I'm referring to this scene:
Borat: [indicates women beside him] In my country, they would go crazy for these two.
[points to minister's wife]
Borat: This one... not so much...
I've never been accused of having a temper, but that scene made me angry.
To say that to someone as a joke...unforgivable.
That scene wasn't cruel. Insulting yeah, hilarious HELL YEAH, but cruel, no. People have to have a sense of humor.
shareYou obviously missed the point of "Borat" as a character.
The greatest trick the Devil ever pulled was convincing the world he is God.
Keep in mind that the people being insulted in this movie don't know it's a movie... If you dont know what I'm talking about and/or are confused, just do some research. But yeah, no one on film knows that they are being filmed. It rightfully pissed a lot of people off, and if it had not been a success, the everyone involved wouldve been ripped a new one. This movie lowers my faith in humanity ( as little as there is left) and I never find that being an *beep* is amusing.
sharewitt-13,
Please read my post entitled: To the people who didn't "get" this movie.
I guarantee you will learn something.
Those of you who think the remarks he made in this scene aren't cruel are borderline disabled.
If you can't understand why some of us think that insulting a woman's looks right to her face is an unpleasant thing to do, then I am seriously worried about you.
DO NOT SAY "get a sense of humour" or something like that, because this is NOT the issue. It's not a debate on what's funny, or even how far is too far in comedy.
It doesn't matter about the woman's class, whether she's rich or poor, where abouts in America she lives, all points that some of you mental cases have raised. Sasha Baron Cohen, undeniably a funny and intelligent man, is making personal comments about her that are almost certain to hurt her, possibly more than we know.
A few people mentioned something along the lines of, "so it's ok when he makes fun of Jews but not this?". Again, if you are of this opinion, get yourself checked for autism. I don't even want to explain the difference, it should be that clear.
For the record, I think that Borat is a very funny film, and to be fair when I watched it I was in no way offended or anything by this scene. What has annoyed me is the fact that some posters on this site CANNOT COMPREHEND how someone would find the character's antics in this scene in any way unpleasant. I've seen a pretty weird side of humanity here, and I don't like it.
Also, whoever said something like "go see The Hottie and the Nottie, it's more your type of thing", I *beep* HATE when people argue like this. It is painfully arrogant and makes you look like a dickhead.
Are you the minister or what?, the woman was ugly, at least someone said it to her face, and get the stick out of your ass, and get a life 2. SBC is a genius and millions seem to know it too that's why his movies are number one!!
shareSince when is being honest and telling the truth cruel?
Saying someone would -not- go for someone, is the mildest "insult" (if you can even call it that!) imaginable!
If someone says someone would not go for me, how is that really even insulting to me? People have different tastes, and it's not like he directly yelled with a megaphone while pointing at her, "This hag is really ugly! Eeww! Repulsive!".
Just quickly hinting how some people he knows would -not- go for someone (he didn't even say they would run away from her, just a very passive statement; 'not-go' - not everyone can 'go' for everyone, it's not insulting to say that I wouldn't go for someone), is not even the same as saying she's ugly.
There might be three beautiful women, and one just wouldn't be the people's type, so they wouldn't go for her, so would he be insulting in saying this out loud?
Let's not be overly sensitive about trivial things - so what if your body is ugly and some guys wouldn't go for you? That's not insult on you. Truth needs to be able to be told in all and every situation, directly and frankly, and this quip has got to be the mildest thing to cause laughter in people.
There are -way- worse things said (and even lie-based ones), that people should rather be concerned about.
How incredibly sheltered puffy-pillow-life have you lived if you consider _THIS_ -of ALL things - to be CRUEL (of all things)?
Look at what the meat industry does to animals every day, to see what real cruelty is. Look at what torturous people in history, like Vlad the Impaler did to people casually, to know what real cruelty is.
If you don't want to go as far as physical violence and still want to keep the 'cruelty' label, look at what feminazis are doing to innocent men to see real cruelty.
What everyday grls and wamyn do to boys and men, especially the slightly shy and nerdier ones, the ones with low status (i.e. not alpha/wealthy/celebrity and live in their mom's basement, etc.), now THAT's cruel!
