Dec132005

Kazakhstan Shuts Down borat.kz. (No, they’re not backwards at all!)

Filed Under Sketch Comedy

Apparently, Kazakhstan authorities want to prove how progressive and forward thinking they are by shutting down comeidan Sacha Baron Cohen’s Borat website. The site, which had a .kz domain name, is gone.  (See for yourself) I’m unfamiliar with the free speech rights in this former Soviet republic, but it’s obvious that they’ve allowed the silly jokes of one comedian to demonstrate how far they have to go as a country.

I imagine it is frustrating that Borat is the only representation of Kazakhstan life in Western media, but anybody watching Borat knows that the character isn’t real. Though like all good comedy it plays the pranks straight, the exaggerations tip it too far for anyone watching the final result to take it seriously. But the leaders of Kazakhstan have played completely into the joke. The foreign ministry of Kazakhstan even believes that Cohen/Borat is under “politcal orders” to demean the country.

Getting into fights with comedians is the worst thing the humorless can do. You’ll just look more foolish or worse, exactly like the caricature you were fighting against. Kazakhstan, stop playing Borat’s game, and move on.

Posted by Todd Jackson at 05:20 PM | Send to Friend
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