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There Was A BORAT Screening Last Night?!
SPOILER ALERT !!
Hi, everyone. "Moriarty" here with some Rumblings From The Lab...
And I wasn’t there? That. Fucking. Sucks.
But the next best thing is this review, and I’m so pleased that someone took the time to write in:
Just got back from Marina del Rey and the first audience test screening of Sacha Baron Cohen's "Borat," based on the character of the same name from Cohen's "Da Ali G Show" on HBO. Talk of this project has been kind of flying under the radar for a while, with only snippets of news budding here and there over the past few months. I was beginning to think we'd never see it hit theaters, that it was a thing of myth. Well, I can assure you now that this movie is real. And will become a thing of legend.
While this wasn't the funniest movie I've ever seen, it was definitely, hands down, the hardest I've ever laughed in a theater, if that makes any sense. The experience may have been skewed by the fact that pretty much all 400 or so audience members seemed to be huge Borat fans (as evident by the insane amount of cheering and applause that occurred the second he appeared on screen), but all in all, I honestly can't remember being with an audience who CONSTANTLY laughed - that hard - throughout the entirety of a movie. I remember at one point there being maybe just under a minute or so of silence in the audience and thinking that was almost strange. Before the movie started, a guy stood at the front and told those who had [actually made it in with] cell phones to turn them off, but it wouldn't have mattered either way – you wouldn't have been able to hear a single one. And I know how much of a plant I'm going to sound like with this review, but I don't care. If funny were sunlight & water, then I'm gonna keep on growing.
Imagine a dozen or more Borat HBO skits strung together with scripted plot in between to weave it all together and that's pretty much the gist of the movie. It's hard to say, but I'd guess about 90% of the actual interviews (like the stuff we see on the show) were unscripted, legit situations. But you could definitely tell with some of the camera placement and reactions, that in a few places it was scripted, or at least manipulated somewhat to get the plot points they needed. And again, this was just in the dozen or so HBO-like segments we're used to. The filler in between, which served to move the story forward, was scripted and shot just like any "real" movie. Either way, scripted or unscripted, real or manipulated, it was all pretty damn hilarious.
We start off in Kazakhstan, where Borat takes us on a short tour of his village. We meet his mother, his wife, the town rapist and a couple other characters – and eventually learn that he's been given a grant from his government (or something along those lines, didn't quite catch it) to travel to New York and make a documentary to bring back and help enlighten the people of his country on the American way of life. Once in New York, however, Borat discovers Baywatch on TV late one night in his hotel... and becomes completely infatuated with "C.J.," aka Pamela Anderson. From here on out, the story turns into a cross country journey to California with one goal in mind; for Borat to meet Pamela, take her as his wife, and "have her vagine." And yes, that's the actual plot of the movie. And yes, it actually works. Going in, I was dreading the idea of them doing a somewhat scripted Borat movie (since I noticed screenwriters were listed on IMDB), and it feels a little awkward in the beginning after being so used to show, but after these first few scenes you definitely get used to it.
Finishing his documentary on the road, from Washington, DC all the way down through the south and onto to California, this is where we get the Borat segments we're used to. This is also where I witnessed some of the most outrageous, controversial and disgusting stuff I've ever seen on film (at least from a studio – kudos Fox). They go far above and way beyond anything that's ever been done on the show. In fact, and I'm definitely not going to give it away here, but there's one scene about halfway through – and trust me, you'll know it when you see it – but my roommate and I both agree it was the most unbelievably grotesque, outrageously hilarious sequence either of us had seen in any movie. Ever. I'm dead serious. It's one of those scenes where you absolutely have to look away, yet you absolutely cannot take your eyes off the screen out of sheer disbelief. And it goes on for a good five minutes. Nothing in Brokeback Mountain can prepare you... and that’s all I'll say about that.