Sasha Baron Cohen is not making comments about the lady in question,his character Borat is.Ignorant people say ignorant things all the time,thoughtless,cruel things,but that's who they are,and that's what Borat is.What is your excuse for calling people with a different opinion to yours "borderline disabled"?Are disabled people incapable of rational thought?Surely that is also a thoughtless and possibly a cruel statement to make when so many disabled people peruse these message boards.
share[deleted]
What is your excuse for calling people with a different opinion to yours "borderline disabled"?Are disabled people incapable of rational thought?Surely that is also a thoughtless and possibly a cruel statement to make when so many disabled people peruse these message boards.
Remember when the internet was actually fun before it got hijacked by Google?share
joshxq I agree completely. I'm a fan of Borat, TBH I prefer the TV stuff over the movie. But some scenes are needlessly rude, nasty and cruel to REAL people. That's the issue that some of these people don't understand.
shareWell, it is definitely cruel to call a woman ugly to her face, but like most people on this thread (including the OP of course) YOU MISSED THE POINT. Borat is basically a reflection of how people from "Advanced" countries look at citizens from a country who are not as fortunate as themselves. If you are worried about scenes being offensive to people from this movie, then this does not even qualify to be one of the top ten segments. The Joke is that people from America can presume that someone from a country like Kazakhstan (or any 3rd world country) can mean these awful things they say. THE JOKE IS NOT ON BORAT, IT IS ACTUALLY ON PEOPLE LIKE YOU. Your comments along with many others, proves his hypothesis regarding this arrogance even when his team is not behind a camera to film it.
shareNot assuming you’ll read this, but I have to note the supreme irony of your righteous indignation over an insulting joke while jeering ugly ableist slurs at those who disagree with your opinion. Independently of how we rank this film’s humor for “acceptable crassness”, your comments and views rank far, far below it and do not deserve a pertinent reply.
shareIf someone called me ugly to my face I would be offended for about 10 seconds, and then realize that sh*t could be a lot worse, and I'd move on. Cruel? Lowers your faith in humanity? Give me a break. I have seen some horrible things in my life, and I still have faith in humanity. If you hate humanity so much pull a J.D. Salinger and go chill in the woods with bears.
-- I am a traveler of both time and space, to be where I have been
No one knew they were being filmed? Are you serious?
Just one question: are you mentally challenged? Because I don't want to pick on retards.
How do you explain the multiple cameras in all those scenes, where it would have been impossible for Borat to install them, adjust them to their proper places, adjust the lighting settings etc., without being noticed?
The driving instructor, just to take one example. How was he filmed without him knowing about it? Besides, if the people hadn't consented to being filmed and then shown in a movie, there would have been lawsuits all over the place. Just research "Beverly Hills Cop", and how they even asked every single hobo and 'downtrodden' individual, whether they have their permission to show their faces in a movie.
And this was in the early 80's! Imagine nowadays, if you film people, and then make a movie about it, release it worldwide, whether there would be consequences..
If you have a brain, please use it. Besides, the animal cruelty was much more cruel than anything like that. Anyone who thinks that's cruel, has lived in an ivory tower, a very sheltered life, and has no clue as to what the real world is like. And they probably eat very cruelly produced meat without feeling like they are supporting cruelty at all. But some dude saying something in a movie makes them angry.
So I put to you that you are hypocrite, stupid, and overly protected from the real world - all this is revealed by your comment. If you feel insulted, it only proves that what I say is true. I have no intention of insulting, simply an intention to tell the truth. No one who has seen real cruelty could ever make such a moronic comment.
Besides Sacha Baron Cohen, the guy who played Azamat and Pamela Anderson no one knew it was a film. They were told it was a documentary and made to sign legal papers not to pursue legal action. But still when the movie came out there were many lawsuits filed against this movie. So, Go pick on yourself.Wait.....you dont pick on retards. Too bad.
shareBorat (Mr. Cohan) figured out he could make money by deliberately shtting on innocent people. Since Mr. Cohen cares more about his bank account than he does about the feelings of other, he sht all over a lot of innocent people
It is wrong to call people ugly. It is wrong to insult people.
I agree with the OP. Parts of this film are hilarious but some of it is too cruel to bear.
Baron-Cohen says this film was holding a critical mirror up to American society, but so many of the people caught out in this film were just being friendly to him that he was just getting cheap laughs out of easy targets.
