There’s an interesting piece to do on the intersection of the media world – made-up, filtered, and framed – and the ‘real’ world as it exists away from the lens.
It would discuss the role of media in amplifying the effectiveness of terrorism, the impact of agenda and sensationalism on media choices. And all kinds of relatively serious things. Because it is, for-real, a serious issue.
But I just tripped (via the great Global Voices blog) over something a little more whimsical – the internal conflict over the role of the character Borat, invented by the comedian Sacha Baron-Cohen (better known as Ali G) – within the Kazakh government.
As a recent piece in New York magazine points out, there may even be a split in the Kazakhstani elite over Borat and his role (both positively and negatively) on the image and name recognition of Kazakhstan in the United States. The short article also suggests, however, that the real test of the tenuous relationship between Borat and the Kazakhstan government will emerge in the upcoming weeks as the public relations blitz being planned by the Kazakhstan government to publicize the country in the U.S. in the run-up to President Nazarbayev’s long awaited trip to Washington clashes with the advertising blitz ongoing to promote Borat’s new film, “Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan“.
I figure everybody could use a laugh this morning…go to Ace of Spades HQ [ http://ace.mu.nu/ ] and see their ‘Borat Interview'[RE: Heh: ] link [I tried to put up a direct link, but I got an anti-spam ‘no’ response.
Enjoy.
But is Nazarbayev wonewy?? We seem to be stumbling into lampoon and ridicule being the most effective info war weapon against certain adversaries. Dirka Dirka Mohammad Jihad?
I’m sure that the upcoming visit of Nazarbaev and the Borat ad campaign will provide me with ample fodder for posts in the coming weeks.
Tim, are you suggesting that Nazarbaev is our enemy? He’s far from it. Kazakhstan is, by far, the West’s best friend in Central Asia at the moment.
I can see their point about Borat as well. Central Asians are rightly proud of their cultures and their fairly incredible history, and I think it gets a bit frustrating for Kazakhs to see that awareness of their country is only increasing because of a comedian who poses as one of their countrymen while saying things that about Kazakhstan that are wildly inaccurate.
That said, I do think that the Nazarbaev’s daughter, Dariga, is right to say that “going after Borat hurts Kazakhstan more than his jokes do.”:http://www.registan.net/?p=6373
And AL, it’s good to have some indication that people read my Central Asia roundup items at Global Voices! I wasn’t sure!