Borat

[Greg Shantz]

Did anyone see this movie? I think it is great, filled with truth.

[Carl G]

Did anyone see this movie? I think it is great, filled with truth.

I saw it.

Well, half. It sucked to the max.

[sschaula]

I saw it. It was okay. Kind of funny sometimes, but kind of boring.

[Dan Rowden]

The clips I've seen made it look potentially interesting, but I've heard that it's pretty much the same point/joke over and over. I'll wait till it comes out on DVD.....

[Carl G]

I think it is great, filled with truth.

Greg, I'm curious. What truth did you find the film filled with?

[Greg Shantz]

I think it is great, filled with truth.

Greg, I'm curious. What truth did you find the film filled with?

Human psychology.

[sue hindmarsh]

Throwing political correctness out the window as Borat does, is really quite refreshing. Not that he says anything that’s very rational – he’s just being irreverent. He’s not the first comedian to do this – nor will he be the last. Dennis Pennis’ work is similar.

-
Sue

[Carl G]

Racist, sexist, and bathroom humor is not refreshing to me, it's really quite stale. But hey, what works for you...

[sue hindmarsh]

Carl,

Rattling the cage of conventional thinking is useful as it can promote further consideration of concepts that most people just take for granted. As you point out, Borat’s targets are plainly superficial, “racist, sexist, and bathroom humour”, but it is the conventional view of these topics that creates the framework for much of people’s thinking. His irreverent take on these topics means that some people may find themselves considering the absurdity of their lives. They may see the inherent egotism in such things as love and marriage, nationalism and patriotism, polite and kind behaviour, along with the inherent racism and sexism in their behaviour towards race and gender.

Of course, this is a big ask – but this movie might be the trigger that awakens a viewer or two to begin considering the deeper consequences of their lives – and that would be refreshing!

-
Sue

[Carl G]

Portraying stupid does not inspire me to rise above my own stupidity. As if movies like "Dumb and Dumber," "Wayne's World" and "Borat" could be positive triggers. Better to show someone who sees, and acts upon his seeing, than someone who wallows in the lowest form of living.

Does bathroom humor ever inspire you, or are you just thinking /hoping abstractly?

[millipodium]

Portraying stupid does not inspire me to rise above my own stupidity. As if movies like "Dumb and Dumber," "Wayne's World" and "Borat" could be positive triggers. Better to show someone who sees, and acts upon his seeing, than someone who wallows in the lowest form of living.

Does bathroom humor ever inspire you, or are you just thinking /hoping abstractly?

you're just above it all, aren't you, carl?

[Carl G]

What's that?

Hmm, I thought I heard a fly buzzing around the room.

[Dan Rowden]

So, Kevin, David, Sue,

What were your impressions of the film?

[David Quinn]

It has its moments, but could have been done a lot more intelligently. Good concept, mediocre execution. Cohen has guts, but dumbs down his sketches and confrontations far too much, and so the movie isn't as powerful as it could have been. Teenagers will love it, though.

-

[Sharly_Li]

Teenagers will love it, though.

I havent seen it yet myself but at school alot of people are acually dissapointed with it. My impression is that they were expecting a full piss take overlooking its un-politically correct components being my assumption of the films core message.

I'll wait till it comes out on DVD.....

I would imagine that at one time many philosophers would have deplored the idea of owning a DVD player.

;-)

[Dan Rowden]

I have no idea why.

[sue hindmarsh]

Dan,

There is one scene where Borat stumbles into a Christian fundamentalist meeting where the members are so very bizarre that Borat is totally outshone. (Having sex with your sister and drinking out of the toilet can’t compete with those wacko Christians.)

-
Sue

[ExpectantlyIronic]

I would imagine that at one time many philosophers would have deplored the idea of owning a DVD player.

