Crowd Riots Over Gay Kiss at Suspected Baron-Cohen 'Bruno' Prank

Yesterday, I posted that Sacha Baron-Cohen had duped former Mossad intelligence agency Yossi Alpher into a fake interview as his gay Austrian TV reporter persona Bruno for the upcoming film. Today come reports of a "cage fight" last month in Fort Smith, Arkansas where a near riot erupted after a staged "scene" in which two fighters ripped off each other's clothing and kissed:

"The two men would then wrestle, rip away some of their clothes and share a brief kiss reminiscent of one between Baron Cohen and Will Ferrell in the film 'Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby.' Producers said 'there would be a romantic embrace,' Holland said. 'They said it was kind of to essentially make fun, poke fun at wrestling _ two guys rolling around on the floor, all sweaty.' An elaborate array of mounted and handheld video cameras caught the crowd of 1,600's reaction as the two men 'went right up to the line' of the city's morality laws, Holland said. The two men stripped down to their underwear, kissed and rubbed on each other, the sergeant said. The audience, as well as local fighters drawn to take part in the show, became enraged. 'It set the crowd off lobbing beers,' Holland said. 'They had beers in plastic cups. Those things can get some distance on them actually.' Holland said it took officers about 45 minutes to clear the convention center, as the two actors sprinted away through a specially set-aside tunnel. Those in attendance were told by several signs on display that they'd be filmed, Holland said, and signed waivers before the event. Convention center sales director Karin Hobbs declined to name the event's sponsor Monday."

Seems reminiscent of the rodeo scene in Borat, and sounds pretty frightening, actually. Baron-Cohen's publicist is refusing to comment on the event or its suspected association with the Bruno film.

A cage fight (not the one in question) at Fort Smith, AFTER THE JUMP...

(via joe.my.god)

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Sacha Baron Cohen's Bruno Dupes a Former Israeli Mossad Agent

While in character as gay Austrian TV reporter Bruno, Sacha Baron Cohen fooled former Israeli intelligence agent Yossi Alpher into comparing the merits of Palestinian terrorist group Hamas and the lemony chickpea spread Hummus. Alpher described the "basic" interview questions, which he answered with a Palestinian academic, to the New York Jewish weekly, The Forward:

"And they were, indeed, basic, relating to our expectations for the Israeli-Palestinian peace process. Then one of us mentioned Hamas, and the exchange that ensued went something like this: 'Vait, vait. Vat’s zee connection between a political movement and food. Vy hummus?' We exchanged astonished glances. 'Hamas,' we explained, 'is a Palestinian Islamist political movement. Hummus is a food.' ... 'Ya, but vy hummus? Yesterday I had to throw away my pita bread because it vas dripping hummus. Unt it’s too high in carbohydrates.' The Hamas-hummus confusion went on for several minutes. Then, the interviewer declared: 'Your conflict is not so bad. Jennifer-Angelina is worse.' We probed our limited memory of Hollywood scandals: Was he comparing the Israeli-Palestinian conflict to some sort of tension between Brad Pitt’s former and current wives? What was going on here? Should we pull off our microphones, get up and leave? We exchanged worried glances. 'Could we take a break?' one of us asked meekly. The request was ignored. And so it went. The cameras kept rolling, the cameramen never cracking a smile. 'Vy don’t you Jews and Arabs settle the conflict with a time share on the land? Ven vill you Jews return the pyramids? Vy can’t Jews and Hindus get along?' Jews and Hindus? We played it straight and square. Nay, we simply are straight and square. We smiled at the idiotic questions and answered them patiently. We remonstrated that this was no way to help the youth of the world understand the depth and tragedy of our conflict."

Bruno's escapades at the Wichita Airport were documented earlier this year along with a fake interview with Ben Affleck. He also apparently attempted to interview California governor Arnold Schwarzenegger but was given the brush-off.

