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About The Clackamas print. (Oregon City, Oregon) 1989-2019 | View Entire Issue (Nov. 1, 2006)
6 Arts^Entertainment The Wednesday, Nov. 1, 2006 Clackamas Print) Borat, sexy-time-high-five, alright Matthew Olson The Clackamas Print Sacha Baron Cohen is a genius, pure and simple. Da Ali G Show, his roll in Talladega Nights and now his latest opus, Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan cement his status as a prolific comedic actor. In Borat, Cohen portrays an eccentric Kazakhstani reporter who’s assigned to tour America and bring back social, political and economical improvements for his country. When he arrives in New York, he tours the town trying to learn what he can of American culture. Of course, his absurd misconceptions and prejudices prevent him from really understanding the “U.S. and A.” Quickly, the main thrust of the movie is revealed; as Borat sits in his room watching TV, Baywatch comes on, and he is immediately enamored with Pamela Anderson. The instigat ing event is afterward, when Borat gets a telegram from Kazakhstan that his wife has died tragically. His reaction is classic Borat, as he celebrates with the bellhop over her death, and is then free to pursue the busty blonde starlet. This combination of real reactions to Cohen’s character and a coherent Actional plot that motivates the trek across America makes Borat a solid film all around. Unlike the sketches that Cohen does on Da Ali G Show, where Borat sponta neously shows up at events, the movie has a cohesive plotline that makes viewers curious as to just how Borat will win Pamela Anderson’s affections. If there’s one movie this year that earns the title of “must- see,” Borat is that movie. It’s easily deserving of mul tiple Emmys, Grammys, Tonys, Golden Globes, kudos, thumbs- ups and high-fives. The movie is generally offensive, obvious ly controversial and immensely entertaining. Beyond just the plot, Cohen’s brilliance in the movie should require sunglasses to be worn while watching ... but also bring a blindfold for the random male nudity. This is not the good male nudity that female viewers might enjoy; this is 300-pound- foreigner-running-around-nude wrestling with Borat over a sto len magazine -so, uh, definitely not the good male nudity (if such a thing exists). There may be points of hys terical laughter during the film, but there is also a downside to the release of the movie. Borat’s trademark greeting “jag- shemash,” pronounced yaig-sha- mosh, will be repeated over and over by culture-consuming col lege-age fans until even the deaf will find the faux Kazakhstani accent annoying. Nonetheless, Borat will become an instant classic to all “frat-pack” fans. Rivaling even the likes of such great movies as Wedding Crashers, Cohen is taking his place as the king of comedy films. This rise to power is a long-time coming and is well-deserved. Borat lingo you should know “Jagshemash” - Kazakhstani greeting “Dzienkuje” - Means “thank you,” pronounced shen-qyi “I like you, do you like me?” - Greeting Borat uses after “jagshemash” “Sexy-time, high-five” - Celebration of erotic encounters “How much?” - Means “I think you look pretty,” proposition “When we have the sexy intercourse?” - Exactly how it sounds “Romance explosion” - Again, self-evident Internet Photo IV/7í7í if Jon Stewart ran for prez? David Stark The Clackamas Print Jon Stewart recently announced his intentions to run for the presidency of the United States Qf America. Stewart is best known for hosting The Daily Show, which, under his leadership, has won nine Emmy awards and two Peabody awards. Stewart is also the author of the best selling The Daily Show with Jon Stewart Presents America (The Book): A Citizen’s Guide to Democracy Inaction, which took the form of a mock high school textbook and proceeded with a no-holds-barred look at the history of the U.S. But the career of Jon Stewart has been more than just come dy; he has hosted the Grammys twice, the first time in 2001 and the second a year later. He also hosted the Academy Awards in 2006, a performance that was quite popular, although, like the Daily Show, having its detractors. Outspoken critics of the George W. Bush administra tion, Stewart and the rest of the correspondents on The Daily Show have often reproached the many mistakes the admin istration has made, reminding viewers when things are said but not done. Stewart, a liberal beyond a shadow of a doubt, could be nothing less than a breath of fresh air in the highly conser vative, Republican-dominated White House and Congress. But even if he were to win the election, what would he be able to change if the House of Representatives and the Senate remained in the firm grasp of Republicans? Nevertheless, Stewart’s stat ed opinions on policies, such as the “War on Terrorism” and the occupation of Iraq, can only lead one to the conclu sion that even a man with no political background whatso ever could better manage the situation than a man whose intelligence is lambasted on a daily basis. So good luck; Jon, you’ll need it. Note: Jon Stewart is not run ning for president, and every thing pertaining to such an event in this article is entirely fwtitious. 7V cartoons are OK Tavo Stalnaker The Clackamas Print on Adult Swim. These shows what I like to call “throw-bij or “nostalgia” cartoons. Progn such as Aqua Teen Hunger Fo. The Venture Bros, and Rc Chicken are filled with pop-culi references from the days of y ie. the 1980s. Anyone rem ber the “Foreigner Belt” epis of Aqua Teenl Yeah, that j genius. One of the best cartoon! ever appear on Adult Swim The Boondocks. Not only was show hilarious, but it coritai some very biting social comn tary, especially when it cam race. Come on, any show that Samuel L. Jackson and Ch' Murphy doing the voices of fl guys who think they’re gangs and in one episode attempt to nap Oprah, deserves to be hi as one of the greatest show all time. I happen to enjoy most oft cartoons, and I hope more them will be produced, howe1 do miss the sitcoms of die past still waiting for the next M*A * or Sanford imd Son, but for1 I’ll just watch Meat Shake and Frylock get psychotic adven with their neig Carl like a juk hero with sti my eyes. Cartoons like The Family Guy, The Simpsons, Aqua Teen Hunger Force and South Park contain more wit and laughs than their five-action sitcom counterparts. When I was a wee lad in the 80s, cartoons played a major role in my life. I remember waking up early on Saturday mornings to watch Transformers, Teenage Mutant Ninja Thrtles, Alvin and the Chipmunks and Thundercats. Sadly, those days are gone, and children’s cartoons have gone downhill ever since. However, in 1989, a new age of animation was formed when The Simpsons premiered on Fox. The Simpsons was one of the first animated shows geared towards older audiences and paved the way for other brilliant “mature” cartoons in the years to follow. . The wonderful thing about these cartoons is how much more stimulating and clever they are when compared to modern-day sitcoms {Scrubs being one of the few exceptions). For example, South Park and The Family Guy demonstrate how com edy writers can fuse political and social satire with crude humor, and still be funny. That’s what I call “smart comedy.” On the flip-side, there’s Cartoon Network’s crazy ani- mated shows t. h a t j appear | nightly (except Fridays) Photo Illustration by Adam J. Manley Clackamai
