Borat Exploitation

[yllus]

Hmm, this is one of the more interesting questions posed here in quite some time.

On the one hand, you have the wilful misrepresentation by Cohen to these people with what they were filming and how they would appear in said film. Be it for a serious purpose or for comedy, at first thought I consider it pretty wrong to use the ignorance of a person against them like a weapon - with the end result being ridiculed in front of thousands or millions of people. This is quite different then when Jay Leno walks around and asks the dumbest of the dumb simple questions they should know the answer to:

Mr Tudorache, a deeply religious grandfather who lost his arm in an accident, was one of those who feels most humiliated. For one scene, a rubber sex toy in the shape of a fist was attached to the stump of his missing arm - but he had no idea what it was.

Only when The Mail on Sunday visited him did he find out. He said he was ashamed, confessing that he only agreed to be filmed because he hoped to top up his £70-a-month salary - although in the end he was paid just £3.

He invited us into his humble home and brought out the best food and drink his family had. Visibly disturbed, he said shakily: 'Someone from the council said these Americans need a man with no arm for some scenes. I said yes but I never imagined the whole country, or even the whole world, will see me in the cinemas ridiculed in this way. This is disgusting.

Whether the end result does a good job at enteraining us or not, I think it's fairly indisputable that that was done wrongly, possibly even cruelly.

On the other hand, you have the issue of redress. Isn't there some standard pay rate for actors they could reimburse those who appeared in the film with? That neatly avoids capitalizing on this solely because the film did well.

 

[RossMAN]

http://www.slate.com/id/2153578/?GT1=8805

 

[Syringer]

I can't believe how blinded people are for their love of Borat that they can't see the level of exploitation exhibited here.

Imagine for a second, if some people went into your house to do a documentary because they think you live a very interesting life..say your parents are both disabled, can't work, etc., so you put together 80 hour weeks to support yourself and them, pay their medical bills, and you basically have no time to yourself at all.

They even pay you, $3, $30000, it doesn't matter. You go through the motions, happy with what you went through, tell all your friends that you're going to be in a big hit movie showing off your very touching heart warming story.

Of course you're too busy working/providing for your family that you have no idea who this Borat jackass is.

However, you end up watching the movie, and to your absolute shock, instead of being portrayed as a great, wonderful people, they make your family out to be people that molest each other daily, eat your own feces, bring little children into your house and molest them too. And no matter how facetious the movie is made out to be, you have to put up with this idea that people who see you in real life see you as who you are in the movie. Your reputation is tarnished, not because people think you are who you are in the movie, but because reality can be so blinded with "fictional documentary".

Are you guys telling me then that you wouldn't at the very least be annoyed that you were lied to and manipulated to? Here you are in a financial hardship, struggling everyday, living a life that you didn't exactly dream of as a kid, and someone else is profiting off making a joke out of your life. Would you not have, or be entitled to a reaction at all?

 

[hiredgoons]

Originally posted by: Syringer
I can't believe how blinded people are for their love of Borat that they can't see the level of exploitation exhibited here.

Imagine for a second, if some people went into your house to do a documentary because they think you live a very interesting life..say your parents are both disabled, can't work, etc., so you put together 80 hour weeks to support yourself and them, pay their medical bills, and you basically have no time to yourself at all.

They even pay you, $3, $30000, it doesn't matter. You go through the motions, happy with what you went through, tell all your friends that you're going to be in a big hit movie showing off your very touching heart warming story.

Of course you're too busy working/providing for your family that you have no idea who this Borat jackass is.

However, you end up watching the movie, and to your absolute shock, instead of being portrayed as a great, wonderful people, they make your family out to be people that molest each other daily, eat your own feces, bring little children into your house and molest them too. And no matter how facetious the movie is made out to be, you have to put up with this idea that people who see you in real life see you as who you are in the movie. Your reputation is tarnished, not because people think you are who you are in the movie, but because reality can be so blinded with "fictional documentary".

Are you guys telling me then that you wouldn't at the very least be annoyed that you were lied to and manipulated to? Here you are in a financial hardship, struggling everyday, living a life that you didn't exactly dream of as a kid, and someone else is profiting off making a joke out of your life. Would you not have, or be entitled to a reaction at all?