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You're funny 111111
Enjoy Dragonball Evolution.
please it was HILARIOUS
shareYup, I can't remember the last film I laughed so hard at. But it could be funny and toe curling at the same time. And I did feel sorry for some of the targets!
shareAs funny as it was, I don't disagree with the OP that it was cruel and I don't see how anyone can disagree really. For anyone who says "it was a movie!" or any nonsense like that, if Sasha Baron Cohen or anyone else made a three hour film revealing every embarrassing thing you've ever done, and just generally saying unpleasant things about you, would you still make the movie argument, or would you instantly hypocrite up? I'm guessing the second one. There is no way to argue that this scene wasn't mean, it's just whether or not the ends justify the means to you personally.
shareWell I guess nobody should be against drunk driving because they didn't have a direct relative that died from it, no? Always nice to know you like listening to people.
shareAre you comparing drunk driving with borat? Now I know why you people didn't think it was funny.
shareWell actually, I was more offend by this remark. I should have quoted for clarity.
> Did Borat come out of the TV and make fun of your wife/husband? No? well then, STFU. <
That's why I replied:
Well I guess nobody should be against drunk driving because they didn't have a direct relative that died from it, no? Always nice to know you like listening to people.
And there a people that don't take drunk driving as seriously as others, since there are DUIs that happen even with all the posters and warnings in the bars.
That scene was cringe worthy, but I thought it was hillarious! Through out the film I was wondering when Borat was going to get smacked, but that was what made it so funny! He was taking the mickey out of himself more than anything else and certainly put himself at risk a few times. Do you honestly believe that if those people really took offence they would allow it to be shown in the film?? If people are going to take films literally and take offence, then they really should stay away from anything like this! This film, I thought, was one of the funniest films I have ever seen! I have seen it many times and it still makes me laugh hard!
I actually think this film shows just how unaccepting people are of different cultures, beliefs or even disabilities. Think about it, a person with Asperger Syndrome behaves in a lot of the same way. They take things literally, very niave, and they don't understand other people's feelings in the same way others do. Perhaps this film is very clever as it shows us other people think/feel/act differently and we should be more accepting! Just my view on it!
P.S I have two children with Asperger Syndrome, so I do know what I am talking about!
You're right - all the NYC stuff where he's trying to kiss strangers on the subway, THAT looked un-staged w/ hidden camera. Some of those guys wanted to punch him in the face over it. I laughed seeing him chasing that nerdy guy through the streets - and taking a squat outside of Trump Towers! LMAO! ;)
I just watched it again tonight, after the situation with 'Bruno' falling on top of Eminem at the MTV awards and basically '69'ing him - he gets '69'ed in BORAT and it was one of the funniest scenes in the film, along with this one:
"In my country, they would go crazy for these two. That one, not so much!" - I laugh every time I see that scene - he really is a funny guy!!
"The Film which you are about to see is an account of a tragedy that befell a group of 5 youths.."
Hey Madman, don't forget this classic line; "Never, NEVER! Let a woman make you who you are!"
And that wasn't even scripted!
I always find it ironic when normal people talk about those with Aspergers; most of the sighs that point to Aspergers bear a striking resemblance to the symptoms of normality.
Come to think of it, that's more or less the point of this movie.
"He was just getting laughs out of easy targets".
In most scenes, the one that got the laughs, was Borat himself - for better or worse. And those (actually not 'that' many) Americans who ended up looking bad in the mirror set in front of them, have only themselves to blame. Meanwhile, people like the feminist intellectuals or the car salesman handled themselves with dignity and it was Borat who looked stupid and bigoted (and very funny).
"facts are stupid things" - Ronald Reagan
The whole point of Borat as character (as well as his other characters) is that people let certain comments slide as they do not want to offend his eithinticty/background.
An expample I like to use is Chris Rock's infamous "niger" routine. Why is is "acceptable" for a "black man" to do such a joke/routine...but if a "white man" did the same joke in the same context, they would be deemd "racist"?
it's double standards...something the character of Borat is fantastic in showing.
Look at it this way, if it had been an "American" doing the EXCAT same film...would it have been more or less offencive?
This film just points out how stupid a concept "political correctness" really is.
Once you understand the point of the movie...it does not seem offencive at all.
