Nov 5
Went to the movies.
Borat is often doing a parody of prejudice which, because it is so over-the-top, arguably ridicules, undermines and discredits bigotry. However, I worry that certain underclass types might take Borat seriously. They could see him as reinforcing and validating their lumpen mentality.
Taken at face value, the film seems very offensive to women and minorities. But the sub-text is quite complex, ambiguous and often subversive.
Many of the victims of his scurrilous send-ups are small-town Middle Americans. Borat gives them the rope to hang themselves. He’s baiting them. They express real ignorance and prejudice, whereas Borat is only acting.
It was really, really funny. Wrong - especially the scenes at the B&B and the rodeo (for vastly different reasons…) - but a piercingly funny/disturbing social insight/commentary.
But I wonder if the people reviewing this movie as a piece of social commentary aren’t also getting pranked in some way since there are also scenes which are purely sophomoric humor… and which self-righteous liberals could call “ground-breaking” (feelin’ all open-minded and whatnot), when they’re really just fecal/scatological jokes most often heard coming from the mouths of teenage/college age boys.
What a dilemma.
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