Culture
ADL: Concerned over Borat's depiction of anti-Semitism
Ynetnews
Published: 30.09.06, 19:58
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1. Borat
Bruno ,   NYC, USA   (09.30.06)
Gimmie a break! Borat is hysterical. As a Jew, I think this criticism is ridiculous. Borat exposes people's real thoughts and if they're anti-semtic, I say, show the whole world! ...and seeing how ignorant some people are makes me laugh my a$$ off!
2. Lighten up ADL
Darren ,   Tampa, FL USA   (09.30.06)
The ADL did make this valid point which stated: "It is unfortunate that Mr. Cohen chose to make jokes at the expense of Kazakhstan. It would have been better to have used a mythological country, rather than focus on a specific nation." I agree. They should have used a mythological country such as ....h'mmm...uhhhh....I got it....PALESTINE!!!!!!!
3. interesting that fatso foxman
American ,   USA   (09.30.06)
only is worried about 'da jews' and not about the whole nation this jewish comic is offending... VERy telling.....
4. Borat is absolutely hillarious!!
Edan ,   Israel   (09.30.06)
Let him do his thing, everyone knows its satire!
5. To # 3
(09.30.06)
Read the last paragraph, imbecile.
6. Is he losing his audience?
Steve G ,   Kew Gardens,NYC   (09.30.06)
This is the first time I've heard Sacha Cohen's humor described as "too sophisticated". Perhaps Borat should roughen things up so he doesn't lose the core audience that the ADL fears. Welcome To America, Borat! Have a corn dog!
7. He wears neon speedos...
Elianah ,   Los Angeles, CA   (09.30.06)
Borat wears neon speedos, which begs the question as to how ANYONE could take him seriously. Why does the ADL have to swing at everything? For that matter, instead of complaining, the Kazakh government should be giving Cohen a medal. Most Americans didn't even know Kazakhstan existed before Mr. Cohen started mocking it.
8. I am kazakh and I don't think it's funny
Tarob Nazarbayev ,   Almaty, Kazakhstan   (09.30.06)
With all due respect to Mr. Cohen and all of you out there that find his antics funny i am ashamed for you. I would have thought if anyone would be supportive of respecting anothers culture it would be the sons and daughters of abrahamm There are some highly revered national shrines in the history of each people. Among those are the places which bore witness to great talents' birth, formation, maturity. Such are Mikhailovskoe and Yasnaya Polyana for the Russians, Weimar for the Germans, Florence for the Italians, Stratford-on-Avon - for the Englishmen, the Dayan of Israel. With the Kazakh such a place of worship is Shyngystau, the birthplace of three geniuses of the Kazakh literature - Abai, Shakarim, Mukhtar Auezov. The land of Shyngystau, spaciously outstretching over the steppe of Sary-Arka, has given us three men of letters of the world rank, which in itself is so rare a thing in the history of mankind, but not only them. Prior to those three here lived and worked such notable people as Kengirbai, Oskenbai, Kunanbai, Nisan - biys, orators, sages, akyns, grieving over the people's sufferings and sorrows; batyrs Aktanberdi, Mamai, Toktamysh, who sacrificed their glorious lives for the benefit of their homeland. You might think we live like goats on the steppes but my people have been part of human history for thousands of years. There is much too see outside your little country i suggest instead of seeking curried rice in india you try our world reknowned Uyz baked in Sut with helpings of Irimshik, Kurt and Sarysu.....and nothing in basle will hold a candle to our own Zhent, famous Kazakh chocolate Long Live the Kazakh People and may we see peace in our time
9. FREEDOM OF SPEACH
Richard ,   South Africa   (10.01.06)
As long as nobody gets physically hurt, what is the problem? Mr Cohen's character is in all probability a true reflection of the anti semetic attitude of the people of some East European states. To tackle this anti semetic problem, bring it out into the open. Let us Jews not try and hide away and be always so politically correct. The Jew haters do not need Mr Cohen to help them. They will use other methods to show their feelings. Terefore leave Mr Cohen alone.