Previously
Sacha Baron Cohen's Bruno Brushed Off by Schwarzenegger [tr]
Sacha Baron Cohen's Bruno Screws Kansas Airport and Ben Affleck [tr]

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News: Polo, Jeff Gannon, Jerusalem, Sacha Baron-Cohen, Banksy

With Gay Pride parade in Jerusalem set for Thursday, Haredim choose this year to avoid public protest.

Mario Lopez attempts to recreate a classic.

VV: Why isn't anyone fucking anymore? "The city has shut down all but two bathhouses and every known sex club in Manhattan, as well as citing bars, clubs, and private parties where inspectors find any men-on-men action. The few entrepreneurs still out there complain about apathy and different priorities among younger gay men."

Nomination of homophobic surgeon general James Holsinger may be dead: "Sen. Jim Bunning (R., Ky.), a staunch supporter of surgeon general nominee James W. Holsinger Jr., suggested yesterday that the doctor’s quest for the top U.S. medical post is at an end. During a telephone news conference, Bunning said he doubted the nomination would move forward. He cited the Democratic leadership’s blockage of several Bush administration-backed judicial appointments. 'They are not moving any positions of consequence,' he said."

May 15: Universal sets release date for Sacha Baron-Cohen comedy about gay Austrian journalist Bruno.

Banksy works exceed expectations at London urban art auctions.

Washington Times columnist >Wes Pruden cavalier over millions of AIDS deaths: "We were all supposed to be dead now, done in by AIDS, the gift of the gays. After that it was SARS, bequeathed to the world by China. Then it was avian flu, which, to be fair to the alarmists, did in fact result in the deaths of millions. The millions were all chickens, true, but chickens have feelings, too. You could ask the folks at PETA."

Rex Wockner chronicles the same-sex marriages in San Diego in photos.

Prince Harry gets in uniform to honor Britain's fallen.

Gay Polo League plays in first tournament ever.

Slate: Gay culture war about to turn chemical. "If the idea of chemically suppressing homosexuality in the womb horrifies you, I have bad news: You won't be in the room when it happens. Parents control medical decisions, and surveys indicate that the vast majority of them would be upset to learn that their child was gay. Already, millions are screening embryos and fetuses to eliminate those of the "wrong" sex. Do you think they won't screen for the 'wrong' sexual orientation, too?"

Cristiano Ronaldo and the sweet taste of success.

Keanu Reeves frolics in the surf.

LETTER: The full letter from The Rt Rev Richard Chartres to Rev Martin Dudley following Dudley's marriage of two gay priests.

Jeff Gannon now blogging at the National Press Club.

Germany divided over prospect of gay Lutheran bishop: " Horst Gorski, a senior cleric from Hamburg, is standing for the post of bishop of Schleswig in northern Germany against Gerhard Ulrich, a senior cleric from the Schleswig area. The incumbent bishop is retiring in September. Gorski is a widely respected theologian and he helped set up a centre for gay and lesbian Lutheran pastors. His open homosexuality angers some Lutheran conservatives who argue his election as bishop would leave many Christians with no spiritual home."

Pittsburgh paper: Rural gays isolated, but still stigmatized.

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Sacha Baron Cohen's Bruno Brushed Off by Schwarzenegger

Back in March I posted about Sacha Baron Cohen and his antics as gay Austrian TV reporter Bruno at Wichita's Mid-Continent Airport. Baron-Cohen astonished onlookers in a hot pants strip dance in the middle of the terminal. Around the same time, he also tricked Ben Affleck into giving him an interview.

Baron-Cohen tried to do the same to California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger over the weekend, but was given the brush off. One shot of Bruno's encounter is above.

More at Just Jared....

Two clips of Bruno's Kansas airport shoot, AFTER THE JUMP...

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Sacha Baron Cohen's Bruno Screws Kansas Airport and Ben Affleck

On Friday I posted about Sacha Baron Cohen and his Kansas escapades as gay Austrian reporter Bruno. Officials at Wichita's Mid-Continent Airport called Cohen's actions "unethical and highly inappropriate." And now there's video. Check it out, AFTER THE JUMP...

