PressEthic

The government of Kazakhstan has once again come out publicly against Sasha Baron Cohen and his character Borat. The country had previously threatened a lawsuit against Cohen and HBO on the basis of defamation. According to ABC News :

Kazakhstan's Foreign Ministry is threatening to sue him for portraying the central Asian state in a "derogatory way."

Based on the new film "Borat: Cultural Learning of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan", President Nursultan Nazarbayev of Kazakhstan aims to discuss the unfavorable representation of his country with President Bush during a scheduled visit to the White House next month. Borat is unarguably a controversial character defined by bigotry and anti-Semitism. However, how responsible should the creator of the character be for those individuals (and apparently nations) that do not seem to get the satire?

Taking biases and prejudices that are perpetrated all over the world and exaggerating and personifying them in one Kazakh character, Sasha Baron Cohen satirizes ignorance and bigotry in a way that makes you laugh and cringe simultaneously. It seems that it is not just the character himself who has appeared on numerous episodes of "The Ali G Show" and now in his own feature length film, but the fact that Cohen has refused to do any press out of character up until the film's opening. Similar satirical dedication to character has been exemplified in Stephen Colbert's address at the White House Correspondents dinner, leaving many in attendance stunned and baffled. By not deviating from character, the solidity of the satire is so unwavering that the joke can be lost on many viewers.

Satire has a strong place in the realm of social and political commentary. There are always ethical dilemmas when representing actual people, organizations, or governments. However, the medium itself is defined by exaggeration and, when done well, will undoubtedly raise some controversy. Still, when utilizing this medium one must make the assumption that the intended audience will get the joke. The Onion provides hilarious and biting reflections on current news events. But I doubt that the writers at the Onion expect any of its readers to rely on the publication as a real news source.

In the case of Borat, it seems that Sasha Baron Cohen's satirical voice is being heard loud and clear. That something might be lost in the translation for some viewers should not be the problem of the comedian. According to the UK's Daily Mail

President Nazarbayev has confirmed his government will buy "educational" TV spots and print advertisements about the "real Kazakhstan" in a bid to save the country's reputation before the film is released in the US in November.

Based on this PR push, it would seem that President Nazarbayev doesn't expect many American's to get the joke either.