What makes Borat funny?
 

I saw him on SNL and I understand that there is a movie soon to be released, but didn't Andy Kaufman do this schtick better? Is the political controversy making this more that what it really is?

What makes him funny?

He's Niiiiiiice!

http://www.nbadraft.net/actor/borat.jpg

Hate Borat, Hate Kazakhstan.

i love the ads trying to get people to visit the real kazakhstan and how great it is. rotfl

I tried watching some Borat stuff on YouTube and was severely underwhelmed.

watch the Ali G show Borat clips to see why it's so funny. His clips are all over youtube. check out "wine tasting" or "dating" for some good stuff

Ali G's humor doesn't do it for me, but I'll tell you, that opening skit on SNL was the funniest thing that's been on that show in years (a bit too many "schwings" though).

because he is a comic genius:
1. he's the next Peter Sellers
2. it's funny making people feel awkward and uncomfortable.
3. he does a perfect low-class Eastern European perfectly.
4. he shows the stupidities of American culture/people.

NICEEEE!!! I like...how much?

what toddly says. the viewer is in on the joke. it's a ride to see where Borat will take them. knowing it's a joke makes the character (and Sacha Baron Cohen) very likable.

Just off the wall crazy fun.

I'm guessing if you dislike who he's making fun of, you like him more.

Yes, as opposed to all those who like homophobes and bigots.

I heard in the last day or two that since Borat is not tracking well in much of the heartland, the number of theaters showing the movie is being cut back.

I laugh at some of the stuff, but there's nothing here (to me) that looks like it'll be "the funniest movie ever made" like some of the ads are claiming.

I saw the Borat trailer before Talladega Nights and personally found the trailer to be horrible. I didn't find anything remotely amusing about it. I also thought Cohen's character in TN to be the worst part of the film so I would say its got to be something with him that I just don't get that others find funny.

The stuff they are showing on TV and in the trailer isn't even the tip of the iceberg. The movie is outragously offensive and much of the A-material can't be aired in that kind of setting...it's rated R for a reason! If you don't seem to "get it", then maybe it's not for you, but BORAT is easily the funniest movie I HAVE EVER SEEN. Trust me, if you spend the $10, you won't regret it.

MATT

Nobody will ever match Andy Kaufman's brilliance, but Sasha Baron Cohen is at least worthy of comparison(unlike say someone like Tom Green).

Great comedy is always polarizing. Either you love his material or find it very unfunny. Put me in the love him camp. He's nice, yes?

I don't find his anti-semitism funny.

are you aware that he is Jewish? (just curious)

Yeah, I think Mel does it better.

No. Does that make it ok?

Actually, yes! He's obviously not anti-semitic, he's making fun of those who are. Pointing out the anti-semitism in others (i.e. the country & western bar joining in with the singing of "Throw the Jew down the well") is what makes it even more funny. If you can't tell who he's really making fun of, then it's obvious you're not going to get the joke.

Not to mention Bill Dana, Pat Harrington Jr., and Chico Marx.

sat‧ire  /ˈsætaɪər/ Pronunciation Key - Show Spelled Pronunciation[sat-ahyuhr] Pronunciation Key - Show IPA Pronunciation
–noun
1. the use of irony, sarcasm, ridicule, or the like, in exposing, denouncing, or deriding vice, folly, etc.
2. a literary composition, in verse or prose, in which human folly and vice are held up to scorn, derision, or ridicule.
3. a literary genre comprising such compositions.

I thought the trailer looked amusing the first time I saw it.

That said, and without having seen a second of Da Ali G Show or Borat in general, I am officially sick of him. The whole "only doing press in character" schtick is one of the stupidest, most self-involved things I've ever seen.

His recent SNL and talk show appearances are some of the lesser bits that he's done lately (although it's still pretty funny). I think he's been so overexposed and has been doing the same schtick during recent appearances that it's wearing a bit thin. He's still hilarious and his bits on the Ali G show from a few years back are classics, I think people who are only discovering him now may not find him as funny due to this overexposure. I'm still looking forward to the movie, it's one of the only films I'll be seeing at the theater instead of waiting for DVD.

At least with Sasha, though, we're in on the joke with him. With Kaufman, the joke was only known to him and his brother.

Along with Bob Zmuda and Jerry Lawler. Had it not been for Man On the Moon getting made, they might still be keeping their silence.

I love him because his chram is fat like can of Pringles.

I actually think Borat's funniest moments are when he's displaying his mannerisms...kind of like when Jon Winters does an imitation. The uncomfortable moments make me just that.

Borat is funny in small doses. I'm sure five minutes of it on the Ali G show was great, but I can't see how the same joke can play over and over for an entire movie.

I also don't find anything funny about making people uncomfortable, although I highly suspect that they're in on the joke and are just acting.

Everyone I know who has seen a sneak preview has said it's the funniest movie they've seen in a long time.....if not ever. They say it's non-stop Borat and better/funnier than anything we've seen so far. My expectations are high and I doubt I will be disappointed.

Check out this video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f9sSCVgJKoA of Borat at the Toronto International Film Festival when the projector malfunctions and they can't show the film. He's hilarious when he's just improvising with the crowd rather than doing prewritten material.

About as funny as Perfect Strangers, which was as funny as a kick in the groin area.

the amount of borat hate in this thread is absurd.

I've seen the movie many many times now and I can say that it doesn't get old at all.

As for not tracking well, Fox flinched and decided to only have it have a 800 theater release and expand it out after the first week. Hoping that word of mouth will pick it up and I can tell you, it will. This is one hell of a funny film.

I've been following his every move, and I agree. I still laugh, but it's predictable. You gotta hand it to the guy for being consistent with his stories though. I think FOX has waited far far too long to release this film. It should have hit theaters a month ago. Now Baron Cohen has done sooo much press he's probably getting sick of himself. I don't blame him.

I understand though that the stuff in the film is not at all what we've been seeing in his media appearances, so I cannot wait. I am prepared to laugh harder than I've ever laughed.

Despite what we think is overexposure, we much be a small percentage, because like someone else said, FOX is scaling back the theaters big time. Word of mouth, of course, will be huge. Napoleon Dynamite comes to mind, as far as that goes. I saw that a good month at an art house before I started hearing everyone and their grandma quoting it. Assholes.

some in the industry call this "creating buzz." I think if he was doing press as himself, not as many people would identify him with the movie, whereas they see him as Borat doing press, they can get a glimpse into what his shtick is and maybe are more inclined to check out the film rather than based their going on the trailer alone. maybe not.

Currently Borat is at 95% on Rotten Tomatoes with almost 90 reviews, 100% cream of the crop. If Borat is not your cup of tea, Larry the Cable Guy's Health Inspector is available for rental. :rolleyes:

Wow. That's HUGE for a comedy.

Hear ya. We just interviewed him on Headline News and as I was watching him get up to leave I thought about how tired he must be telling the same jokes over and over. I'm sure after this heavy publicity push he's going to take a long vacation... and nowhere near an Eastern Bloc country.