Borat discusses benefits of fermented horse urine on The Early Show
I’d intended to write about recent research that has shown huge amounts of a red-wine extract helps obese mice eat a high-fat diet and still live BUT I just watched Harry Smith get tackled by Borat, aka Sacha Baron Cohen, on CBS' The Early Show, and I spat out my morning tea.
Yeah, I know you guys on the East Coast watched the entire interview three hours ago (and clips of the wrestling have been on Youtube.com for a couple of days) but the show just aired in its entirety in Cali.
Borat in his trademark cheap, grey suit and fake moustache began with, “You look like tough guy Bruce Willis” and I feared Harry would play it straight and the interview would take a turn for the worse….but Harry just threw it right back at him. “You’re strong like bear.”
Borat went on to talk about his life in Kazakhstan: “I like every other Tom, Dick and Harold,” and added that as the fourth most famous person in his country, he’s just like one of the boys. He bragged that he drinks fermented horse urine, throws potatoes at gypsies, and shoots dogs in his spare time.
Without missing a beat, Harry responded, “That would make you one of the guys. You would fit in with the crew here on this show.”
As the interview drew to a close, Borat said, “We go now to my hotel. We can wrestle with no clothes and shoot dogs from window.”
Then he tackled Harry and they scuffled on the floor for a few seconds. “You are very good,” Harry said, slightly out of breath, before throwing to the next segment.
I know that Borat’s comedy is based on shocking and disgusting the audience but what struck me was how Harry handled it. Keeping cool and throwing as many one-liners as the “professional comic”, he effectively neutered Borat. The man who created Borat, Cohen, of course, is a very successful U.K. comedian who is renowned for his wacky characters on Da Ali G Show.
Who’s the real star? This morning it was Harry Smith. No question.
The film, Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan, hits theatres tonight.