You're right. They were called the cynics. Perhaps the core of their beliefs was the notion that happiness came from within. Thus they looked at physical pleasures with disdain. Probably the most famous stoic was Diogenes (the "dog of Athens") who, when offered anything he might want by Alexander the Great, asked only that Alexander "step from between [him] and the sun". Although, given the age of both Alexander and Diogenes, it's likely that this story is merely a parable, and never actually happened. Nevertheless, I'm rather fond of it. :)

[Dan Rowden]

There are some nice Diogenes anecdotes here.

[ExpectantlyIronic]

There are some nice Diogenes anecdotes here.

Cool. Diogenes was an incredibly witty fella. Although, there was one occasion where Plato outwitted Diogenes. After stomping on Plato's carpet, Diogenes exclaimed "I trample upon the pride of Plato." Plato responded to this by saying, "Yes, Diogenes, with pride of another sort."

[Dan Rowden]

Ha! Welcome to the board btw. You'll at least find some activity here unlike at CA.

[David Quinn]

Sue wrote:

There is one scene where Borat stumbles into a Christian fundamentalist meeting where the members are so very bizarre that Borat is totally outshone. (Having sex with your sister and drinking out of the toilet can’t compete with those wacko Christians.)

That was probably the point - no matter how idiotic and offensive Borat tries to be, he can't possibly hold a candle to Christian fundamentalists and their like, who are literally off their tree. And of course, he's right.

But it isn't very difficult to mock Christian fundamentalists. They are easy targets. It would have been more impressive if Borat tried to expose the sheer wackiness of the average scientist, the mainstream Christian, the "decent citizen", the moral woman, etc. These people are just as wacky as the fundamentalists are, but their wackiness is a lot harder for comedians to expose because it requires digging into the ego more deeply. If they were to start doing this they would cease being comedians and become philosophers instead, and their box-office appeal would rapidly diminish.

To tell you the truth, I am so bored and sickened by today's comedians and their limited routines. They only go so far in their mockery. There are thousands of thresholds which they never attempt to cross. They keep regurgitating the same old shallow humour over and over again. No wonder so many of them are depressed. They certainly make me depressed.

-

[Elizabeth Isabelle]

It would have been more impressive if Borat tried to expose the sheer wackiness of ... the moral woman, etc.

Would you mind giving a couple of examples of what is wacky about a moral woman? And since you specifically mentioned "moral woman" rather than "moral person" and left off the wackiness of the moral man - could you highlight the difference that makes a moral woman wacky, but not a moral man?

[Sharly_Li]

Sue wrote:

There is one scene where Borat stumbles into a Christian fundamentalist meeting where the members are so very bizarre that Borat is totally outshone. (Having sex with your sister and drinking out of the toilet can’t compete with those wacko Christians.)

That was probably the point - no matter how idiotic and offensive Borat tries to be, he can't possibly hold a candle to Christian fundamentalists and their like, who are literally off their tree. And of course, he's right.

But it isn't very difficult to mock Christian fundamentalists. They are easy targets. It would have been more impressive if Borat tried to expose the sheer wackiness of the average scientist, the mainstream Christian, the "decent citizen", the moral woman, etc. These people are just as wacky as the fundamentalists are, but their wackiness is a lot harder for comedians to expose because it requires digging into the ego more deeply. If they were to start doing this they would cease being comedians and become philosophers instead, and their box-office appeal would rapidly diminish.

To tell you the truth, I am so bored and sickened by today's comedians and their limited routines. They only go so far in their mockery. There are thousands of thresholds which they never attempt to cross. They keep regurgitating the same old shallow humour over and over again. No wonder so many of them are depressed. They certainly make me depressed.

-

I've learned a lot about women. I think I've learned exactly how the fall of man occured in the Garden of Eden. Adam and Eve were in the Garden of Eden, and Adam said one day, "Wow, Eve, here we are, at one with nature, at one with God, we'll never age, we'll never die, and all our dreams come true the instant that we have them." And Eve said, "Yeah... it's just not enough is it?"

- Bill Hicks