With the exception of Austin Powers and maybe Office Space, no recent comedy has been quoted and regurgitated by guys named Frank who work in your office as much as Sacha Baron Cohen’s Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan.
“Hey, Frank, what did you think of the game last night” “VERY NICE.” “F*ck you, Frank.”
But if you can divorce the Franks of the world with the movie itself, Borat‘s still excellent…with the exception of the abduction scene. It’s funnier when Borat’s hanging out with drunken frat brothers and getting into nude brawls with obscenely overweight friends, not stuffing Pamela Anderson into a sack in a Virgin Megastore. It’s so preposterous that Anderson had to be in on the joke, right? Right.
There are two things you should know about how Borat operated. First, the crew:
Executive producer Monica Levinson further explained the irreverent shoot with the following statement: “All we had was an eight-person crew, including Sacha, a sound person, camera people, [director] Larry Charles and a production assistant. We all traveled around in a van, followed by a pickup truck that carried the equipment.” (Via)
And how Cohen was never successfully sued, despite many lawsuits filed against him.
Most of Borat’s victims were ensnared in a similar way. They would be contacted by a woman calling herself Chelsea Barnard from a fictional film company, One America Productions.
They would be told about the foreign correspondent making a film about life in the US, with the pitch tailored to each person’s specialist subject.
Then on the day of the interview, they would be presented with a release form at the last minute, be paid in cash and, finally, Borat would amble in, beginning with some serious subjects before starting his provocative routine. (Via)
Sneaky, sinister, smart, but that’s not how Anderson got involved. She told MTV at the time, “I can’t really say. I’m sworn to secrecy,” but she later wrote on her website, “Of course Sasha [sic] and I planned this years ago. And it turned out perfect…I’m so happy for him.” The OC Weekly also did some digging, and spoke to a security guard who worked where the scene was filmed.
When I posed the question to [director of security] Jonathan Collins, [he said]: “Yeah, the whole thing was planned. They made arrangements with us. Yeah, they told us what they would be doing. The thing in the store, the chase, all of it…It was supposed to look authentic, and we waited and waited for hours because it had to look real to get the effect they wanted,” said Collins, who added that the security personnel subduing Borat were in fact actors, not mall security. (Via)
Also not helping their “this is real” cause: a previous encounter, from 2005.
Pamela Anderson’s two canine companions were about to pledge their undying devotion on a sunny Malibu beach last Wednesday, August 17, when a strange sea-craft was sighted just offshore. Chihuahua Luca, golden retriever Star, and gathered friends and loved ones eyed the vessel with suspicion until Sacha Baron Cohen emerged from the surf astride an inflatable turtle.
Cohen, in character as Borat, wore shorts with a leather jacket and cap and brandished a white keytar. Once ashore, the oft-reviled comedian sprinted toward Anderson and felled her with a perfectly executed rugby tackle, causing her to drop the beloved Luca. The Stacked actress struggled to her feet and brushed sand off of her long white gown as her loyal bodyguards seized the interloper, dragged him back to the shore, and dunked him in the hungry waves. The wedding party quickly composed itself, and the ceremony continued without further incident. (Via)
Now we know that the sack scene (no, not that sack) was staged. But the story doesn’t end here; Kid Rock’s not involved yet. As you probably tried to forget, Rock and Anderson got married in 2006, and divorced four months later. There are probably about a million reasons why those kids couldn’t make it work — Anderson preferring Uncle Kracker, etc. — but one of them might have involved Borat.
A pal tells the New York Post that Rock’s “male insecurity and major anger issues,” are to blame and that a big fight over her participation in the film Borat caused tension between them.
“(Universal Studio chief) Ron Meyer held a screening of Borat at his house for a bunch of people, including Pam and Bob (Rock’s real name is Robert Richie),” the model’s pal tells the Post. “It was the first time Bob had seen the movie, and, well, he didn’t like it…Bob started screaming at Pam, saying she had humiliated herself and telling her, ‘You’re nothing but a whore! You’re a slut! How could you do that movie?’ — in front of everyone. It was very embarrassing,” the source said. “Pam thought he could have a sense of humor about the movie. She was in on the gag from the very beginning and loved doing the movie. And on the eve of what was supposed to be a very positive thing, he made it an awful night.” (Via)
Kid Rock eventually commented on the rumors on The Howard Stern Show, claiming Anderson made them up because she’s a “psycho,” something the rest of the world has known since she starred in Barb Wire. So, while Borat may have indirectly played a part in their divorce, it’s a stretch to say that’s why Kid Rock no longer calls Pamela Anderson “MY WIFE.” Sorry.
