Borat

Borat Sagdiyev is a fictional Kazakh television journalist created and portrayed by British comedian Sacha Baron Cohen. The character first appeared on the television program Da Ali G Show in the early 2000s, where he conducted interviews and staged segments combining scripted material with unscripted interactions with real people. Borat is presented as a naïve reporter from Kazakhstan whose misinterpretations of American life, politics, and culture are used to explore prejudice and social norms.

The 2006 feature film Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan followed Borat as he travels across the United States to produce a documentary. The film mixed a loose narrative with hidden-camera segments in which ordinary people interacted with a character who appeared genuine, often without awareness of the satirical premise. Borat’s antics touched on a range of cultural stereotypes and social behavior, provoking public controversy and debate over the ethics of reality-based satire and the portrayal of Kazakhstan.

A sequel, Borat Subsequent Moviefilm, was released in 2020 on Amazon Prime Video. Again starring Cohen as Borat, the film centers on Borat and his daughter, Tutar Sagdiyev, as they travel to the United States to deliver a controversial gift intended for political elites. The film satirizes contemporary politics and social issues, including the 2020 U.S. election and gender politics, and relies heavily on unscripted encounters with real people. It renewed discussions about consent and the boundaries of hidden-camera comedy.

Impact and legacy: Borat has been a defining character in modern satirical comedy, illustrating how performance and improvisation can expose biases in audiences. While celebrated for its audacity and social critique, the character remains controversial for its exploitation of stereotypes and the ethical challenges of reality-based humor. The Borat franchise consists of two films and various television appearances by Sacha Baron Cohen.