10. to #6
Dave ,   Herzliya   (10.01.06)
Ali G';s humor is brilliant and sophisticated. It's a sociologists dream, taking people and putting them in a situation so far out of their own cultural comfort zone. Sacha Baron Cohen has a degree from cambridge as well.
11. MORE LAUGHTER
jewish mother ,   jerusalem   (09.30.06)
If we had a few more people spreading laughter in the world like Sacha Baron cohen, the it would be a better place. Me, I had to go lie down and have a change of underwear-this man is hysterical. Check out borat links on YouTube if you want to see for yourself!
12. to #3 American USA
Jul ,   Mastrich   (10.01.06)
Dear American USA: Did you learn reading and comprehension at school????
13. EVERYONE DONATE TO ADL, THEY REALLY FIGHT THE ENEMY
ADL COMING TO THE ,   CAUSE OF JUDAISM   (10.01.06)
14. But.....
Abe ,   Brookly, USA   (10.01.06)
...What do you do when the Jew comes with the claw?
15. WHERE IS FOXMAN'S SENSE OF HUMOR?
DEBRA ,   USA   (10.01.06)
BORAT IS DOING A MITZVAH FOR JEWS AND NONJEWS ALIKE BY SHOWING ANTI-SEMITISM AS IT EXISTS IN PARTS OF THE WORLD TODAY . COHEN USES HUMOR TO REACH EVERYONE. THIS IS EXACTLY WHAT CHARLIE CHAPLIN DID IN HIS FILM, "THE GREAT DICTATOR." WOULD FOXMAN HAVE FOUND THAT MOVIE TOO HEAVY HANDED AND TOLD CHAPLIN TO LIGHTEN UP? I DON'T THINK SO. COHEN DESERVES SUPPORT FROM JEWS NOT CRITICISM. GO GET THEM, BORAT.
16. Borat is hysterical but Cohen should focus next on Britain.
Daisy ,   USA   (10.01.06)
Every month a mainstream British newspaper comes in support of destroying Israel not to mention the daily media attacks against the only democracy in the Middle East. Cohen, who was raised an Orthodox Jew, should be more outspoken about the situation. If he doesn't want to do it personally than he should do it through his comedy. Why are British Jews so submissive? Are they scared or just cowards? Is Melanie Phillips the only brave British Jew?
17. Borat for Prime Minister
efi g ,   Washington DC   (09.30.06)
Borat is a great comedian. He does indeed expose the thoughts of people an exploits how backward people can be, anywhere in the world. If I would meet him on the street, I wouldnt mind being part of his sketch. Long live Borat, Bruno and Ali G. I like!
18. ADL needs to lighten up and vote GOP
Stephen Shayes ,   Washington, DC   (10.01.06)
..which will hopefully kill this evil beast called political correctness. and the pseudo-intellectuals that think that they are the only ones who can understand humor will hopefully can just do everyone a favor and go hug trees.. somewhere far, far in the forest, where nobody will hear them.
19. Sacha Cohen is a damned genius
Tom ,   USA   (10.01.06)
Did anyone see his press conference in Washington? I can't wait to see this movie! http://thighswideshut.org/2006/09/mr-sagdiyevgoes-to-washington.html
20. #18 Stephen
Darren ,   Tampa, FL USA   (10.01.06)
NO! Don't do that you'll get "bark burn"!!! Oh......you said "HUG" a tree... NEVERMIND!!!!!!
21. #8 My friend, no one is insulting your counrty!
Saul ,   Barcelona   (10.01.06)
I think that any idiot who thinks of Kazakhstan as a country where people "like to shoot dog, kick the gipsy, and value women blow rat and a pig, but above that little creature that lives under ground" thinks that a "Jew has a claw and should be thrown down the well" They are the only people who should really be offended by SB-C's character. Yours is a beautiful country with a vibrant culture and rich history. You are right, many more people should come and visit, and learn it first hand. You cannot rely on a satirical character, no matter how brilliant, as a sole source of information.
