Sacha Baron Cohen comes out of character and speaks out

[w¡n9Nµ7 §£@¥€r 123]

In an interview with Rolling Stone, the comedian revealed he was a devout Jew, observing Sabbath and eating kosher foods, and he referred to the singing scene to defend his inflammatory comedy.

"Borat essentially works as a tool. By himself being anti-Semitic, he lets people lower their guard and expose their own prejudices, whether it's anti-Semitism or an acceptance of anti-Semitism. 'Throw the Jew Down the Well' was a very controversial sketch, and some members of the Jewish community thought it was actually going to encourage anti-Semitism.

"But to me it revealed something about that bar in Tuscon. And the question is: did it reveal that they were anti-Semitic? Perhaps. But maybe it just revealed that they were indifferent to anti-Semitism," he said.

Baron Cohen said the concept of "indifference towards anti-Semitism" had been informed by his study of the Holocaust while at Cambridge University, where he read history. "I remember, when I was in university, and there was this one major historian of the Third Reich, Ian Kershaw. And his quote was, 'The path to Auschwitz was paved with indifference.'

"I know it's not very funny being a comedian talking about the Holocaust, but I think it's an interesting idea that not everyone in Germany had to be a raving anti-Semite. They just had to be apathetic," he said.

http://news.independent.co.uk/uk/this_brit...icle1990387.ece

[LaL 418]

i thought his big draw was that he only interviewed as his characters??!! how disappointing.

[Cristy 4]

Maybe getting beat up made him change his mind?

[one...two...tree 2,762]

In an interview with Rolling Stone, the comedian revealed he was a devout Jew, observing Sabbath and eating kosher foods, and he referred to the singing scene to defend his inflammatory comedy.

"Borat essentially works as a tool. By himself being anti-Semitic, he lets people lower their guard and expose their own prejudices, whether it's anti-Semitism or an acceptance of anti-Semitism. 'Throw the Jew Down the Well' was a very controversial sketch, and some members of the Jewish community thought it was actually going to encourage anti-Semitism.

"But to me it revealed something about that bar in Tuscon. And the question is: did it reveal that they were anti-Semitic? Perhaps. But maybe it just revealed that they were indifferent to anti-Semitism," he said.

Baron Cohen said the concept of "indifference towards anti-Semitism" had been informed by his study of the Holocaust while at Cambridge University, where he read history. "I remember, when I was in university, and there was this one major historian of the Third Reich, Ian Kershaw. And his quote was, 'The path to Auschwitz was paved with indifference.'

"I know it's not very funny being a comedian talking about the Holocaust, but I think it's an interesting idea that not everyone in Germany had to be a raving anti-Semite. They just had to be apathetic," he said.

http://news.independent.co.uk/uk/this_brit...icle1990387.ece

Great post! Very interesting observation of human behavior.

[Ban Hammer 13,678]

By himself being anti-Semitic, he lets people lower their guard and expose their own prejudices, whether it's anti-Semitism or an acceptance of anti-Semitism .

not that we have any of that here on vj

[one...two...tree 2,762]

By himself being anti-Semitic, he lets people lower their guard and expose their own prejudices, whether it's anti-Semitism or an acceptance of anti-Semitism .

not that we have any of that here on vj

Now you're talking sense, Charles!

The term Semitic tribes (or Semites) refers to several groups of nomads and camel pastoralists who spoke related Semitic languages and included Arabs, Aramaeans, Jews, Carthaginians, Ethiopians, Abyssinians, and Phoenicians. They roamed Arabia and Mesopotamia beginning somewhere in the third to fourth millennium BC, and dominated the Babylonian society beginning about 3000 BC

. Edited November 17, 2006 by Steven_and_Jinky

[Alex+R 0]

Oh no. Don't get all semantic on the word semitic. Anti-semitic was a term actually invented by an antisemite, and its meaning today is just about Jews.

End of conversation.

I love Sascha Baron Cohen; I am getting sick of Borat.

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

I also read that he was really goading some of the people that appeared in his movie by saying increasingly obscene things just to get a reaction out of them after his initial gags didn’t work. I’m not sure what you can legitimately conclude from that – as a lot of people, when placed in a awkward social situation with someone expressing those kind of sentiments might smile, nod and agree (while thinking something completely different).

[Candace 2]

In an interview with Rolling Stone, the comedian revealed he was a devout Jew, observing Sabbath and eating kosher foods, and he referred to the singing scene to defend his inflammatory comedy.

"Borat essentially works as a tool. By himself being anti-Semitic, he lets people lower their guard and expose their own prejudices, whether it's anti-Semitism or an acceptance of anti-Semitism.

It is a shame that he actually had to point that out. I observed something I found interesting and also funny (not in a belly laugh way, but in a laughing-at-hypocrites way) when we went to watch the movie. The couple in front of us watched and laughed at the movie including the 'Chasing the Jew' scene, the Jewish B&B scene, and the naked butt-wrestling scene. When it came to the scene (somewhere towards the end) where Borat goes to a Christian worship (sorry, I don't know the right name for it) they walked out indignantly.

[Alex+R 0]

The couple in front of us watched and laughed at the movie including the 'Chasing the Jew' scene, the Jewish B&B scene, and the naked butt-wrestling scene. When it came to the scene (somewhere towards the end) where Borat goes to a Christian worship (sorry, I don't know the right name for it) they walked out indignantly.

Whoa.

[mawilson 2,133]

When it came to the scene (somewhere towards the end) where Borat goes to a Christian worship (sorry, I don't know the right name for it) they walked out indignantly.

Borat actually seemed like a normal, sane person among all those lunatics...

[w¡n9Nµ7 §£@¥€r 123]

I thought the Borat movie was hilarious but totally forgetabble. Is that even a word? I expect Alex+R will set me straight momentarilee (more grist for the mill)!

[Jenn! 918]

I thought the Borat movie was hilarious but totally forgetabble. Is that even a word?

With one "b" and two "t"'s it is!

Edited November 17, 2006 by jenn3539

[w¡n9Nµ7 §£@¥€r 123]

I thought the Borat movie was hilarious but totally forgetabble. Is that even a word?

With one "b" and two "t"'s it is!

O

So are you the new claimant to the throne of VJ spelling & grammar Nazi?

[Jenn! 918]

I thought the Borat movie was hilarious but totally forgetabble. Is that even a word?

With one "b" and two "t"'s it is!

O

So are you the new claimant to the throne of VJ spelling & grammar Nazi?

No way. I'm good, but I can't compete.