My thoughts exactly

 

[Xyo II]

Originally posted by: Syringer
I can't believe how blinded people are for their love of Borat that they can't see the level of exploitation exhibited here.

Imagine for a second, if some people went into your house to do a documentary because they think you live a very interesting life..say your parents are both disabled, can't work, etc., so you put together 80 hour weeks to support yourself and them, pay their medical bills, and you basically have no time to yourself at all.

They even pay you, $3, $30000, it doesn't matter. You go through the motions, happy with what you went through, tell all your friends that you're going to be in a big hit movie showing off your very touching heart warming story.

Of course you're too busy working/providing for your family that you have no idea who this Borat jackass is.

However, you end up watching the movie, and to your absolute shock, instead of being portrayed as a great, wonderful people, they make your family out to be people that molest each other daily, eat your own feces, bring little children into your house and molest them too. And no matter how facetious the movie is made out to be, you have to put up with this idea that people who see you in real life see you as who you are in the movie. Your reputation is tarnished, not because people think you are who you are in the movie, but because reality can be so blinded with "fictional documentary".

Are you guys telling me then that you wouldn't at the very least be annoyed that you were lied to and manipulated to? Here you are in a financial hardship, struggling everyday, living a life that you didn't exactly dream of as a kid, and someone else is profiting off making a joke out of your life. Would you not have, or be entitled to a reaction at all?

You see, they probably picked Kazhakstan because nobody knows where the hell it is, so Americans can feel better about laughing at it being made fun of- because there is no connection of our society to theirs. As far as making them out to be rapists, etc., pretty much everyone knows this isn't true; I assumed he was making fun of the fact that those preconceptions do exist in areas of poverty. Lying to the villagers was an asswhole move, but I generally don't expect that much in ways of ethics when it comes to anyone that makes a lot of money in America. Yes, they did exploit them as well as the frat guys (although their part was more idiotic), and I thought the movie was funny at a lot of parts. A lot of parts weren't that great though.

 

[SpeedZealot369]

This thread is a bunch of crap, those people in that village didn't have to be in the movie if they didn't want to.

To say that sasha baran is a scumbag is rediculous, and to not see the movie because of this is also rediculous. But you know what people need to make trouble to distract themselves from their crappy lives so go ahead knock yourselves out.

By the way, anyone can tell how his whole movie is basically self parody, trying to show the world how idiotic his beliefs are.

SZ

 

[Syringer]

Originally posted by: SpeedZealot369
This thread is a bunch of crap, those people in that village didn't have to be in the movie if they didn't want to.

To say that sasha baran is a scumbag is rediculous, and to not see the movie because of this is also rediculous. But you know what people need to make trouble to distract themselves from their crappy lives so go ahead knock yourselves out.

SZ

They did NOT want to be in the movie after they learned how they were portrayed, and there certainly was nothing they could about it.

 

[SpeedZealot369]

Originally posted by: Syringer

Originally posted by: SpeedZealot369
This thread is a bunch of crap, those people in that village didn't have to be in the movie if they didn't want to.

To say that sasha baran is a scumbag is rediculous, and to not see the movie because of this is also rediculous. But you know what people need to make trouble to distract themselves from their crappy lives so go ahead knock yourselves out.

SZ

They did NOT want to be in the movie after they learned how they were portrayed, and there certainly was nothing they could about it.

The only ones complaining are probably the assholes who want money because the movie did so well. The others are probably cool with it and enjoyed being in a film.



By the way, anyone can tell how his whole movie is basically self parody, trying to show the world how idiotic his beliefs are.

 

[Syringer]

I can't believe how dense people can be. There's more to life than money, and as cliche as that is, I can't think of a more relevant thing to say.

These people's pride, dignity, and self respect were all gurgled up, excreted through the asshole, and flushed down the drain. You simply cannot put a price on something like this.