The greatest trick the Devil ever pulled was convincing the world he is God.
Dear Jesus, I think that is the Stupidest thing I have ever heard.
Are you suggesting that they shouldn't have acted polite to a man who was totally unaware of the customs in America, and was just asking for help? Because it seems to me that you're suggesting that we shouldn't be understanding of one another and helpful, we should instead be pricks, with the justification that everyone is the same.
That's such BS and you know it. If you were visiting another country and you asked for help, you wouldn't want to be spat on and made fun of because you're not as proficient in the culture as the people living there. Would you call that a "double standard"?
The people in that scene were being helpful. And the actor just took advantage of them to get a few chuckles. That's not right.
Now, I liked it when he was making fun at the expense of stupid people, such as the moron frat boys, or the rednecks at the rodeo, but that was because they were acting like idiots. It's only fair that fun is made at their expense.
On the other hand, the old people were just being nice, why make fun at their expense?
Dear Jesus, I think that is the Stupidest thing I have ever heard.
Are you suggesting that they shouldn't have acted polite to a man who was totally unaware of the customs in America, and was just asking for help? Because it seems to me that you're suggesting that we shouldn't be understanding of one another and helpful, we should instead be pricks, with the justification that everyone is the same.
That's such BS and you know it. If you were visiting another country and you asked for help, you wouldn't want to be spat on and made fun of because you're not as proficient in the culture as the people living there. Would you call that a "double standard"?
The people in that scene were being helpful. And the actor just took advantage of them to get a few chuckles. That's not right.
Now, I liked it when he was making fun at the expense of stupid people, such as the moron frat boys, or the rednecks at the rodeo, but that was because they were acting like idiots. It's only fair that fun is made at their expense.
On the other hand, the old people were just being nice, why make fun at their expense?
Well, if you can get over your silly cattiness for a minute and have a conversation, I'll respond to your points. It seems it's impossible to have an argument on the internet without people changing their tone to the most nasty mud-slinging voice ever.
Okay, the reason I think it's okay to make fun of the rednecks and frat boys is because they were acting like morons. The rednecks were cheering as Borat stated, "Let us kill every man woman and child in Iraq." That's pretty disgusting, and I think it's great that the film makers showed a light on those morons.
The same thing with the frat boys. They're so ridiculously naive and over-privileged, that 3 white, heterosexual(or at least that's what they were saying), male, middle class young people, had the balls to say that "minorities have more rights in America." That's *beep* up, and it shows the ignorance that goes on in America. Yeah I'm sure a poor black woman would have waaay more liberty than a white middle class male.
So that's why I thought THAT was funny, because he was shining a light on how stupid those dumb *beep* were. Those people were doing something wrong.
BUT, were the etiquette class people doing anything wrong? I'm not sure that I agree with your claim that they were being greedy, as that was never really in the movie. They just seemed like they were helping a foreign person. The man at the table didn't defend his wife because he felt that Borat wasn't really aware of the traditions in America. That's just polite.
You seem to keep calling this "Political Correctness", but I would say it's more just simple politeness. If you visited Japan, and you violated some very strict social construct (which is very easy to do for a tourist), would you want to be reprimanded in the same way a Japanese person would be? No, I'm guessing that you would want them to respond in a polite way that's respectful of your understandable ignorance. That's not politically correct. That's just simply being polite.
rockstar0725...
You just hasn't got it, but anyway, lets not get in an argument about that.
You say that those "rednecks" and "frat boys" deserved to be ridiculized because of the way they act, denigratory and ignorant towards muslims and "minorities". OK man, I agree to some degree, but if you apply these standars to this people you should apply the same standars to the "old" people at the dinner table, apart for the little gag the OP points out, which only really offended the pastor and his wife, he didn't really offend anyone else, I mean, the way they saw him is an inmigrant with his own traditions. Now here comes the "ignorant" and "racist" bits you missed. When Borat went to the bathroom, the woman was already talking about "americanize" him, and all of them agree, don't you think this coment was ignorant? It implied 2 things:
1. She thinks people should act like them as a standard, anything else is unapropiate.
2. People outside "America" don't know how to behave, only americans do, that's why they think he could be "americanize" instead of, I don't know, learn basic manners.
The "racist" part...
