So the powers that be say political satire is dead. Redundant. Out-moded.
They say we don't need comedians discussing politics in today's contemporary society; that the public is technologically enlightened and therefore globally connected 24/7.
Um ... that is, of course, unless you're in the CIA ...
Sacha Baron Cohen on the Daily Show with Jon Stewart.
13 comments:
whenever i see or hear of political power types appearing on shows that are sure to mock them, i have to wonder who the heck are their PR people? either they don't consult their pr dept or the pr rep is cousin Ginny from Podunk, Nebraska.
I don't think msugal86 has ever heard the saying, "There's no such thing as bad publicity."
Before I read the caption underneath the video clip I was thinking "...except for Sacha Baron Cohen!" then when I saw who it was I laughed out loud ... again. God I love him, but have yet to see Da Ali G Show. Borat, however, has reached cult status in this household with my older son, husband and I always quoting bits of the movie and 'reminiscing fondly.' I have never laughed so hard in my life, and his political 'observations' were the best part. Thanks for the grin, Vicki.
msugal86 ... I know! Since we've both been in the PR biz, it's amazing to think that no one had checked his credentials. But, now that I'm on the other side ie. interviewing, I know there are a lot of 'folks' out there who just want free airtime. Assuming Mr. Kerr is one of them.
andrea ... and following on from previous comment, yes, he could have figured even bad publicity was better than none. Have yet to see Borat, but my nephew introduced me to Ali G when I was back home in England a few years ago. Hysterical! I can't believe how people fall for it ... and don't question him.
I am a big fan of Borat. Hadn't seen his real persona until this so it was interesting to see the man behind Borat. Thanks for the laugh! ;-)
Rrrrreesssspec' to da Ali G - 'e is well wicked!
When I first saw him I have to admit it took me a while to get what he was up to. But now I love what he does and think he sends these political types up superbly.
I think he's run his course over here, but the fact that irony only seems to cross the Atlantic in a bit of a patchy way means that I think he's still got a few years of lampooning America left in him... :o)
andrea,
i have heard the saying but it is simply not true and does not apply to public relations practice. everytime a PR professional hears (or sees) that saying their eyes roll as mine just did a minute ago.
Fantastic, Bibi!!!
This guy's a hoot.
As far as PR, I think it should be DC...Damage Control. Or HS...Hyper Spin. Or BS.
And we know what that means.
Not to attack the people who do it, but you gotta know they've got an agenda. It's called spin.
Bloody brilliant!
i'm totally clueness. i've heard of this guy but have never seen him and don't (yet) get his appeal. in this clip with jon stewart, he looks easy on the eyes and ears.
maybe it's time for me to get alittle hipper......
Lisa, glad you enjoyed.
Ant, he's doing a bunch of talk shows over here, so he's blowing his cover. But it's a big country and I'm sure there are plenty of folks out there who won't get to hear about him ... until it's too late ha ha.
WW, you're right, there's always an agenda. And sometimes there's so much spin, even the spinners don't know which end is up!
Pete, y'o gotta mind.
KJ, hey, it's different strokes for different folks. As Ant said, it takes some people a while to get him ... and some never do. That's ok!
When I first saw Da Ali G Show on HBO, I didn't care for it too much. Then I saw his movie "Ali G Indahouse." It was hilarious. Since then I've been a big fan, and I'm amazed at Cohen's versatility. If I didn't know it was him, I would've never guessed that Ali G, Borat or Bruno were the same man. As someone previously said, this was the first opportunity I had to see Cohen as himself, and it was really interesting to see the man behind the characters. Thank you for the clip! By the way, I'm a big fan of Jon Stewart and, his partner in crime, Stephen Colbert. They are both incredibly funny political satirists as is Bill Maher. As for myself, I believe that political satire is not just a form of comedy but an excellent example of the right to free speech. Many countries do not enjoy that luxury.
John, and thank goodness we still have freedom of speech via satire, because it's fast disappearing in mainstream media. JS and SC are also very sharp ... I cracked up at JS laughing, almost as much as I did at Sacha's commentary.
I have never heard of this guy. The last television show I saw was at the hotel this weekend and it was a group of men staging stunts with props that constantly hit them in the groin area. I just shook my head and wonder if there is really anything worth watching on television at all. Of course I am not the typical tv viewer, in fact I am hardly a tv viewer :-)
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