Wrestling With Borat
This column was written by CBS News Early Show co-anchor Harry Smith.
Sacha Baron Cohen is a comic actor who became famous playing a character named Ali G.
Ali G. was a bizarre hip-hop Brit of Middle Eastern descent who would interview unwitting victims, including politicians and newscasters. He was outrageous, unfair and laugh-out-loud funny.
Cohen has a new character named Borat, a journalist from Kazakhstan who, like de Tocqueville, traveled across America.
The mocumentary, which opens today, is scandalous. Don't see it if your sensibilities, about most anything, are easily offended.
Borat rides roughshod over the American landscape, so much so that you sometimes even feel a little sorry for some of his victims. Well, almost sorry.
I interviewed Borat this week, some of which you can see on YouTube. It ends with us wrestling — a first for me. But it worked so well I may end all future interviews the same way.
Harry's daily commentary can be heard on manyCBS Radio News affiliates across the country.
By Harry Smith