...which means that for some, including myself, comedian Sasha Baron Cohen is not someone who can be liked, or laughed at, entirely easily. When I first caught his program when it came on in the USA I didn't laugh that much. I could see what he was doing, and it was sort of amusing, but it felt like the humor was making me feel uncomfortable. In other words, it was cringe-comedy central. But then something happened- I watched the show more, saw it in repeats, and the characters this guy created (Ali G is a wigger with the IQ of a potato chip, Borat is a Kazakhstan gent with limited social skills, and Bruno a German model interviewer in the vein of Mike Myers' Dieter character) turned out to be very funny. In fact, after watching a new episode from this second season on HBO, much of what he does is brilliant, even when it's sometimes totally ludicrous. It's because when Ali G or Bruno interviews someone who is prime for roasting, the jokes work when it's done subtly, or even not at all. And Borat, arguably, is the funniest foreigner simpleton since Kaufman's Latka, maybe more-so because (as it is HBO) there is much more of a chance for outrageous bits.
This is not to say I find the show great, since some skits and interviews remain laughless sometimes. But when it works, it's some of the funniest stuff a "gieser" like me can see over in the states. Simply put, it's stupid humor put to the tests of a viewer's patience, and people will either get it or they won't. But, one of the joys is that it isn't a show that isn't necessarily 'see once and never want to watch again'. Highlights from the past season include- Borat's visit to a ballpark; Ali G's interviews with a religious panel, and with James Lipton from inside the Actor's studio; Bruno busts a move on run-way at a fashion show; Ali G's visit to the UN. A-
This is not to say I find the show great, since some skits and interviews remain laughless sometimes. But when it works, it's some of the funniest stuff a "gieser" like me can see over in the states. Simply put, it's stupid humor put to the tests of a viewer's patience, and people will either get it or they won't. But, one of the joys is that it isn't a show that isn't necessarily 'see once and never want to watch again'. Highlights from the past season include- Borat's visit to a ballpark; Ali G's interviews with a religious panel, and with James Lipton from inside the Actor's studio; Bruno busts a move on run-way at a fashion show; Ali G's visit to the UN. A-