Turns out Kansas isn't Bruno's first victim. Ben Affleck was also fooled by Cohen.

According to SlashFilm: "Mike Walker of the National Enquirer reported the following on the Howard Stern Show on Thursday: Ben Affleck called comedian friend Sarah Silverman after completing a sit-down interview with a person he was told was a 'very famous openly gay fashion journalist'. Ben called the interview 'the weirdest sit-down he has ever had with a reporter' explaining that the interviewer’s (wholm he refered to as an 'idiot') first question was 'How Do You Like Niggers?' After a stunned silence, Silverman asked Affleck 'Was this guy’s name Bruno?' Then and only then did Affleck actually realize that the whole thing was a gag. There is no doubt that this interview will be featured in the final cut, which is currently scheduled to hit theaters in October 2008."

Watch Bruno's airport dance, AFTER THE JUMP...

Previously
Sacha Baron Cohen Terrorizes Kansas Airport in Hotpants [tr]

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Sacha Baron Cohen Terrorizes Kansas Airport in Hotpants

Sacha Baron Cohen, who is in Kansas shooting his film Bruno, which centers around his gay Austrian news reporter character, has been terrorizing various locations around the state, including Wichita's Mid-Continent Airport:

"Officials there are reviewing its media policies after the so-called German documentary film crew made a scene inside the main terminal on Friday. 'We were lied to,' says Assistant Airport Director Brad Christopher. 'We were duped.' Authorities say the film crew was not who they said they were. Last month, the group contacted Wichita airport officials about shooting part of their documentary on American culture at Mid-Continent. They arrived Friday and were shown around. Airport employees say they seemed professional. That is, until the cameras came on and the clothes came off. Witnesses say it almost looked like pornography. In the middle of the terminal, the film crew began stripping down. They were escorted out of the airport by police, and told to leave. Wichita Police, along with the Attorney General, are investigating the prank. Airport officials say it wasn't necessarily illegal, but it was unethical and highly inappropriate for a public location where security is paramount."

AFTER THE JUMP, a fairly old clip of 'Bruno' interviewing some wrestlers on Spring Break at Daytona Beach:

KAKE adds to the Kansas report: "Several locations in Kansas were targeted last week by a film crew claiming to be making a film about culture in America. Their actions have people across the state wondering whether they've been part of a 'Borat'-like prank. Pastor Greg Smith of Central Community Church says they were contacted by the film crew and were told they were working on a film to be shown in Europe. Smith agreed to let them film the Easter play being performed at the church. However, at some point, fellow Pastor Clint Dunn knew something was not right. In security camera footage from the church, you can see crew members making preparations to cover the security cameras before attempting to pull off their prank. Smith says one of the crew members was dressed 'biblically' and covered with chains. He believes they were going to disrupt the play going on inside the church at the time. Dunn quickly took action to prevent that from happening. He locked the doors and abruptly told the audience good-bye."

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News: Light Bulb Ban, Shia LeBeouf, Evolution, Torture Orders

CLOSET OF FEAR: Congressional candidate Jared Polis discusses his trip to Iraq and his attempts to meet with gay Iraqis there.

New poll shows Hillary Clinton losing lead in New Hampshire. Final debates before Iowa - Republicans tonight, Democrats tomorrow - will prove critical.

McFly: the Brit boyband we've featured four times already for taking off their clothes in public, have done it ONCE AGAIN. Strangely enough, I don't think I've heard any of their songs.

Gay historian Allan Berube dies at 61: "Berube is best remembered for his groundbreaking work of gay history, Coming Out Under Fire: The History of Gay Men and Women in World War II, published in 1990. The Lambda Literary Award–winning book was later adapted by Arthur Dong into a Peabody Award–winning documentary and was often cited in 1993 Senate hearings on the military’s ban on gay service members." More from Servicemen's Legal Defense Network...