Overall, it's a refreshingly different kind of movie and, like I said, this audience was going absolutely nuts for it. At an hour and a half in length, it actually felt a bit long and there's a good 10 minutes or so throughout that I hope they cut, but it looked 99% complete to me. Of course, we got the extremely detailed standard questionnaires at the end, asking us about these very issues, so I guess we'll see how things work out. There was no mention of a targeted release date, so I have no idea when it'll hit theaters either. Hopefully they can find a spot for it this summer, seeing as though Wedding Crashers and 40-Year-Old Virgin, both R comedies, did so good last summer. That's not to say Borat will get an R rating though, seeing as though I honestly think what I saw tonight (and will forever haunt my dreams) may have qualified for NC-17. That being said, Borat definitely isn't for everyone. But as for me... I like.
If you use this, call me Vilo
Man, I love DA ALI G SHOW, and Borat in particular. I’m dying to get a look at this, and also to know how Larry Charles did when he stepped in to finish it after Todd Phillips left the film. It’s great to hear that it’s working, and I’m sure they’ll work to tighten it up even more before we see it in the theater later this year.
"Moriarty" out.
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YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!!!!
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But it's an awesome surprise, god I hope it comes out soon
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Feb 03, 2006 6:57:27 AM CST
Aww man the Kazaks are gonna take a contract out on Cohen head f
by big_bubbaloola
Oh and frist.....no I mean fisrt.......aww sod it!!!
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'in kazakstan we have problem...'
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Feb 03, 2006 7:01:09 AM CST
And really...he was really funny when? (He was past due in the e
by negative man
Yes, I'm an ass. Be Borat always seemed like an early '90s SNL character that would have received a bad movie to the quality of IT'S PAT... I really tried to like the character, but he was old school about the time P. Diddy did his Godzilla soundtrack...
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Two in a row, if I didn't live at home at the age of 33 I would be cool.
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First! Borat rocks!!!
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Now I'm not only uncool, but an idiot for not seeing the other posts.
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I made the same mistake. But Borat still rocks.
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In my country, I am good at making animals to sex explosion. My waff, she is dead... she died in a feeyeld.
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This sounds fucking fantastic. Oh......and wonder woman has big boobies.
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so my country can be free....
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You've got to be fucking kidding me. There's no way a tired,tame and hackneyed character like Borat can be involved in a movie quite so funny. You people, you'll eat anything up. Give Chris Morris a movie - now THAT would be controversial.
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besides, since when does fox avoid controversy?
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you guys should receive a joint award for exceptional accomplishment for persons with significant disability, because how you guys manage to operate a computer keyboard while yours heads are stuck up your asses is beyond me.
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A Chris Morris movie would be amazing. I've said this before but reiteration is key here.
If any of you haven't seen Brass Eye - order it right now, it's hands down the funniest thing i've ever seen. MASSIVELY controversial; but in a clever, clever way. Even Channel four think the paedophile episode went too far - and they're the channel that broadcast a live autopsy. -
So we can have a big party.
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I just hope this is a lot funnier than the disappointing ali G movie......
"my wife, shea deaad. no its ok Ia have a new one" -
No--I really have been to Kazakhstan. Spent a week there in 1999 and a week there in 2000. Very nice, hospitable people and absolutely nothing like Ali G. Town rapist indeed...
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Plant or not, there's little chance of this sucking in any way. And to the guy who mentioned Borat and SNL in the same sentence: lay off the crack pipe, son. "I wahnt her tight, like man's anus."
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...would draw any conclusions about Kazakhstan based on Borat, any more than they would about Australia based on Crocodile Dundee. C'mon, give the audience some credit... Oh, who am I kidding...
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Fantastic
I wish I'd seen the live autospy on Channel 4. Get some member of the general public - strap them down and see what they might have died of - if they'd had the chance!!!!! -
Feb 03, 2006 10:34:51 AM CST
Hm, I don't know. Borat (the character) is so funny that it&
by derlanghaarige
I just hope it's better than Ali G In Da House.
