Review: Sacha Baron Cohen back with the old style, the same results



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NEW YORK – The provocative Sacha Baron Cohen has restarted his chatter in ambush and before any judgment is given on the wisdom of this decision, we must admire the perseverance not only of the host but also of his so-called guests.

Fifteen years after the British comedian jumped to America as an unknown cultural stumbling to punk everyone, from Donald Trump to Edwin "Buzz" Aldrin, he continues to make fun of people who really should know.

"Who is America?" Blocked former presidential candidate Bernie Sanders and former Republican Senator Trent Lott, seemingly neither too adept at sitting in front of a questionable dude who is either spectacularly misinformed, or perfectly d & # 39;

the only Showtime allowed journalists to speak – follows Baron Cohen's tried-and-tested formula: Create a bunch of characters off the wall with prosthetics and accents, then drop them on the u a cautious audience, to wing end or to redneck. In fact, the second episode of "Who Is America?" Is better than the first, with the humiliations coming from some absolutely astonishing public figures.

On "Da Ali G Show" from 2000-2004, Baron Cohen played an obscure, wannabe gangster; an antisemitic correspondent from Kazakhstan; and an Austrian gay journalist. This time, his characters include a far-right moron; an Israeli anti-terrorism teacher gung-ho; an ultra-liberal who runs around a ponytail and an NPR t-shirt; and an ex-con skinhead with a biker's beard

More than two episodes, the show turns out to be uneven – better when it plays with the people in power and less when it's about a good laugh frivolous market. A trip by his left-hand character to a candlelit dinner with conservatives in South Carolina felt flat compared to Baron Cohen's simple mistake as an Israeli character when he was trying to get defenders Arms rights endorses his idea of ​​arming preschool children.

This has always been the genius of Baron Cohen's format: see where he can coax somebody into the rabbit's hole. This time, he is cultivated, smart – and sometimes elected – men to support a fictional program called Kindergardians, in which children as young as 4 are trained to shoot rifles decorated like stuffed animals (like the 'Uzi-maize' »Or the»

So we see Rep. Dana Rohrabacher, former representative Joe Walsh and gun rights activists Larry Pratt of Gun Owners of America and Philip Van Cleave of Virginia Citizens Defense League, duped into parrot text prepared on a teleprompter that "freshmen make good first grenades" and pointing a weapon on the screen while singing a twisted version of the nursery song, namely "Head , shoulders, not toes, not toes "

Showtime was filed about the series of seven episodes, to the point of asking reporters who see the show to sign non-disclosure agreements. t put their phones in locked cases. Security guards scanned the room with night vision goggles during a recent screening. (Showtime could embrace freedom of expression, but they are happy to limit it, too.)

Yet, to recall that even the best business plans are unfolding, the network's promotional department has revealed that former Vice President Dick Cheney a future episode, somehow convinced to add his friendly autograph to a jug used for waterboarding.

And we know that Sarah Palin, the former vice-presidential Republican nominee, admits that she too was fooled, saying on Facebook that she was a devilishly comical "victim." , exploiter, patient, of Baron Cohen. "Add the Senate candidate defeated Roy Moore to this list; he is attracted by a promise of reward to be a friend of Israel

It is remarkable that anyone is tempted by this bait and thus give credit to the team of Baron Cohen for his always seductive politicians – some, of course, are no longer so relevant – to their loss. The conservative provocateur James O 'Keefe is to smuggle his cameras, but Baron Cohen uses his as a lure. They keep coming despite the stick that he let go being taken by the likes of the correspondents "Daily Show" and "Full Frontal". The reason why someone sits down for a TV interview is a mystery.

Baron Cohen and his team are like those strange fish in deep darkness that sway a light to lure their prey. They play vanity but end up with something really grotesque. His victims often try to mock the racist jokes of the host or play a little too easily against his stereotypes. This is a sharp technique: Baron Cohen was dragging people before trolling was daily. He was creating "fake news" before it was in vogue.

"Who is America?" – like his previous show – offers no moment of truth when the hunted, led to extremes by a stranger with funny facial hair, finally realize that they are in a logical pretzel and suddenly understand the consequences of their thought.

No, Baron Cohen is not interested in confronting his subjects head on or breaking them like "60 Minutes", only extracting absurd humor from those who are absolutely certain of To be right.

Many of his targets will always be on the day when they will sit down with this shifter, the tempter who brings out their worst side under the camera. But, they only have to blame themselves. He was, after all, hidden from view of all.

Online: http://www.sho.com/who-is-america

Mark Kennedy is at ] http://twitter.com/KennedyTwits

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