Sure, they were a bit sick of their foreign guest, but the thing that really fcking pissed them off wasn't his weird manners, or even his "her not much" joke, but the fact of a lower class person came to meet him, the black hooker, she wasn't doing anything inapropiate apart for being "beneath" them. They didn't know anything about her apart for being a black woman with a dubious taste in clothing. So they put up with the white dude Borat and his anoying personality, but they couldn't handle the presence of a "lower class" person in their house. That is kind of racist man.
2. People outside "America" don't know how to behave, only americans do, that's why they think he could be "americanize" instead of, I don't know, learn basic manners.
She was implying that he should conform to cultural norms. Basic manners vary from country to country, (OK, nowhere is it considered cool to bring a bag of doodoo to the dinner table) but having lived in another country, I can say that what is considered polite or rude in one country or culture is not always considered the same in another.
The sun shone, having no alternative, on the nothing new. Samuel Beckett
J McClane, the word Stupidest is in the dictionary on my computer.
I saw at least 3 spelling mistakes in your post, there are probably more but it is too boring to read the entire thing.
Don't by so critical of other peoples choice of words if you are too lazy to look them up or check your own spelling. I realize there are probably grammatical errors in my post.
The people he accosts in the film were not paid. Not to mention, he misrepresented himself to them. Had they known his true intentions, they would have never signed a waiver for the film. Also, most of the people he defrauds are actually very friendly to him and try to help him. If he possessed any integrity or morals, he would have split the profits he made at their expense, waiver or not.
shareI know I'm a little late to the party here, but when I came across condescending grammar nitpicking, I couldn't help but point out a couple of things:
Really?
I can think of something more stupid...like the non word "stupidest". [👀]
Errr, no.
If you READ what I worte
that part i just shook my head.
on the ali g show,anytime he made a crack about a female's looks,they take it very well,i have to hand it to them.
[deleted]
[deleted]
I think that was the point of the whole charade. Borat is not someone anyone wants to be or emulate and just as many jokes were played out on himself as there were anyone else. He's an equal opportunity insulter.
share[deleted]
Reading these comments, I feel like people are missing what's really going on. The guy is making it out like he's from a very backwards, crude country, and in doing so, draws out how backwards and crude we are, despite the airs we put on about being sophisticated.
I would hardly consider the comment he made about the woman not being so attractive particularly devastated her, so I think you're overstating the case by saying that it was cruel. What's cruel is the reaction a lot of people have towards someone who's different than them, in some way, like the rodeo enthusiast who made the comment about how executing homosexuals is "something we're trying to get done", or the misogynist drunks in the RV.
Did people not get that this a movie about how we are in America?
*LOL* I don't think the woman he insulted even realized what he was saying!
shareYou obviously missed the point of "Borat" as a character.
Oh, brother. Of course, it has nothing to do with that fact that you're too uptight to laugh, I'm sure. This guy even got all of those tent revival folk to laugh. Not you, though. No, sirree. There will be none of that.
Yeah, that's right. He's the humorless one, not you.
I never said he's humourless, I said the movie is. A movie that has to resort to naked wrestling for about ten minutes is a movie lacking ideas. A movie that starts with the line, 'I like sexy time, is nice' is scraping the barrel before it's even started. And a movie that tells feminists that they are idiots and prods southerners till they say something provocative is a movie with nothing whatsoever to say about America.
If I have to tell you again, we're gonna take it outside and I'm gonna show you what it's like!
Yeah, sure. Whatever you say, there, Captain Oblivious. Go watch The Hottie and The Nottie. I'm sure that will be much more in line with your, uh, tastes.
I watched the movie because I liked Borat and Ali G when they were on TV. It's just not suited to movie length. And the hype around it baffles me.
Jizz stain.
If I have to tell you again, we're gonna take it outside and I'm gonna show you what it's like!
Zzzzzzzzzzzzz
(That's a remakable felicity of expression you possess, by the way. You're all class, aren't you? Let me guess - you're an American, right?)
I thought that was one of the funnier bits of the movie.
shareIt WAS funny. It was totally absurd. When he came out of the bathroom and caught Azamat reading his Baywatch magazine, I was shocked, but I was also laughing my a$$ off. I think that people who are offended by this scene are either homophobes, or so uncomfortable with the human body in its natural state, that they have to get offended, rather than just laugh at the absurdity.