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From the review the closest thing it sounds like is Jacass the movie. In that it wasn't overly funny, but the whole audience was in hysterics throughout. A Morris movie would be great, unless Nathan Barley suggests what modern Morris is like, but it would never have any mass market appeal. Oh and TODD PHILLIPS IS A FUCKING PUSSY!
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Borat was always the funniest and this is a must see. Now get the Alan Partridge movie up and running. If its the same script that was offered to him then that also will be a winner. Any film with a character known as The Town Rapist cannot fail and will not fail. Borat is the future until Partridge gets himself in the middle of hostage negotiations.
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I was at the screening as well and everything this reviewer is saying is 100% legit. I can honestly say this was the hardest I've laughed at movie since 40 Year Old Virgin.
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In Kazhakstan we have many hobbies: disco dancing, archery, rape and table tennis. Can't wait for this one.
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All my bones are laughing as I'm dancing on your grave.
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borat translates to the big screen a little better than the disappointing ali G movie.....I dont wanna get my hope up to early....but its sounding good!
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Borat first appeared in '98 or '99 on Da Ali G Show (the British series, not HBO) and I knew from that moment that Sacha Baron Cohen had just entered the halls of comedy genius. I think Borat works better for American audiences than Ali G himself because you really really need to be British to get what Ali is to begin with and how the character became embedded in British culture. I'm so pleased with the talent working on this movie. Peter Baynham, who's one of the writers along with Cohen, worked with Steve Coogan on the Alan Partridge series', and if they do a Partridge film I hope he's involved with that. However, the best parts of this movie are gonna be the interviews and Borat appearances which are real and no-one knows he's just a character. This was impossible to include in Ali G In Da House (the British Ali G movie that Cohen made 5 years ago, check it out it's good) because everyone knew who Ali was by then.
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was when borat was absent because of illness. i missed his humor; sacha is funny but without the other guy he's half a man.
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Does that mean he is one and is saying he is so that we think he isn't, or that he's not because he says he thinks we think he is?
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Feb 03, 2006 4:49:15 PM CST
I will join the Kazakh goverments in kicking this guys nuts!
by proman1984
What he's doing is racist and offensive. Kazakh people deserve respect. Take this from a 'jew' who actually been to Kazakhstan and other countires in Central Asia.
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Can't wait, can't wait, can't wait, can't wait....
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I'm gonna post info about new shows in this: the official thread for NEW TV SHOWS. All these are set to start in September, except for Blade which starts in June.
First off, here's a few movies that are being turned into tv shows:
[b]1. Blade
2. Friday Night Lights
3. Butterfly Effect
4. Mr and Mrs Smith[/b]
None of these will have the actors from the movies, although in some cases the writers/directors will be coming back to film the pilots.
Other shows:
[b]5. Aquaman.[/b] It's a superhero show. This comic book character has gotten pretty famous this year, since it's been the main plot of the excellent TV show 'Entourage', and there was also an episode with Aquaman in the awful series Smallville. Yeah, it's probably gonna be shit, unless they go for comedy, in which case it might be pretty good. But it's a concept that'll fall flat if they try and make it deadly serious.
[b]6. Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip.[/b] Comedy drama. This is by far the most promising show starting this year. Huge budget ($2 million an episode - that's the same as Lost and Firefly, and this show won't have any special effects), written by Aaron Sorkin (West Wing, Sportsnight), starring Mathew Perry...there's no way it's gonna suck. It's similar to The Larry Sanders Show, except it's gonna be a behind-the-scenes look at an SNL-type show.
[b]7. Seeing Red.[/b] Shit premise - something about a cop who talks to dead victims - but it's made by Frank fucking Darabont, who wrote/directed Green Mile and Shawshank Redemption, so it's gotta be good.
[b]8. Him and Us.[/b] Sounds alright (despite the stupid title) - it's about an aging rock star. That implies comedy, drama, famous guest appearances and good music. I'm mentioning it here because the aging rock star is gonna be played by Antony Stewart Head (Giles)! Awesome.
