Bailes~Composition 2

Monday, November 20, 2006

Borat~Comedy Gone Too Far?

This weekend I saw the blockbuster film, Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan. The film pokes fun at many prejudices, stereotypes, and stupidities of Americans. In fact, episode after episode on Borat's journey in America, the movie displays the kind of disruptive and comedic power of the satyr plays in ancient Greece. As the main character in Borat cleverly disrupts our sense of reality (or fantasy) with deadpan humor and satire, the laughter pours out.

By the way, because of the way Borat was filmed, with so many unwitting participants in the movie, several of the actors are now suing the makers. My questions to you are these: Why are the satyr plays of ancient Greece so relevant to this film's success? And why are Americans so easy to satirize? You'll need to read the articles on the satyr plays and drama in ancient Greece to answer these questions.

posted by John Bailes at Monday, November 20, 2006

7 Comments:

  • The film is modeled after ancient greek satyrs. It has the same kind of episode after episode feel to it, much like the satyrs of Greece. Americans are so easy to satirize because we are all so different. We all believe in our beliefs passionately. Thus, more times than not, we feel that other people's beliefs are wrong. This disagreement is the breeding ground for satir. Borat was so effective because it offends so many people in a humerous way. You will laugh all the way through untill it makes fun of your religion or way of life. The funniest part of the whole movie is, that a person really could come to our country and experience all the things that Borat did.
    Matt H

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at November 20, 2006  

  • The reason that the film was a success is because it showed us a side of ourselves that we knew about but never wanted to admit. It is kinda like seeing ones self in the mirror we have a mental image of ourselves that is not the same as what other people see. Borat exposes these and even thought it is shocking he uses it in a comedic way to cause us to laugh about our imperfections. The ones that are sewing cannot except the truth about there inner selves.

    Thad Myers

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at November 20, 2006  

  • The satyr plays of ancient Greece are so relevant to this films success because we as Americans are used to seeing stuff like this on regular TV. It is so common for people to view shows of this nature. For example, The Family Guy, The Simpsons, or even the Pamela Anderson Roast. The films success comes from the makers of the film already knowing that the American people love satires and they have already been a success so why not go ahead and make a movie.I think most Americans are easily satirized because this society is very little and less conservitive anymore. Used to they wouldn't allow anything like that to be on air. But now people are so easily influenced and drawn in to just acceptwhatever and not think about morals.- Jillian

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at November 20, 2006  

  • The reason I think the satyr plays of ancient Greece are so relevant to the Borat film is because they both take political figures and well known people and practices and completely make fun of them. Americans are so easy to satirize because we love to see things in a humerous sense that normally aren't funny at all.
    MP

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at November 20, 2006  

  • The satyr plays in ancient Greece are relevent to the Borat film because Americans want to see a movie that pokes fun of the American ways. Some of the Romanian actors involved and even a few American actors are suing the makers claiming they were lied to. I know that they did not sign a waiver or a contract, and probably did not know full well what was going on(and I find that hard to believe).After all this is about dignity, right? But the fact they they were going to use the money for improving schools and the village kind of makes you wonder. Is it really all about dignity?
    Anonymous Lucy

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at November 20, 2006  

  • First off, I absolutely loved Borat. Second, everyone involved did sign a contract.

    I think that the satyr plays are relevant to Borat because they are obviously the same types of things; mockumentaries of the world.

    Back in Ancient Greece they would use plays to show the problems in their world, and the best way to bring peoples attention to something is through humor. People often watch something just for the humorous aspect, and then come to realize that they actually got something out of it other than a laugh.

    I don't think it's right to say that Americans are so easy to satirize, because anyone is easy to satirize.

    By Blogger Tinamari, at November 22, 2006  

  • Borat was the most genius film of this year. It did for America what Spinaltap did for hair metal. Making fun a problem is the best way to get it out in the open. Now millions of americans see what is wrong with parts of our country, and maybe we'll be better for it. The ancient Greeks were the first to do this with their theatres and it cought on. Look at where alot of students are getting their news these days? Not from CNN, Fox, or MSNBC, but they look to John Stewart and Lewis Black for the news. They tell it like it is, because they don't have anything to lose for it.

    Americans are easy to satirize at this point in time because at the moment we have the most messed up logic on the face of the earth. Or should I say our leader and those who follow him have the most messed up logic on the earth.

    -Ryan Darling

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at November 24, 2006  

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