. I thought it was pretty funny, so I checked out the Ali G show's first episode. All I'll say, is it wasn't as funny as I had hoped. It was Jackass mentality at best. -->>>


He's a complete and unabashed intentional jackass. That's what makes it so entertaining. He has no qualms about speaking at great length with Sam Donaldson, Butros Butros Gali, or whatever head of state or influential person, and make his subtle commentary but in a totally jackass sort of way.

I really didn't have any problem with his commentary style. I thought he was funny at times. In the first show, he goes into a Police Acadamy. The result was a cross between Pauly Shore and Ozzy Osborne.

The Middle Eastern guy looking for a woman was funny. Dating service asked what he was looking for in a woman- Man says a woman that wouldn't cheat or steal from him. He would crush her.
Dating service says- No crushing... Crushing is bad

I'm a huge fan. Just ruthless, ruthless stuff.

Last night I had a fun "aha" moment when I re-watched a couple of the "Office" episodes (my other favorite Brit export in the past few years) and realized that when the porcine Keith dresses up on "red-nose day", he is emulating Ali G.

I liked the 'Christmas Message' he did one year as an alternative to the Queen's, in which he interviewed the Reverend Richard Dawson:

Ali G: OK, on to the more important subject of presents. If you was Jesus, what would you give: Playstation or Dreamcast?
RD: I'm sorry, I don't know.
Ali G: Playstation, ain't you?
RD: I really don't know anything about either.
Ali G: Playstation, ain't it? Cos it's old school but some of the games are wicked...

Us brits have a twisted warped humour, don't we? I'm glad you yankees enjoy them too.

Its a bit old hat over here, I have not seen Ali G on TV for a while and The Office was only 2 series and a special christmas edition. since then its all been repeats.

Cheers

Coupling has to be my favorite import.

"I had caught Ali G giving a speech to college grads on HBO, between movies. I thought it was pretty funny, so I checked out the Ali G show's first episode. All I'll say, is it wasn't as funny as I had hoped. It was Jackass mentality at best."

The speech was the Harvard Commencement address, full text available on his web site.

The humor of Da Ali G Show doesn't come from Ali or Borat or Bruno. It comes from the humorless interviewees who make an effort at tolerating him, who re-interpret his inanities into deep probing questions (watch Ali's childlike, self-satisfied reaction when, upon asking how one knows when to nuke another country, General Brent Scowcroft tells him it's a very good question--Ali takes this as a great compliment!), and who frequently enough become so piqued that their repressed prejudices explode into expressions as illogical as Ali's idiocy but infinitely more maleficent.

At the soul of it, it's a show about the unmasking of hypocrisy, and that is always funny.

Bigupyaself.

<<<-- Originally posted by Robert Knecht Schmidt : "It comes from the humorless interviewees who make an effort at tolerating him, who re-interpret his inanities into deep probing questions (watch Ali's childlike, self-satisfied reaction when, upon asking how one knows when to nuke another country, General Brent Scowcroft tells him it's a very good question--Ali takes it as a great compliment!), and who frequently enough become so piqued that their repressed prejudices explode into expressions as illogical as Ali's idiocy but infinitely more maleficent.-->>>

You're a film critic in disguise!

Come and listen to the non-ironic original! :-)

Americans curious about Ali's origins might want to check out BBC Radio's homepage for Tim Westwood, the white-but-desparate-to-be-black DJ upon whom he is generally thought to be modelled:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio1/urban/westwood/

Peace,
Thom

<<-- At the soul of it, it's a show about the unmasking of hypocrisy, and that is always funny.-->>

Robert well said, this sums it up very well...

Ali G is off da hook!

This Friday, Channel 4 are doing a special Borat show, think it might be a series? Its said to be pretty good... I'll be tuning in !

Cheers,

Thom, I checked out Westwood's show. Enjoyable, particularly the artful way he enhances the rap music he plays with sound effects of explosions and breaking glass every four seconds.

I think 'The Office' should be required viewing for every B-School in the world.
As far as coupling, I love the show and bought the first 3 seasons on DVD,
But this season is not very good. I doubt if I get the DVDs.

Without the character Jeff (played by Richard Coyle), all we have is a bunch of whiney inept, boring, 30 somethings. He was/is the glue that kept the show together and moving on. Possibly one of the truely funniest characters ever done (at least for American Audiences). Just about every great scene (though not all) invloved him, or evolved around him. I mean who can forget 'The Giggleloop', or 'The Sock Gap' or the dreaded 'Mr Melty'.

I heard--could be purely rumor--that Cohen had the cops called on him over 50 times in the making of this film.

Also, I can't believe his arrest for the Pamela Anderson stunt--if he was indeed arrested--didn't make the press, as his rodeo anthem did back in January 2005 (posted to another thread (http://www.dvinfo.net/conf/showthread.php?t=37751) on this forum, but link has since gone dead).

Some portions are obviously staged (kids with bear); with others it is less obvious (reaction of hotel clerk to Borat unpacking in elevator?). If anyone who has seen this film can dissect the "real" parts from the "staged" ones based on camera angles, etc., I'd love to hear some commentary.

The interesting thing about him is that he's not just a mindless idiot he has a degree in history from cambridge., he's a smart man.

I used to watch his show years ago before he got taken off air and i'm glad he seems to have made it back cause he's comedic genius.

The interview with Buzz aldrin was one of the funniest things i've seen, he kept calling him Buzz lightyear and introduced him as the first guy to walk on the sun.

Andy.

Interesting Borat review as part of Mark Kermode's regular British radio show:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/fivelive/entertainment/kermode.shtml

Thom

"If anyone who has seen this film can dissect the "real" parts from the "staged" ones based on camera angles, etc., I'd love to hear some commentary."

Yeah, I agree. If someone can point to an article or something explaining what was real and what was staged I'd really appreciate. It's very seamless!

From what I have collected:
The Perry Hall driving instructor did not know borat was an actor--he is actually right here in maryland, not in ny as the movie has him. He signed a release form but didn't read it, and assumed he was a foreign visitor as they had him believe. He was paid $500 after he got out of the car.

Cohen and Pamela are good friends, that scene was scripted but adlibbed.

The car dealership was the same situation as the driving instructor. As was the encounter with the black people on MLK blvd. The kids running away was scripted.

This is all I know so far, I think. Most of it was unscripted.

I'm most curious to know whether the frat boys in the RV were scripted. I thought the driving instructor came off pretty well. He's one of the few likeable people in the movie. And why in the heck did the horse trip at the rodeo? That definitely looked real.

What's amazing about this comedian (in his role of Borat, Ali G, or Bruno) is that he's not only hilarious funny, his humour also reflects on some peoples narrow mindness, and the thing I admire the most about him is, that he always stays in his role. Anyone who has seen his show or bits of it, knows that, because of some guests he interviews, it should be extremely difficult to always keep into the role, and keep serious.

"If anyone who has seen this film can dissect the "real" parts from the "staged" ones based on camera angles, etc., I'd love to hear some commentary."

Just what I was looking for.

http://www.salon.com/ent/feature/2006/11/10/guide_to_borat/index.html