[b]7. Thief.[/b] 6 episode miniseries about a buncha thieves. Probably gonna be shit and sink without a trace, but I like the idea.
[b]8. The Sarah Silverman Program.[/b] Comedy show on Comedy Central, sounds like Curb Your Enthusiasm a bit, in that the comedian will be playing herself in her day to day life.
[b]9. Ultra.[/b] A show about a female superhero trying to combine saving the world with having a day to day life. Supposed to be a satire of celeb culture or something.
10. And finally, there's an untitled 'Kung Fu comedy' to start on NBC. It's about two bounty hunters who use kung fu rather than firearms to get their goods. Sounds insane and that's a good thing.
These are just the ones which I think have a slight chance of being good. There's about 40 others which are all too shit to even contemplate (including a sci-fi show on Fox called 'Beyond' which REC will probably love). Mainly just cop and lawyer shows. Adam Brody's making his own drama show (?). Spielbergs got a 10-hour miniseries coming up about the afterlife or something. There's this show about a woman and her hedonistic alter-ego. Masters of Sci-Fi too. Out of those 10 shows there, if 4 of them turn out to be watchable, I'll be over the moon.
Oh and, Monk, My Name is Earl, The Office, Lost, Veronica Mars, Weeds, Entourage, Extras, Family Guy, Scrubs, and Curb Your Enthusiasm will all be coming back. Futurama and Arrested Development? Nobody knows that. -
Dude, lighten the fuck up. Take a lood or something. Why cant people take a fucking joke? The same thing goes for all arabs that flipped the fuck out about that comic strip saying paradise is running out of virgins. A FUCKING COMIC STRIP!!! You dont see catholics all up in arms when someone makes a joke about how priests fondle kids. Or maybe you do, I just dont pay attention.
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did anyone see the episode when Boris (the gay austrian fashion journalist) sneaks onto the runway during a real fashion show, and proceeds to do "the Worm"? I laughed so hard I was worried I was going to hurt myself.
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I would be really upset about you leeching the cool out of one of my favorite bands names if their infinite awesomeness didn't so vastly overshadow your very impressive suckitude.
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Feb 04, 2006 2:10:34 AM CST
Sasha Cohen is on the cover of the new TV Guide wearing a tiny b
by hercules
In my country there is problem, and that problem is transport.
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1. Why does every positive review = plant?
2. Don't you think movie studios have better things to do than "plant" reviews on websites that are mostly visited by snarky nerds who don't take the reviews seriously? On what planet does a review on AintitCool make or break a a movie's box office, let alone affect your opinion of it? -
Feb 04, 2006 3:55:46 AM CST
My wife, we used to play a game with a chair and eewha and the c
by seppukudkurosawa
I will bad-mouth this film before it comes out, and I will grudgingly go to see it in the cinema with my basehead brother, who will smuggle in some beers, and even before the film starts, during the trailers, I will feel out of place- wondering what the hell am I doing here, and then when the rating's shown (alongside the title) I'll have an incredibly strong urge to just walk out of the cinema there and then, BUT the moment the film starts I'll be laughing like a sucker. Such is life huh, you can act like a pretentious ass-wipe all you like, but all it takes is Borat dry-humping Pamela Anderson to strip you down a few notches.
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Feb 04, 2006 4:12:26 AM CST
To be fair binowhite, saying, "You'll probably call me a pla
by seppukudkurosawa
is opening up the floodgates.
