Re: Ali G.

[Daniel Davies <dsquared@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Sasha Baron-Cohen isn't really that left-wing; my other half was a
contemporary of his at Cambridge and remembers him as being pretty
apolitical.  The sexual politics of some of the things he's done on British
TV were really quite appalling, in that rather annoying "ironic laddish
sexism" way that we have over here.  On the other hand, he is funny, which I
suppose ought to count for something when judging a comedian.

dd

PS.  btw, you can listen to the original subject of the Ali G satire, Radio
1 DJ Tim Westwood at http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio1/urban/westwood/

Westwood actually does know his stuff when it comes to hip-hop, and is a
mate of Chuck D IIRC (I think he gets quite a prominent shout-out on the
credits to the Nation of Millions album).  But it is often extremely funny
to listen to all his "wassups" and "word to all my niggaz" and reflect that
his father was the Bishop of Peterborough.


-----Original Message-----
From: PEN-L list [mailto:PEN-L@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx]On Behalf Of Louis
Proyect
Sent: 20 July 2004 15:34
To: PEN-L@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: Ali G.


Unfortunately, Ali G.'s HBO shows are not available yet on DVD. I also
fear that it will become more and more difficult for the highly educated
and leftwing British Jew who plays him to fool people like Sam
Donaldson, etc. into thinking that he is a poorly educated inner city
rapper. In any case, you can snippets of his act at:
http://www.hbo.com/alig/. While most of his interviewees are big-time
rightwingers like Brent Snowcroft or fundamentalist Christian ministers,
he does manage to fool some well-known leftists on occasion. Last Friday
night, when I was watching an Ali G. marathon on HBO in preparation for
the new season which began on Sunday, I was greatly amused by his
interview of Nation Magazine writer and Columbia University professor
Arthur Danto, whose humorlessly, impenetrable prose helped me decide to
cancel my subscription to this magazine. The exchange went something
like this:

Ali G: So what is art nouveau [pronounced nuvio]?

Danto: That's a style of art that was popular at the turn of the century
done by people such as Gustav Klimt.

Ali G: And what about art deco?

Danto: Well, all of NYC is art deco. [At this point, Ali G. gives Danto
one of his patented cocked-head "What's up with that?" look.]

Ali G: Okay, then what is Art Garfunkel?

At this point Danto, who should have known better, explains patiently
that this is not art but a singer who used to be paired with Paul Simon,
whereupon Ali G. retorts, "Won't that confuse the youth [pronounced
yoof]." Very funny stuff.

The Cheerful Confessions of Ali G, Borat and Bruno
By VIRGINIA HEFFERNAN
NY Times, July 15, 2004

"Da Ali G Show," the British comic Sacha Baron Cohen's HBO series,
returns for its second American season on Sunday.

While playing the part of Ali G, an imbecilic and gonzo rapper who
speaks in Caribbean-British slang, Mr. Baron Cohen in the first few
episodes interviews Pat Buchanan, Sam Donaldson and Gore Vidal. For all
the publicity that Ali G received in his initial HBO season, in which he
put on the likes of Newt Gingrich, the former astronaut Edwin E. Aldrin
Jr. and the former director of central intelligence R. James Woolsey,
none of this season's august figures managed to see their disguised
interviewer for who he is: a wickedly smart, left-wing comedian and
practicing Jew with a degree from Cambridge.

In man-on-the-street interviews and other stunts this season, Mr. Baron
Cohen also reprises the characters of Borat, an unwashed, leering
Kazakh, and Bruno, an Austrian gadfly from the fashion world. Typically
averse to talking out of costume and character, Mr. Baron Cohen still
sat down this week to discuss his approach to satire, his fear of
America and the secret wild ways of Boutros Boutros-Ghali. Here are
excerpts.

VIRGINIA HEFFERNAN Why is Ali G so funny?

SACHA BARON COHEN It's a pretty simple joke, which is why even some kids
get it. Essentially you have two people who look totally different — one
guy dressed in an absurd yellow jumpsuit, and the other guys dressed in
a suit. They're speaking in different ways, with different body language
and totally different levels of intelligence.

HEFFERNAN Is it more fun to play pranks on British people or Americans?

BARON COHEN It depends on the class, actually. The best targets — the
legitimate targets — are successful, powerful white men, who rule the
country. And in Britain the upper class are incredibly accommodating.
You can punch someone from the upper class in the face, and they'll go,
"Oh, I'm dreadfully sorry." They'll never ever throw you out of the room.

Here, there have been some occasions where people just are blunt, where
they will say, "All right, enough is enough." Marlin Fitzwater threw Ali
G out of the room. And this year Andy Rooney hated Ali G from the moment
he saw him. He starts asking: "Have you done this before? Is English
your first language?" And then basically tries to stop the interview
after one question.

HEFFERNAN Is Borat an anti-Semite?

BARON COHEN Yeah, yeah. Part of the idea of Borat is to get people to
feel relaxed enough that they fully open up. And they say things that
they never would on normal TV. So if they are anti-Semitic or racist or
sexist, they'll say it.

HEFFERNAN And you asked someone, "Do you have slaves?"

BARON COHEN Exactly. We were in a private gentlemen's club in Jackson,
Miss. And all the serving staff were black. There's this unsaid racism;
there's still segregation there. I can't remember the actual line, but I
asked if he had slaves, and he said, "Slavery's over now." And I go,
"Yeah, that's right." He goes, "It's good." And I go, "Good for them!"
He goes, "Yeah, good for them. Bad for us."

full: http://www.nytimes.com/2004/07/15/arts/television/15ALI.html


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