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Oh no, Michael Jackson died!
Meanwhile, Sacha Baron Cohen, as Bruno, appeared on the Tonight Show with Conan O’Brien last night to promote his upcoming movie, Bruno. While the debate about the movie’s moral responsibility continues to RAGE on*, I still think that the movie looks really funny regardless of whether it falls on the right or the wrong side of morality. Or something. But what I have not been finding funny is the Bruno press junket. His photo shoots across Europe with furry bull costumes and felt penises were funny, but any time he has to actually have the character interact with other human beings it just falls flat for me. It seems canned and forced and unfunny. And my opinion is what matters!
When Sacha Baron Cohen was doing the Borat press junket I thought his ability to remain in character was impressive, and his interviews were hilarious. He was brilliant. So what happened? Watching the interview with Conan, I think I finally figured out what the problem is.
As Borat, Cohen could just goof around in character and say outrageous/stupid things and that was enough to get a laugh. I’m not saying it was a cheap laugh, I’m just saying that the laughs came easily. But he can’t quite do that with Bruno. He’s smart enough to realize that if he just prances around in gayface all night, it’s not going to be that funny, and it’s actually going to be kind of gross. So he tries to draw the interviewer in and make the interviewer part of it. So, for example, in the first 30 seconds of his interview with Conan he tells Conan to stop staring at his crotch. But of course, Conan isn’t staring at his crotch, and Conan isn’t a homophobic redneck sitting around a campfire playing patsy to Bruno’s Sex and the City jokes. As Borat, the line between foreigner and American is really easily drawn, and it’s mostly comfortable. But here, the line between outrageous homosexual and…whatever the opposite of outrageous homosexual is supposed to be isn’t clearly drawn and sometimes isn’t even there. So Cohen forces it to be there. And it’s weird!
Or something. See for yourself:
Part One:
Part Two:
Of course, I was going to see this movie anyway, and the whole point of this interview is to convince people who were not going to see the movie to go see the movie (Welcome to What Interviews Are Often For School, class is in session!) so hopefully it does that, or something. Success!
*Mike White, who is pretty great, said that an early cut of the film made him feel like he was “going to throw up the whole time.” Wow! That is the version I want to see!
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I’ve never found Bruno as funny as Borat. I think part of the problem is that the two characters work completely differently. Borat is a racist and anti-semite who point is to lampoon those things. Bruno though is the but of the homophobia that he is trying to lampoon. Borat is able to draw people’s prejudices out by getting them to lower their guard (on the show at least–the movie was different). He can keep pushing deeper and stranger to get people to agree with him. Bruno though rather than lull people in, puts people off, and it just doesn’t work as well. Sorry–I went to college the other day.
More importantly, did you know Bill the vampire aka Stephen Moyer was English?!?!?!?! His Conan interview blew my mind. GIVE THAT MAN ALL EMMY’S EVER.
I know that he’s being fake-gay, but I can’t help but be distracted by what a beautiful gay man Cohen could make full-time. Or possibly a woman. The blonde was a good choice. (I don’t think I’m allowed to see the movie.)
NO you are not.
YOU CAN’T tell me what TO do, AAP.
DAMN YOU Whyareyouyelling. You are CORRECT. hurray freedom!!!
I kept wondering if Isla stayed up to watch this and while shushing the baby. I know its a weird thought, but it’s funny to think she’s there saying “uh huh that’s daddy pookie.”
a year from now, when sacha has a normal character in a movie, and he goes back on Conan (if he’s allowed back on), will Conan still stare at his coogle-sack? (i thought he said Cougar-Sack, which is better)
For some reason at the end I was like “Oh no, he made Conan touch his crotch and he has herpes!!! D:” …Then I realized he didn’t have herpes because that was a joke!
Well, now I know why he didn’t go to Letterman instead. It would had been awkward to face him after stealing his velcro suit bit and try to pull a Drew-Barrymore-flashes-Letterman-while-dancing-on-top-of-his-desk stunt!
That said, I’m looking forward to the movie. I think it’ll be funny.
PS. I think, either you guys or stereogum, should go on a Michael Jackson YouTube search spree and put together his career on Videos post. Cause most of them were absolutely awesome! RIP Michael
I will wait until the end of the day for a “Heaven Just Got A Little More Michael Jackson” post. If we do not receive one, I will be forced to hijack the Monster’s Ball thread.
you’ve gotta be kidding! this was great. i’m pretty sure conan was totally serious when he said “please stop saying that”
AND he had the audience support the whole time!
Actually, his Borat press was only funny the first time you heard it. I think Matt Tobey put together clips of Borat at all the different premieres and events he went to and it was a surprising disappointment that he made the same 2 or 3 jokes every time.
Okay I checked – Matt said he had to pull the video because the comments and emails were insane. But basically it was 11 different press events where SBC made the Bush joke “but perhaps not as strong as his father, Barbara.”
This was the first Bruno interview I’ve watched. I thought it was funny.
richard bey still has a show?
its because of conan’s decade young audience