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And after this Danish Muhammad cartoon hoo-hah; Borat is just going to go down like a lead balloon. I've been examining my conscience all this week on free speech and Islam and this situation in particular, and I've come to one or two conclusions. Firstly, if you can lock Holocaust denier David Irving up in the heart of Western Europe, and pass blasphemy laws in Britain, and try that guy with the hook hand for inciting hatred in London, then you can definitely say that we accept limits to free speech on out society. I may not fully agree, but there seems to be a sort of corrupt usage of the concept which seeks, not to express an idea or an argument for it's own sake, but to express it merely for the purpose of provoking a violent negative response in predictable people; if a single Danish artist had drawn, in passing, a single irreverent portrait of Muhammad, I would defend his right to do so; but to solicit 15 drawings of varying insolence from different artists seems to me to be an editorial decision of extreme cynicism. Particularly when Denmark is having internal; and external; issues with Islam. You can cite Islamic propaganda regarding Jews, certainly, but it is within our power to be better than the Syrians and Saudis and not to publish either blood drinking rabbis, nor suicide-bomber jokes aimed square at the ONE thing that is a major problem for Muslims worldwide; the depiction of Allah and his prophet. If those pictures hadn't had the name 'Muhammad' written on them; they would have been innocuous; merely satires on extremism. They KNEW this was going to happen; they KNEW that some Muslims would react predictably and immoderately, they KNEW that Western liberals would be drawn into this clash of civilizations by their simple-minded devotion to a concept of free speech that ignore the suppressions that they implicitly accept. Any pictures of Jesus fucking a goat in the Wall Street Journal this week? Any gas chamber jokes in USA Today? Jokes merely SHOWING Muhammad
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I disagree. While the decision to print the cartoons may have been foolish, there is the question of intent. Cartoons depicting bloodsucking rabbis or Christ engaged in sodomy with a goat are most likely an expression of hatred against Jews and Christians. The fact is that in western democracies freedom of speech protects the satirization of religion and politics among many other things. If a cartoon had depicted Muhammed engaged in the eating of babies and accompanying an article about how horrible Muslims in general are, then there would be a case for incitement of hatred. As it is, Muslim nations as well as Muslims living in western democracies have to accept the fact that our freedom of speech protects satire. End of story. We can't be held hostage to the religious dogma of theocratically inclined nations of any stripe.
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you think offensive humour is suddenly going to end because you write long pious posts in a talkback? moron.
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of David Irving's imprisonment for what is essentially a free speech issue. And Muhammed holding a cutless, baring his yellowed teeth, as in one of the cartoons is very close indeed to baby-eating rabbis or Jesus fornicating.
And calling me a pious moron merely underlines everything I said about needless rudeness masquerading as free speech. if you can't be serious for a moment.The post was not long by talkback standards; I have seen many more words expended on The Pahntom Menace.
Somebody is trying to start a s world war based on rcasim and cultural differences that, to s great extent do not exist. Osama wants it. Donald Rumsfeld wants it. And it's going to be a cover for a resource grab. And a lot of innocent people are going to be killed. -
Didn't realize Irving was the issue, but since you insist, no, I don't think he should be imprisoned. I think he's a malignant scumbag but he shouldn't be in jail for his opinions.
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...you DO know that a lot of the images circulating in Muslim nations around the world actually don't come from Jyllands-Posten, but were thrown into the mix along with the real images in order to provoke people even further, don't you?
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Feb 04, 2006 9:00:07 AM CST
My polish wife tells me he's been speaking polish, not kazah
by chileanseabass
..and she's not offended..despite her sweet little ass, so those kazakh cammel jockeys better chill like the cool aid man..
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Feb 04, 2006 9:01:05 AM CST
My polish wife tells me he's been speaking polish, not kazah
by chileanseabass
..and she's not offended..despite her sweet little ass, so those kazakh cammel jockeys better chill like the cool aid man..
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needless rudeness is free speech, dumbass. and the stuff that baron-cohen does (getting a bar in arizona to sign 'throw the jew down the well') shows a far more sophisticated understanding of free expression that a dullard like you.
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cant wait to see this!