22. You must ask for forgiveness to my people
Tarob Nazarbayev ,   Almaty, Kazakhstan   (10.01.06)
What do you find so funny? You people demigrate my ancient people and you don't think it hurts? Just because we are not as siphisticated as you it doesn't mean we don't have feelinbgs. Just because we don't have nuclear bomb doesn't mean we don't cry for our children. By Grabthar's hammer, we live to tell the tale.
23. Nazarbayev
Gladys ,   NY, NY   (10.01.06)
Mr. Nazabayev, it is the God-given job of Jews to bring enlightenment to the rest of us humans -- to "bring light unto the nations". Hence, if they think ridicule of Kazakhstan is funny and you do not, if they think you should not be offended and you are, then they are right and you are wrong. They are the official world-victims, the official God-soul-on-Earth. You must listen to and understand them. If you are offended it is only because you are too sensitive, too weak, too self-centered to ignorant and too misunderstanding. In short, you are not a REAL victim, you only mistakenly think you are. Only when you have suffered at the hands of gentiles for 2000 years will you have the right to wear the mantle of victim.
24. A Few Fanatics
DP Youngerman ,   San Francisco, USA   (10.01.06)
Perhaps the ADL is similiar to some Black civil rights groups in the USA....Made up of a small group of fanatical people who see insult against them everywhere?
25. ADL Arrogance
Kotik ,   Florida, USA   (10.01.06)
So, the ADL thinks that Cohen's audience's are too stupid to get the joke? Gosh, we're sure lucky we have benevolent geniuses like those at the ADL to look after us.
26. to Euro # 12
Kotik ,   Florida, USA   (10.01.06)
Say, did you learn history at school? 20th century history, in particular?
27. #22
L ,   new orleans   (10.01.06)
Hilarious.
28. Not crazy about the wording in this PR
David Markel ,   Florida, USA   (10.01.06)
IMHO, This ADL press release may have mistakenly inserted a very subtle way of saying only gentiles are unsophisticated and stupid! "We are concerned, however, that one serious pitfall is that the audience may not always be sophisticated enough to get the joke, and that some may even find it reinforcing their bigotry," the press release elaborated. Notice how they say "their bigotry", this implies an exclusion of jews from the unsophisticated designation, even though some of them as well in fact might not be "sophisticated" enough to get the jokes and be offended and hurt by them instead.
29. I don't know...
Victory ,   USA   (10.01.06)
...if Kazakhstan is rich in culture or backward, beautiful or ugly, full of prophets or putzes, but I do know this: The mark of a great nation, people, and culture is that it can take a joke...ESPECIALLY on itself. IF Jews were this thin-skinned, we'd have all gone mad by now (And no, you anti-semites, we have not--but only you would take sensible self-defense as madness since your goal is some warped Islamofascist martyrdom, right?) and the Kazakh critics of "Borat" should realize they're just promoting what they hate bigger and better. As for Cohen's portrayal of antisemitism and whether or not it is too "sophisticated" and "subtle" as the ADL worries---do you REALLY think anyone who doesn't (or "won't") get the joke is going to be educated on the subject anyhow? The movie is a COMEDY and billed as such. When haters like Mel Gibson vent THEIR hate, THAT is serious because it gives "permission" to the non-famous haters to keep on hating, but when a COMEDY shows how STUPID and INFANTILE the jew-haters are, it does a mitzvah indeed. @*@*@*'em if they can't GET the joke!
30. Borat
Glasshouse ,   Wichita, US   (10.01.06)
I have a suspicion that when the ADL refers to an "audience [that] may not always be sophisticated enough to get the joke", they are referring to those who are of, let's say, "other faiths". Stereotypes and codewords work both ways, ADL.
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