Sacha Baron Cohen has to be one of the bravest comedians of our generation. Not to mention, he’s a pretty darn funny comedian. I think it takes quite a bit of courage to be a comedian. When you think of what it must feel like to do stand up comedy, you get an appreciation for the kind of chances the best comedians take. If you can actually put yourself in the place of one of these comics that is. For some it seems like a very natural thing to do, and they have no fear. But for others, they battle stage fright every night they have to perform. I remember reading one time, that all actors and comedians included were either extremely extroverted or extremely introverted. I find that surprising, when you consider what they do. I just assumed they were all extroverts.
But occasionally, a comedian comes along that is incredibly brave to the point of begin brutally fearless. Sacha is that kind of comedian, and he demonstrated that in the movie Borat in spades. That mankini he wore in the movie was just totally over the top. I know actors talk about baring their innermost soul when getting into character and playing a part. They have to tap an inner strength and honesty about themselves, that most of us prefer to keep to ourselves. The best at their craft, have no second thoughts when it comes to baring it all (or almost all) for their art. As much as most of that movie was totally over the top, the Borat Mankini really took the cake. Although that scene in the hotel room with his supposed manager was pretty hard to top in pushing the limits of what you can do in a movie without alienating your viewing public entirely.
While Borat was a landmark movie for a lot of reasons, here’s to hoping that Borat’s fashion sensibilities don’t last any longer than absolutely. Thankfully, I have yet to spot any guy on the beach brave enough to wear one of those suites. And, here’s to hoping that I never do. I do on the other hand, hope that Sacha continues to make ground breaking and cutting edge humor that challenges our limits, and continues to entertain us for years to come.