Cohen's 'Borat' on the French, Mel Gibson and Uzbekistan

By Stone Martindale Oct 9, 2006, 23:44 GMT

Actor Sacha Baron Cohen in the role of fictitious Kazakh journalist Borat Sagdiyev is turned away from the Kazakh Embassy in Washington, September 28, 2006. REUTERS/Joshua Roberts

British comedian Sacha Baron Cohen isn't just torturing the Kazakhstanis.  The beleagured, small country is not enough for all schtick-y mangled English bon mots of Borat, the pseudo journalist whose eponymous movie is about to be unleashed on the world next month.

At a Paris press conference, Borat flung it like a monkey in a dizzying array of subjects and new victims, including US President George W. Bush, Mel Gibson, Brigitte Bardot, French cuisine and Uzbekistan.

Kazakhstan of course still got the lion's share of Baron Cohen's satire, and much for the box-office hype it will bring his film "Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan" which starts screening from November 3.

Borat was placed in front of a set built to resemble an apartment in his fictional Kazakhstan.  Sacha Baron Cohen always in character as Borat for these things, launched into his take about the movie, a mock documentary on the United States and his quest for the unholy grail of Pamela Anderson.

"My name Borat ... I am in fact the fourth most famous person in Kazakhstan," he said, framed by a stuffed black bear and women's underwear hanging from a clothes-line.

The other famous Kazakhis were a former gymnast now famed for her circus act that does unmentionable things; "Johnny the Monkey", a children's entertainer and porn star; and the true Kazakh President, Nursultan Nazarbayev.

He offered no accompanying details on Nazarbayev, preferring to leave a long, knowing silence that spoke volumes about the Kazakh leader's genuine irritation at Baron Cohen's routine and film.

Kazakh government officials have spent real money on an ad campaign to educate Americans on the real deal. 

At the press conference, Cohen/Borat said his "glorious leader's"visit last month to see Bush was all in the name of promotion for his movie, and lauded the US president for being a "strong man" like John Wayne.

He also claimed the new ads vaunting Kazakhstan's progress were "lying propogandas (sic) from assholes Uzbekistan", and warned that if they continued, "then Kazakhstan will be left with no alternative than to commence bombardment of Uzbeki cities with our catapults".

Borat's trademark mock antisemistism came to light when he agreed with a certain "Melvyn Gibson" that "the Jews started all the wars".

"We also have proofs that the Jews were responsible for Hurricane Katrina and were also behind killing all the dinosaurs," he said.

The belle pays de France also got a skewering.

"It's a great honor to be here in minor nation of France," he said, adding that all he had heard about the country's refined cuisine was true.

"Your McDonald's are wonderful ... I eat there 15 of these delicious hamburgers," though he reflected that "today there was a problem and my anus was hanging loose like the mouth of a tired dog".

Borat continued saying should he have the occasion to meet a beautiful young actress he saw in "And God Created Woman", a (1956) movie "just out" in Kazakhstan starring the now-elder animal activist, Brigitte Bardot.

"Wawawaylaa! I would very much like to make a romance inside of her!" he said.

Other target rich countries or celebrities need not panic for a while anyway regarding Borat's voracious undercover embedded journalism.  His explanation should rest worried minds:

"Our country's camera is being used to make another television programme," his Borat said.