If I begin to die, please take this off my head. This is not the way I wish to be remembered.
get over yourself dude. You must print out and frame your posts or something. You think you are so cultured don't you?
shareLet me guess - you're an American, right?Thanks, you just summed up my problem with the movie even better than I could. It inspires anti-American superiority amongst the inane. I'm Scottish.
And it's not that I'm offended by the naked wrestling because I'm a homophobe. I'm queer. It's just that it's rubbish, is all.
If I have to tell you again, we're gonna take it outside and I'm gonna show you what it's like!
angry dyke is angry
share...not to mention boring as all hell. Jesus. Get a life. So, you're Scottish and gay, huh? Well, let's all have an empowering group hug of acceptance and tolerance; then, we can break off into wee groups, put our wee skirts on, and dance a wee jig. Yes, in my experience, Americans aren't exactly the most thoughtful people in the world. Making fun of Americans and being anti-American are two different things. And, it's about time that someone pointed out to the flag-waving yahoos amongst us just what buffoons they are. At least I had enough guts to volunteer for military service. Being Scottish, you probably spent your 20's dressing up in those girls' field hockey uniforms you like to wear (I know - you call them kilts to try and make it sound like you're not behaving like transvestites). If I had been in that banquet hall when they came running through it naked, I'd have probably punched both of them in the mouth. But, later on, I'd have been laughing my a$$ off at the sheer audacity and complete fearlessness of his humor.
And, in case you didn't quite grasp this concept, the entire heart of America is based upon the concept that people have the right to say and think whatever the hell they want to, without fear of intimidation or violence, so long as they aren't promoting specific acts of violence, themselves. That includes saying and thinking things that don't reflect upon us in the most favorable light. Then, again, I guess that if I lived in a place that was essentially a bunch of rocks and moss, I'd get all pissy about a very funny movie, too. The last big thing to come out of Scotland was a band called Simple Minds. Coincidence? I think not.
Yours is one of the weakest arguments I've seen posted anywhere on the Internet. Then again, you're not exactly David Hume, arrrrrrrrrrrrrrr ya'?
1. I'm too young to have spent my 20s doing much.
2. If I behave like a transvestite I'd be honest enough to admit it. I don't wear kilts, or skirts, no.
3. I'm not gay.
4. It's not much of an argument, I agree. I just don't find it funny. I find lots of things funny. Your representation of what it is to be Scottish is funnier than anything in Borat.
5. I don't care if a movie is anti-American, making fun of America, pro-American, right-wing, left-wing, propoganda or porn. It either works or it doesn't. As with porn, you either respond or you don't. I don't have a problem with people defending Borat. I just thought the earlier argument was flawed that if you have a problem with Borat it's because you don't 'get' him. If I found it uproariously funny I'd forgive it everything else. But I get the joke, I do not laugh, you do, world keeps spinning. I have no problem with the existence of the movie. All I'm saying is I don't like it. As you say, we have the right to say and think whatever we want.
If I have to tell you again, we're gonna take it outside and I'm gonna show you what it's like!
Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.
Huh? What? I must have dozed off.
OMG get over it. get a sense of humour, grow up and learn to be mature about these things and just pass it off. everyone in this world cant be politically correct otherwise everything would be politically BORING and useless. without borat, many stereotypical views of immigrants/women/jews/whatever would not have been brought to many ppl's attention. it was raising awareness about the subject in a humourous yet beneficial way. without someone exagerating the idea like borat no one would see the effect it has on ppl. live a little! yeesh. a comedy that doesnt offend people isnt funny. end of story.
shareSorry but if you need a movie like Borat to highlight these stereotypical views, you are naive beyond belief. I don't think people really think they learned anything from Borat. I think they just think OTHER PEOPLE could learn something from it. A comedy that does offend people isn't necessarily funny.
If I have to tell you again, we're gonna take it outside and I'm gonna show you what it's like!
Wasn't that the point? How naive people really are? Sometimes you don't realize what's wrong until you step outside the box and look in.
And anything can offend everyone, just because more people were offended by THIS movie doesn't make it any funnier. The point of comedy is to point fun at the expense of the one, or thing, being made fun of. It's offensive, but it's funny. Just because it's MORE offensive doesn't make it any less funny.