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Topic: Borat
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Steve Klare
Film Guy
Posts: 7016
From: Long Island, NY, USA
Registered: Jun 2003
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posted November 27, 2006 12:28 PM
What bothers me about it is it's basically ridiculing people and peoples for cheap amusement. We like to kid ourselves that we'd moved beyond laughing at stereotypes as during the era of comedies about black people and Asians, but lo and behold, we really haven't.
I guess people always need a "them" to laugh at. The sense of superority it gives is deceiving, because all of us, no matter who we are are a "them" to somebody.
It's also about low grade entertainment. With some talent and some effort, somebody can reach out and touch our minds or our hearts. With a little more they may even reach our souls. (Re: Mozart, Beethoven, Shakespeare,etc.) Crap like this works down at the levels of our hormones and our spinal cords. It makes us watch with the same urges that make us look at a flipped car when we drive past.
I guess I don't like it!
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All I ask is a wide screen and a projector to light her by...
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Tom Photiou
Film God
Posts: 4837
From: Plymouth U.K
Registered: Dec 2003
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posted November 27, 2006 02:36 PM
steve raises good points but dont you all think that this is how we've been brain washed by the (excuse langauge)wankers from the PC world?
Why cant we laugh at ourselves & joke about others, after all, how many years have the Brits been making Irish Jokes? I dont recall anyone saying those jokes were racist, Of course Borat does "joke" about another culture but are you seriously going to say that no one in other countries dont make jokes about us?
What ever happened to the saying, sticks and stones may break my bones but names will never hurt, the funny thing about Borat is that this character has been on the ali g show for several years and no one has complained before, i certainly go along with the fact that its not intelligent comedy but then should we be taking any comedy serious? A little of everything is good for us all, The only time i find comedy offensive is if its directly after the death of someone and its aimed at that, oddley enough the most offensive comedy is found not on the big screen but on the world wide web, the home of the most offensive material in the world and easily accessed by all ages, long live Borat ![[Big Grin]](biggrin.gif)
Please, i'm just joshing ![[Wink]](wink.gif)
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Steve Klare
Film Guy
Posts: 7016
From: Long Island, NY, USA
Registered: Jun 2003
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posted November 27, 2006 05:38 PM
Well Tom,
It's not being PC, I'm very un-PC (-just ask my wife!). The Politically Correct are just bullies who try to control peoples thoughts by making some words off-limits (See: Orwell)
I think it boils down to being offensive, especially the way it is.
In a world where oppinions vary, you're pretty much bound to offend somebody no matter what you do. They say the first time they performed "Rites of Spring", the audience was so offended that they chased Igor Stravinsky down the street and might have killed him had he not been pretty fast for a composer. This for a piece of music without lyrics!
(Now it's available on Super-8 from Derann!)
The problem is that like a lot of things I'm seeing lately, this seems to be made with the intent to offend, and uses the offense of some as part of its appeal to others. I've heard some of the people who like this movie the most describe it as "offensive". To me that's just exploiting somebody's hurt for gain. Whether PC or not, that's just plain wrong.
It's healthy to laugh at ourselves. Even though he's never met me, Bill Cosby makes me laugh at myself all the time. How? By making fun of himself and allowing me to see myself in the same circumstances. There is empathy there.
-I don't sense a lot in "Borat."
Laughing at others is fine providing you are showing what's good about them at the same time.
-Ditto
Is it OK to make fun of the Irish? I don't know. Are the Irish laughing too?
Second to most important point:
1) You like it for your reasons, but won't force me to go see it.
2) I don't like it for mine, but won't stop you from seeing it.
Most important point:
I'd rather suffer through the thing ten times than see it banned once.
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All I ask is a wide screen and a projector to light her by...
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Chris Quinn
Master Film Handler
Posts: 372
From: England, Bedfordshire.
Registered: Nov 2003
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posted November 28, 2006 12:58 AM
What ever your opinions about Borat, i did read that it is doing better than expected in the states. Originally it was only released in 85 cinemas!! but the studio has had to open the film in another 135 due to it's unexpected popularity. I have not seen the film, but i am getting very curious, seen some snippets on the internet, they did make me laugh, maybe i should be more thoughtful about things like this before it carries me away, but i am a simple bloke and if something makes me laugh i just do. I dont really think that people from eastern block countries are really like this and i don't believe it's a documentary either, it's just a movie, fantasy, make believe. Life of brian offended loads of people, but is Monty Pythons biggest success, and one of the funniest films i have ever seen.
Chris.
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The other half thinks i'm up to something. Shes right of course.
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At the cinema where I work we have been running the trailer for a while now which if, is an indicator what the film is like is total crap. Seemingly I have been told that we missed out on getting a print, and instead are sending another classic film Jackass 2, that will go nicely with Grudge 2, more crap, ah well I guess there is always Santa Claus 3. thank goodness for home entertainment ![[Cool]](cool.gif)
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