Ali G in da Usaiii

Comedy

Sacha Baron Cohen

Ali G/Borat/Brüno

Director	James Bobin; Scott Preston
Producer	Dan Mazer
Writer	Sacha Baron Cohen; Ethan T. Berlin

A burned-out, ignorant, cockney British-Jamaican b-boy; an anti-Semitic, misogynistic nymphomaniac who is a television reporter from Kazakhstan; and a homosexual Austrian fashonista--all played by Sacha Baron Cohen--conduct interviews on unsuspecting Americans, who include prominent pundits in the political system and celebrities, that reveal deeply hidden prejudices and challenge social mores within American society.

"Keep it real" says Ali G (Sacha Baron Cohen) at the top of each show. Keeping it real is what the British comedian does--and doesn't do--during each episode. First, there's the character of Ali G himself. There's nothing real about this slang-slinging geezer. He's a poser, a white hip-hop wannabe from the 'burbs who aspires to be "gangsta" like Biggie and Tupac. His interview subjects, on the other hand, are the real deal: Newt Gingrich, Buzz Aldrin, Donald Trump, etc. Ali asks stupid questions, they attempt to provide intelligent answers. The humor comes from the disconnect between the two, which is to say: 60 Minutes meets In Living Color.

Da Ali G Show was a hit in Britain before Cohen brought his act to the States, but Ali wasn't the only character who came with him. There's also Borat, a Kazakhstan TV reporter with a shaky command of English. His show-within-a-show is called "Borat's Guide to America" and he travels the "US and A" interviewing regular folks, such as matchmakers and rodeo riders. Then there's Bruno, a sexually ambiguous fashion reporter with "Funkyzeit Mit Bruno." His subjects include models and designers. Borat and Bruno have their moments, but Ali G is the star of the show and gets the most screen time. It's Ali G, after all, who gets both James Lipton and Ralph Nader to rap. (The verdict? Lipton's got skills; Nader should stick to politics.) As proof of his popularity in the U.K., Ali G got his own theatrical release, Ali G Indahouse in 2002. As proof of his popularity in the U.S., HBO renewed his show for a second season. Due to sexual content, raunchy humor, and drug content, Da Ali G Show is recommended for mature audiences. --Kathleen C. Fennessy

If there's such a thing as surreality TV, then Sacha Baron Cohen is da man, and Da Ali G Show is da bomb. Better known as his alter egos Ali G (the "wanskta" journalist), Borat (the clueless correspondent from Kazakhstan), and Bruno (the gay Austrian fashionista), Cohen is consistently hilarious in the six episodes (on two discs) from the second (2003) season of his HBO show. With his cracked Cockney-Rasta patois ("does you 'tink ") and constant malapropisms (confusing "incest" with "incense" and "bi-lingual" with "bi-sexual"; calling MIT linguistics professor Noam Chomsky "Norman"), Ali G is the star. But so is the odd and, well, surreal assortment of folks he interviews in his relentless, "Candid Camera"-goes-hip-hop assault on the idiots and idiosyncrasies of American culture and politics. Some are at least partly complicit; Pat Buchanan, of all people, plays right along with the shtick, as does Immigration and Naturalization Service chief James Ziegler. Others are merely confused, like the doc who grows increasingly frustrated by Ali's inability to differentiate between "veteran" and "veterinarian," newsman Sam Donaldson, or former LAPD chief Daryl Gates. But as absurd as Da Ali G Show gets, this isn't Jackass, and Cohen is no dummy. Along with all the goofing are some shrewd questions about abortion, teaching religion in schools, Iraq, and homeland security, to name a few ("How come there ain't no security on trains?" Ali G asks Ziegler, who laughs off the question and then came the Madrid and London subway bombings). With a generous helping of extras (including Ali's commencement speech at Harvard!) along with the episodes, Da Ali G Show is a riot. Fuh real, yo. --Sam Graham

Da Ali G show is an absolute masterpiece. Sacha Baron Cohen is perhaps one of the funniest people on the planet. He will certainly go down as a comic genius and legend. His skits are original, his writing is creative and his alter egos are just downright hilarious. I did not think that the new season would top last seasons unbelievable episodes, but it already has. The first two Borats have been out of this world and Ali G's interviews are just ridiculously funny. This is comedy that i have never seen before which is why i think that it is the best comedy on TV right now. This is coming from a big Curb your enthusiasm fan. I have a lot of respect for the big comedy series out right now such as the Simpsons, the family guy and arrested development, but i do not laugh harder than i do when i watch Ali G. I am in tears almost every episode. I'm going to go out on a limb and say that it is the best show on television right now (since the Sopranos is currently in between seasons). If you haven't seen it, i strongly recommend you see it and if you don't think its funny or if you do not even chuckle the slightest bit at his antics, then you have absolutely zero sense of humor. -phmurphy