‘Ridicule is nothing to be scared of’
And should receive EU subsidies in some cases.
The Stans are: Kazakhstan, Kyrgzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Pakistan, and Afghanistan (did I miss any?)
He could have used, say, Kyrgzakistan, Tajmenistan, Uzbaniztan, Tazakistan, etc.
[quote=“Huang Guang Chen”]But surely it had to help get him in the door in some intances by coming from a “real” country.
HG[/quote]I guess so. Not sure whether it was worth it.
[quote=“Buttercup”]‘Ridicule is nothing to be scared of’[/quote]Well, the thing is, he’s not actually ridiculing or satirising Kazakhstan. But quite a few people might think that he is. And that’s not so great in my opinion.
He’s openly ridiculing Americans. Are they fair game because they’re not poor?
Hindustan. 
Hindustan. [/quote]
Stan and Ollie? Stan Ogden?
(someone had to say it)
He’s openly ridiculing Americans. Are they fair game because they’re not poor?[/quote]What an odd question. Is it directed at me? Where in any of my posts did I mention poverty?
To make it absolutely clear for you, I’m objecting to SBC/Borat saying that he comes from Kazakhstan because I think that quite a few people may think he’s satirising Kazakhstan, whereas in fact the whole Borat concept has nothing to do with Kazakhstan.
Regarding the “ridiculing of Americans”, I suppose it’s legitimate satire though I personally find most of it rather obvious and tedious.
I think the Borat vehicle is a great medium to ridicule many facets of the west, which is Cohen’s obvious aim, particularly his heavy emphasis on anti-Semitism. However, at the same time, the reason Borat is funny is because there are grounds to “believe” the character. That’s not Cohen’s fault. Satire tends to bite.
Anyway, Cohen couldn’t have scripted it better. Recently the Kazakh government spent considerably on ads in the NY Times and so on to promote their country and overturn the slight they felt Cohen had dealt them. And then recently it turns out they are running out new bank notes with a spelling mistake on the word bank.
[quote]Kazakh central bank misspells ‘bank’ on money
ALMATY, Kazakhstan - The Kazakhstan central bank has misspelled the word “bank” on its new notes, officials said Wednesday.
The bank plans to put the misprinted notes — worth 2,000 tenge ($15) and 5,000-tenge — into circulation in November and then gradually withdraw them to correct the spelling.
The move has drawn the ire of the Central Asian state’s politicians who urged the bank to abandon the notes altogether.[/quote]
As for his references to prostitutes, well guess what, Almaty is apparently a thriving haven for prostitution and a leading source of women trafficked for that very purpose. Oh, but it’s not just women . . .
[quote]Kazakhstan - Incidence and Nature of Child Labor
Recent statistics on working children under the age of 15 in Kazakhstan are unavailable.[2220] Most working children are involved in agriculture in rural areas during harvest time.[2221] In urban areas, the country’s increasingly formalized labor market has led to a decrease in many forms of child labor. However, children continue to be found begging, loading freight, delivering goods in markets, washing cars, and working at gas stations.[2222] Reports also indicate a rise in the number of children engaged in commercial sexual exploitation, pornography and drug trafficking in urban areas. Children working as domestic servants are often invisible and, for this reason, also vulnerable to exploitation.[2223] Kazakhstan is a source, transit, and destination country for trafficking for sexual exploitation and forced labor. Girls in their teens are one of the primary targets for trafficking from Kazakhstan to other countries. Internal trafficking from rural to urban areas also occurs. [2224][/quote]
Kazakhstan is benefiting from high energy prices, which has increased domestic demand for prostitution. Maybe they should try and clean up their act.
HG
The article linked in the OP was about how the Romanian people who acted in the film are suing the production company because they were ridiculed and humiliated. Also there was some discussion about whether the story was ‘true’ and if so, whether people living in poverty who have been paid to do something ought to sue when they did something stupid that turned out badly for them. I was making a point that we look on poor people as ‘victims’ in situations like this rather than some behemoth such as the USA where it is ok to make jokes about. That’s what the thread is about.
Whether the film should have been made about Kazakhstan was a different thread, I think.
Precisely. “If” that story is accurate the guy is a major asshole.[/quote]
See I don’t see hows its worse for poor villagers to be ridiculed but it is ok for high level politicians to get duped? Where is that logic? In both instances the people in question were exploited for the humour of all.
He’s openly ridiculing Americans. Are they fair game because they’re not poor?[/quote][quote=“Buttercup”][quote=“joesax”]What an odd question. Is it directed at me? Where in any of my posts did I mention poverty?[/quote]
…
Whether the film should have been made about Kazakhstan was a different thread, I think.[/quote]It wasn’t really made about Kazakhstan, though, was it?
I made that point in this thread. Maybe I should have posted it as a new thread, to avoid confusion. But the fact that you quoted my point led me to believe that you were responding to what I had written.
Nope, it was made about the USA.
Sure, ok. Wasn’t having a go.
No worries. Just the usual internet discussion confusion stuff going on, and I’m sure I could have explained myself more clearly.
I’m not terribly keen on any of this kind of trickery-for-humorous-purposes stuff, no matter who it’s directed at.
My point was just the additional one that some people might make a connection between Borat and Kazakhstan, whereas in fact there is none.
Maybe I also misunderstand you but doesn’t Borat portray a person from Kazakhstan in that movie? In that case there is a connection.
Now explain yourself clearly.
Lets re-cap…
A wealthy, well educated comedian travels to an impoverished area of the world and engages the local population in the production of a film that ridicules the poor. He doesn’t communicate to them the nature of the film he is producing, makes them appear ridiculous and pays them shit. Those same people, realizing how they have been offended, make an official complaint and two weeks later self satisfied wankers the world over are debating via the internet whether or not they have a legitimate grievance. Islam is right. The west is degenerate.
Erh, do you have even a vaugue idea about what you are talking about?
HG
[quote=“bob”]Lets re-cap…
A wealthy, well educated comedian travels to an impoverished area of the world and engages the local population in the production of a film that ridicules the poor. He doesn’t communicate to them the nature of the film he is producing, makes them appear ridiculous and pays them shit. Those same people, realizing how they have been offended, make an official complaint and two weeks later self satisfied wankers the world over are debating via the internet whether or not they have a legitimate grievance. Islam is right. The west is degenerate.[/quote]
‘Self satisfied wankers’- a tautology, surely.
Yes, I always thought the Islamic world had really got their shit together. Maybe concerned parents in the UK (my fatherland) could send their kids off for military training in Pakistan or Afghanistan? bring back National Service! That’ll sort out the young toads!
HG
Tautology? What is that? The study of tight ones? Where do I sign up?
seems like he got a bit of a kicking in New York thesun.co.uk/article/0,2-2006520669,00.html