Borat

Thanks to Taty for the informative link.

Seems Russia banned "Borat" on the basis of it being offensive and "because the film could potentially humiliate different ethnic groups and religions". Following this ground-breaking decision, any film depicting citizens of Russia exhibiting anti-social characteristics will be banned. This group includes, among other things, films showing Russian people commiting crimes, lying, not being considerate to others, drinking milk straight out of the carton and not holding doors open for women. The only two films that have not made the new-and-updated ban list are both three-hour long explorations of butterfly mating patterns. Almost as an after-thought, the Russian culture ministry notes that it has no sense of humor and cannot tell the difference between a documentary and a fictional film showing grotesquely over-the-top humor.

I saw "Borat" last weekend and literraly laughed my ass off. Quite possibly the funniest movie I have ever seen. But it's more than slapstick. Borat does not make fun of people just for the hell of it. The entire film is a slapstick/satire piece. My favorite scene illustrates the beauty of his humor: the audience at a Texan rodeo cheers for Borat as he makes statements in support of President Bush. They applaud wildly as Borat suggests that the Middle East should be bombed until not even lizards can live there. They practically give him a standing ovation when Borat says that George W. Bush will drink the blood of his enemies, which in this case happens to be the people of Iraq. A few seconds later, Borat goes on to sing the Kazakhstani national anthem to the tune of America's national anthem. Within moments of hearing Borat say that Kazakhstan's leaders are great while all others are little girls, the crowd starts to boo and hiss like a bag full of snakes. Apparently, by the end of the anthem, Borat was led off because the producers feared for his safety. Seems Texans don't mind in the slightest the mention of cannibalism but are ready to pop a cap in your ass at the slightest hint of criticism. Which is not all that unexpected.

Back to the topic at hand, if you went to see "Borat" and thought "Hey, people in Kazakhstan live like this", you should be taken to the city square, castrated (just for the hell of it) and shot in the mouth. We don't need idiots like you.

PS. If you think I am entirely serious, you should be taken into the city square...