Sacha Baron Cohen

Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan is a 2006 film, directed by Larry Charles, which chronicles, in mock-documentary style, an extended visit by a Kazakhstani television reporter to the United States. The reporter, Borat Sagdiyev, is played by British comedian Sacha Baron Cohen who created the character in 1998 for the British television show, "The 11 O'Clock Show".

Two segments for the film were staged in Birmingham. Baron Cohen visited the city under the guise of learning about Southern values and manners. His first visit is to Kathie Martin, owner of the Etiquette School of Birmingham, who advises him not to show nude photographs of his "son" to other guests at a party. A planned dinner at her house was canceled due to technical difficulties.

The second segment was the actual dinner party at Magnolia Springs Manor in Helena organized by Cindy Streit of Etiquette Training Services. The dinner was arranged with the understanding that a Kazakhstani dignitary would be visiting. A contract was signed, stipulating the purpose of the dinner and the guidelines for filming.

Guests included Ben McKinnon, Sarah Mosely, Mike Jared and Cary Speaker, pastor of Mountain Brook Presbyterian Church and his wife Sally. Baron Cohen's character attempted to sabotage the evening's decorum by telling "crude jokes" and trying to goad other diners. At one point, Baron Cohen produced a bag of excrement, prompting Streit to lead him away from the table. Later, an apparent prostitute arrived at the door claiming to have been hired to entertain. At this point, Speaker and his wife left and "Borat" is told that the dinner is concluded.

After finding out the true nature of Baron Cohen's "documentary", his Birmingham-area targets seem to have taken the joke in stride. Martin told Newsweek that she was disappointed never to have been let in on the joke, and that she "would've liked [her] 15 minutes of fame in this life to have been for something more worthwhile than an R-rated movie." while Jared told the Birmingham News that "All things considered, we got out of this pretty clean."

References

• Gordon, Devin (October 16, 2006) "Behind the schemes: In 'Borat', Sacha Baron Cohen plays unsuspecting folks for big laughs. Meet the real people who became punch lines."
• Carlton, Bob (October 24, 2006) "Etiquette expert smells a 'Borat'" Birmingham News.
• Carlton, Bob (November 4, 2006) "Local people react to being set up by comic film 'Borat'." Birmingham News.