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Sacha Baron Cohen's "Who Is America?"

Discussion in 'BBS Hangout' started by donkeypunch, Jul 8, 2018.

  1. theimpossibles1

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    If you don't think he is a genius, you aren't paying close enough attention.
     
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  2. FLASH21

    FLASH21 Heart O' Champs

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    I think it's hilarious that people are being 'duped' into being their natural selves.

    Comedy at its finest.

    Also, I don't see how he has more than one season of this show... all these politicians and activists will/should be on high alert after this has completed airing.
     
  3. Svpernaut

    Svpernaut Contributing Member

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    I don't feel bad for them either. They participate willingly.

    What makes him a genius? What sells the story is the pre-production work, which is easily obtainable with a budget. Producing fake websites, videos, press releases, etc. and then offering to pay for travel and accommodations and such.

    His improvisation skills are pretty good, and his makeup artists are great, but his voices and characters are hardly groundbreaking. Again, this is why his earlier work was more impressive to me. He didn't need the elaborate back stories, and huge budget to pull off the ruses.
     
  4. theimpossibles1

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    I wonder what implicstions this might have for politicians, activists, and celebrities in general being interviewed in the future. What's to keep SBC (or copycats) from creating new characters and continuing this in the future?

    People will surely enhance their vetting process before taking these kind of interviews.
     
  5. Svpernaut

    Svpernaut Contributing Member

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    This is why it will be nearly impossible to catch "big fish" in the future, they'll do their legwork. Most of the people he's engaged with are aging or on the outside looking in politically. Showtime will have to throw more and more money at the show to keep it going in it's current format. They'll need to create ongoing backstories and links for the characters each season.

    I imagine that most of the people who have appeared on the show did very little, if any vetting. They saw a way to get in front of the camera, and a chance to remain relevant, and got greedy.
     
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  6. theimpossibles1

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    Ability to bait powerful people into saying ridiculous things and taking ridiculous actions, on camera.

    Improvisation ability.

    Ability to stay in character in ridiculous circumstances.

    I could go on, but 'genius' is a matter of opinion, and as you have made clear in your posts you have extremely high standards, so let's just agree to disagree.
     
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  7. Svpernaut

    Svpernaut Contributing Member

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    I reserve genius for the likes of Richard Prior and George Carlin. SBC is an entertainer and pretty funny, but I don't put him anywhere near comedic genius.
     
  8. theimpossibles1

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    Never said 'comedic' genius (which I think he is). Just plain genius. Visualizing and conceptualizing this show, in the current political climate. The small details, the execution.... Much more at play here than comedy.
     
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  9. FLASH21

    FLASH21 Heart O' Champs

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    I'm sure they could.

    But the question is will they be able to keep up the comedic improvisational character that is as completely straight faced as SBC.

    I only know one other guy that has this ability and that's Will Ferrell. Yet I don't believe he can be as stone walled as SBC is emotionally while in character.

    Not an easy skill to build up.
     
  10. CCorn

    CCorn Member

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    I think he’s a comedic genius, and very bright to do what he does. And I understand that not every skit/episode is going to be amazing. **** in a season of South Park majority of the episodes are garbage now, but it’s those 3-4 a season that still make it special. I feel the same way about this show. I bet next episode has at least one amazing skit.
     
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  11. theimpossibles1

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    Ok the dude got a dude to eat chinese dissident meat. Dayumn!
     
  12. getsmartnow

    getsmartnow Contributing Member

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    Yep, that was crazy. How does a restaurant critic actually eat 1) meat cooked in a condom tenderised up someone's ass, AND 2) human meat (even if it really wasn't), in front of a camera??
     
  13. theimpossibles1

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    The way he served the condom on a bed of greens...lmao. That thing was up a dudes ass! Guy hesitated but was like...f*** it, i'm in! At that point he was like, human meat? Bring it on!
     
  14. Anticope

    Anticope Member

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    But isn't the success of his prior characters the exact reason why he needs the budget and elaborate backstories now? SBC is the first person that many people think of when it comes to someone pulling off interviews designed to embarrass public figures (and regular folks on occasion), so he has to do even more crafting to be able to make it happen than anyone else would.
     
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  15. Nippystix

    Nippystix Member

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    The NPR guy said "Momb" this past episode, as in "man womb." Subtle, but hilarious. Politics aside, I just find genuine humor in most of his skits. Great freaking stuff.
     
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  16. KingCheetah

    KingCheetah Contributing Member

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  17. Air Langhi

    Air Langhi Contributing Member

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    I thought the last segment was pretty funny.

    "The crazy thing about these liberals is how easy it is to radicalize them and turn them into killers"

    I can't believe that went over Glenn's head.
     
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  18. CCorn

    CCorn Member

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    That OJ scene tho
     
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  19. jo mama

    jo mama Contributing Member

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    the saddest thing about the OJ one is that he didnt come off as stupid as all the elected officials that got interviewed.
     
  20. Mathloom

    Mathloom Contributing Member

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    SBC is a genius because he is undercover as a clown, mocking the circus and the circus acts laugh as if they're in on the joke with the undercover clown. To successfully get people to laugh at themselves without knowing they are laughing at themselves is the mark of really intelligent comedy, with the silliness being the vehicle by which he achieves it. I don't believe for a moment that he intended for this to be left-leaning, if anything he seems to be what Americans call libertarian.

    Incredible work that goes beyond his older characters which had a purely comedic intent. Definitely signals growth in his career.
     
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