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...the fact that the prohibition against depicting Muhammed visually is for Muslims exclusively, as are their dietary rules and anti-alcohol stance. The people protesting might as well be burning embassies and demanding that western governments forbid their citizens from having a beer and eating a pork sandwich, since the sight or smell of them is offensive to religious Muslims. The hypocrisy is staggering, but not surprising considering that these protests are political and largely uninformed. They just burned the Danish, Norweigian and Chilean (!) embassies in Damascus because of a ludicrous rumor being spread by text messaging that there were to be public Koran-burnings in Copenhagen tonight.
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Feb 04, 2006 2:43:48 PM CST
I think everyone is so concerned about whether they CAN use thes
by cameron1
and not thinking about whether they SHOULD.
There's cartoons of jesus and christians in muslim newspapers which are just as offensive as the ONE cartoon which has so incensed muslims at the moment. The other cartoons are more concened with the reaction of muslim after reading the cartoons, which is pretty damn funny really. Personally I think a man's religion should be respected as long as he doesn't shove it in your face. But then what religious people don't shove it in your face? Buddhism I suppose but certainly not the Abrahamist one's. -
It Ok. I get new one!
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for fuck's sake! doodles cannot be offensive! they are pen squiggles on a page! okay, they represent an idea--fine! if you doubt your faith in Mohammed because some asshole.... i just-- i just have to go lie down and determine if sweeping disease is a bad thing...
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...looks like is offensive to muslims, second implying that all muslims are terrorists is also very offensive, so yeh you can get offended by them in the same way nazi cartoons offended the jews or cartoons in muslim newspapers offend christians. It's not making them doubt their faith it's pissing them off, there is a big difference.
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pity setting fire to things is not one of the many things which offends them. as for the doubting your faith thing, that's precisely what it is. if you let people go around making fun of your beliefs, it shows weakness. it shows that your religion is silly and easily mocked. and the longer this continues, the more doubt eats away in your mind. so, to stop the rot, set fire to those non-believers. at least, this is my humble opinion. so if you disagree, don't set fire to me.
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People mock all religions, another mans faith in god can be easily mocked by secularists. They aren't letting people get away with it, hence all the protests and setting fire to things. Their faith is strong this is why they are so quick to take up arms or banners or whatever, because they believe in the absolute perfection of god and mohammed, it's like if someone were to make fun of father or mother, if you protested about it it wouldn't mean your faith in your parents is weak merely that you hate people mocking them.
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"Methinks they doth protest too much". if someone's faith is strong and unshakeable, a cartoon should be like water off a duck's back. but they are terribly insecure. and who wouldn't be having grown up in that region surrounded by nothing but corrupt gov'ts? the problem is that money is a megaphone and if they were cut off, we'd see them begin to fall into line quickly.
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as it is completely forbidden to represent mohammed by religious law. Do you think all the christians who go nuts about false idols and cartoons depicting them as un-evolved nutjobs are also insecure in their faith? I'd have said it's the very fact they are so utterly convinced in their righteousness that makes them so volatile.
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i think anyone struggling that hard is displaying some very insecure foundations. and yes.
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Anyone know about the third season? Is there one?
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I like offensive comedy as much as the next man, it's just that I don't find this guy offensive, inventive or original in any way shape or form. That you'll settle for this tired shit shows that either you haven't been exposed to anything better or that you all have a severely underdeveloped sense of humour. Seriously - this is cack and reeks of MTV chic. I'll take Chris Morris instead, at least he's worthy of the title 'genius' and not just lauded for ripping off 3 people and rolling them into one character.
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Chris Morris is a genius along with most of the writers for The Day Today, Brass Eye and Partridge. Because I like Borat does not mean I have a severely underveloped sense of humour. How many people here thought Ricky Gervais on the 11 O clock show was utter shit but then The Office comes out and he's hailed a genius. It may be cack to you but to others (including myself), Borat is better than whats around today. Even Chris Morris can have a bad day, just look at Nathan Barley. Some find it funny but I dont. I would never say those people have an underdeveloped sense of humour.
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but I will not use force.
i can't wait to see this film.if you do not vote for him he will take power...genius.
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