 

[Wreckem]

Originally posted by: FoBoT

Originally posted by: HotChic

Originally posted by: FoBoT
so i guess these days humiliation == "i want a bigger cut of the $"

Possibly so. You might do things for 6 months of pay that you wouldn't do for one day of pay. The question at hand is whether he negotiated an unfair contract by not truthfully informing them of what he was doing.

i don't have the contract to read

they are certainly entitled to seek redress if they feel the contract was illegal or whatever the terminology is. that is what courts and judges are for

this guy has been doing this for many years now <shrugs>

Yeah but I think this time he may have crossed legal lines. A top notch lawyer could probably beat his lawyers in some cases.



Some have said hes been doing this for years. Yes, but that doesnt mean what hes doing is legal, it just means he hasnt been sued. Most people dont understand the law or their legal rights. However in the case of this movie, I think there were some lines crossed that will cause several of the releases not to hold up in court. I think most of these cases will be quickly settled for undisclosed amounts of money.

For instance if the frat boys were intoxicated when the release was signed, said release/contract is null and void, and "Borat" better get ready to take it up the ass because you could be talking tens of millions in punitive damages. One could also argue, probably successfully, that the villagers didnt know what they were signing/their rights or the seriousness of the issues, and one could also claim they were legally incompetent, which with their education level and likely IQ wouldnt be a stretch, thus making the contract null and void.

 

[OrganizedChaos]

its all uzbek propoganda!

 

[sandorski]

He should cough up some more money. Give the people standard Extra Pay, something on the order of $x00/day. An apology as well.

 

[YayYay]

In the film they were labeled as villagers from Kazkhstan and the actual actors and location was in Romania. Your whole analogy doesn't even work. The Romanian culture or pride was not hurt at all and neither was the pride and culture of the Romanian villagers. To put it simply, the movie did NOT portray the actor's village as a bunch of prostitutes, pedophiles or whatever. That being said, it was still deceitful and cruel. But, thats only an opinion.

Originally posted by: hiredgoons

Originally posted by: Syringer
I can't believe how blinded people are for their love of Borat that they can't see the level of exploitation exhibited here.

Imagine for a second, if some people went into your house to do a documentary because they think you live a very interesting life..say your parents are both disabled, can't work, etc., so you put together 80 hour weeks to support yourself and them, pay their medical bills, and you basically have no time to yourself at all.

They even pay you, $3, $30000, it doesn't matter. You go through the motions, happy with what you went through, tell all your friends that you're going to be in a big hit movie showing off your very touching heart warming story.

Of course you're too busy working/providing for your family that you have no idea who this Borat jackass is.

However, you end up watching the movie, and to your absolute shock, instead of being portrayed as a great, wonderful people, they make your family out to be people that molest each other daily, eat your own feces, bring little children into your house and molest them too. And no matter how facetious the movie is made out to be, you have to put up with this idea that people who see you in real life see you as who you are in the movie. Your reputation is tarnished, not because people think you are who you are in the movie, but because reality can be so blinded with "fictional documentary".

Are you guys telling me then that you wouldn't at the very least be annoyed that you were lied to and manipulated to? Here you are in a financial hardship, struggling everyday, living a life that you didn't exactly dream of as a kid, and someone else is profiting off making a joke out of your life. Would you not have, or be entitled to a reaction at all?

My thoughts exactly

 

[0roo0roo]

they signed the release, and the footage was mostly in public spaces right? so no case

 

[Beev]

They didn't think something was up when he filmed the kids with guns

 

[Syringer]

Originally posted by: Sraaz
They didn't think something was up when he filmed the kids with guns

Most of them probably never saw a movie before, who knew what they could be thinking?

 

[AreaCode707]

Originally posted by: Sraaz
They didn't think something was up when he filmed the kids with guns

They figured he was a crazy American (see article - I know he's British) just like the rest of the world.

 

[Jassi]

Originally posted by: dxkj
A bunch of lazy slackers on welfare looking to cash in on someone elses success?! Where is Glod located, AMERICA?!

Well, dignity actually matters to them so I'd have to say no, probably not.

 

[Tobolo]

Originally posted by: lyssword
Lol by watching trailer, I had a feeling something like this would happen, but I thought they'd get at least $1k or $500 each, and that they know what they are doing. But this is just disgusting, I'm not gona go watch this movie, and I'll tell friends not to watch it too..

I agree