mental_floss magazine
SUBSCRIBE >
GIFT SUBSCRIPTIONS >
DIGITAL SUBSCRIPTIONS >
subscriber services >
Where Knowledge Junkies Get Their Fix
It is with misty eyes and trembling voice that I’m reporting that Borat and Ali G are now dead. Rumors of their demise had been lingering for a while, but according to G4’s TheFeed, Sacha Baron Cohen has officially retired that sweet, sweet mustache and put away his gold chains for good. Apparently, his two most popular characters became simply that- too popular, making working the gag impossible. I’m hoping you’ll join me in taking a pull of eggnog, then spilling some on your floors for these two ignorant homies. They will be missed.
Misty eyes and trembling voice? Hopefully your loss of Borat will lead to a sense of humor. Borat’s passing a sad thing? I wasn’t aware he was funny. I spent a little time, after not finding him funny on da Ali G Show, trying to figure out how ANYONE thought he was funny.You’re on the Mental Floss website - spend your time doing smart things, not treating us to your poorly developed sense of humor.
posted by blog on 12-26-2007 at 8:25 am
“Blog” sounds like a real winner. Holidays must be fun around his house.
posted by Cal on 12-26-2007 at 9:16 am
Tell me he’s at least going to kill them off in interesting ways… like in a plane crash, together. Or OK, more interesting than that.
Help me out here, guys.
posted by Sara on 12-26-2007 at 9:18 am
i AGREE. I’d like to see him killed at a Jews gone Wild video taping or something.
posted by Stavros on 12-26-2007 at 10:35 am
I would argue, “blog” that the main reason for Borat and Ali G’s humor is largely because of the incredible intelligence behind them. Take Ali G, for instance. A satire on wannabe suburban gangsters everywhere. Does the character act the imbecile quite frequently? Yes. However, it is his insisting to go the speed limit all the while flashing the “Wu Tang” W at the police that makes him humorous. His belief that he is a rebel, all the while following the basic rules of his white suburban society.
Or Borat. Did you know that Sacha is Jewish? And that he has his master’s degree (look up his master’s thesis)? Borat’s ignorance is, again, Sacha’s way of turning the mirror on society’s ignorance. While Borat would be presumably far more ignorant than anyone else, a look at the movie should convince otherwise. Borat’s teasing of Jews is simply Sacha’s way of reminding us of the prejudices of our modern world. I had a student the other day tell me I must be Jewish because I save my pennies. Borat is just reminding us that these prejudices are alive and well.
Unintelligent? I think not.
posted by Olivia on 12-26-2007 at 12:06 pm
werd olivia. the most hilarious part of the borat movie was that the response of most of the people he encountered, particularly the audience at the rodeo etc, WASNT made up.
posted by omega on 12-26-2007 at 3:41 pm
And instead of Kazhak, they were speaking colloquial Israeli Hebrew…
posted by Barbara on 12-26-2007 at 7:41 pm
I applaud the demise of the characters, not because I don’t like them (I thought the Borat movie was rather hilarious, actually) but because most commedians keep their characters around long after the funny wears off…perhaps years from now a relative of theirs can emerge, but for now their retirement is the best thing to happen for him…btw, he’s great in Sweeney Todd too…
posted by donner on 12-26-2007 at 7:49 pm