Monday, November 06, 2006


First of all, another house picture. This one of the window seat in the master bedroom. Why is there a big black thing like an ottoman sitting in our new window seat? I don't know. To quote an old Latin phrase, Ita erat quando hic adveni.* But other than the big black thing, which did not hide damage or anything, it's a nifty window seat that looks out on the back yard.

But that's not what this post is about. This post is about the movie Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan. Bob wants to see it. It seems like a really funny movie. But the trailer makes me squirm. The trailer suggests that the movie will make me feel constantly embarrassed. Not for Borat, who goes to a rodeo and announces to the crowd that he totally supports 'your war of terror.' Sacha Baron Cohen knows what he's doing. And the applause that greets his statement is both funny, and something that totally confirms my understanding of people.

And yet, aren't they giving him the benefit of the doubt? As far as the audience of the rodeo knows, he's a foreigner who speaks English badly and doesn't understand that some of us don't think it's a war of terror, but a war on terror. (Others of us actually rather agree with Borat that somewhere in the process of this conflict, we slipped a preposition.) And aren't we laughing at them for that? For their goodwill? I know, I know, we're laughing at their stupidity and the way that the language deftly lays visible the contradiction of the situation. I mean, it's brilliant. I really hope Bob sees it. But...I don't know if I really want to be the one who goes with him.

So I plan to send Adam with him.


*'It was like that when I found it.' For other useful Latin phrases like, 'I'm not interested in your dopey religious cult,' check out Handy Latin Phrases.

5 Comments:

Blogger Greg van Eekhout said...

The Borat movie looks funny and, I dunno, somehow necessary, but the whole "war of terror" gag just makes me wonder if the people who are using it to indict the rodeo audience have ever heard someone speak over a public address system in a large outdoor venue. If anyone could distinguish "of" from "on," then that venue has really good acoustics.

November 06, 2006 11:00 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Loved the house! Thank you for the tour, Maureen.

November 07, 2006 12:17 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Erm. That's Ellen who just posted.

November 07, 2006 12:18 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

It really is a very nicely laid out house and she has this nice ratty table on the back deck that she can burn in the fire place when it gets cold.

"Ita erat quando hic adveni" should really be the name of a blog.

(My word verification for posting is omhnux--I said it out loud and I suspect it's the sound a male makes when he is kneed between the legs.)

November 07, 2006 1:04 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I have the same response to the Borat movie as you do: it's probably funny, but I'd feel really uncomfortable. Of course, I am one of the few who hated I Love Lucie because (even when I was a kid) I was constantly embarrassed for her.

My word verification is wcsmpy, which sounds vaguely like what you'd get if McDonalds merged with Wimpy Burgers.)

November 07, 2006 7:29 PM  

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