One hundred million pennies laid out in Rockefeller Center in New York: "The exhibit, 30 feet by 165 feet, as long as a city block, is the culmination of the nonprofit organization Common Cents' 17th annual Penny Harvest, a national educational program designed to teach children about their value as contributors to society."

David Cooley, owner of West Hollywood's The Abbey bar and restaurant, ready to take it national: "Cooley intends to build Abbeys in cities across the country, and has spent much of the past year scouting locations including San Diego, Phoenix, Miami, New York City, Chicago, Atlanta, San Francisco, and Las Vegas; the plan is for the first new Abbey to open in Chicago within a year."

Scientists discover massive new Antarctic dinosaur: 25 feet long, climbed trees.

Humans evolving rapidly according to researchers: "Many of the recent genetic changes reflect differences in the human diet brought on by agriculture, as well as resistance to epidemic diseases that became mass killers following the growth of human civilizations, the researchers said. For example, Africans have new genes providing resistance to malaria. In Europeans, there is a gene that makes them better able to digest milk as adults. In Asians, there is a gene that makes ear wax more dry. The changes have been driven by the colossal growth in the human population -- from a few million to 6.5 billion in the past 10,000 years -- with people moving into new environments to which they needed to adapt, added Henry Harpending, a University of Utah anthropologist."

Ireland to ban incandescent light bulbs by the year 2009.

Shia LeBeouf gets off.

Sacha Baron Cohen obsessed with big packages: "Of the many surprises in Sweeney Todd, Tim Burton's musical ode to early-Victorian cannibalism, the appearance of Sacha Baron Cohen as barber rival Adolfo Pirelli is one of the most pleasant: The British comedian ably tackles the part's considerable vocal challenges, and cuts a fine figure in a form-fitting, periwinkle dandy suit, beneath which protrudes a bulge even more distractingly prominent than the one poking out of Borat's signature neon nutthong swimwear."

Former CIA interrogator on torture: "This isn’t something done willy nilly. It’s not something that an agency officer just wakes up in the morning and decides he’s going to carry out an enhanced technique on a prisoner. This was a policy made at the White House, with concurrence from the National Security Council and Justice Department."

In honor of the Cycle 9 finale of America's Next Top Model tonight, NewNowNext rounds up the show's most pro-gay and just gay moments. Meanwhile, AfterElton looks at the year in gay television.

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Sacha Baron Cohen Not Looking for Female Advances

Sacha Baron-Cohen was spotted leaving Nobu in Malibu recently wearing a "Sorry Girls, I'm Gay" T-shirt. Then again, perhaps he was just in a Bruno mood.

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Will Ferrell and Sacha Baron Cohen Stage Talladega Kiss [tr]
(image source)

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Will Ferrell and Sacha Baron Cohen Stage Talladega Kiss

In accepting their award for "Best Kiss" for Talladega Nights: The Legend of Ricky Bobby at last night's MTV Movie Awards, Will Ferrell gave in to Sacha Baron Cohen's advances and made it all the way to the stage floor, to the delight of the audience.

"Nice to see you, William. Thanks for returning my calls ever since we last kissed."

And here's the clip.

Flashback...
SPOILER: Jake Gyllenhaal, Justin Timberlake, MTV Awards [tr]

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Sacha Baron Cohen to Play Freddie Mercury in New Film

Sacha Baron Cohen has reportedly beat out Johnny Depp for the chance to play legendary Queen frontman Freddie Mercury in an upcoming biopic on the singer's life. Discussions with Depp that Queen guitarist Brian May talked about in December have apparently fallen through.

At the time, the film was in development with Robert DeNiro's Tribeca Productions. Said a source to the UK tabloid The Mirror: "Film makers are working flat out to get the best possible script. Sacha loves the idea he can get away with playing Freddie after modelling Borat's look on him."

Said Borat: "Niiiiiiiice."

UPDATE: Sacha Baron Cohen's publicist has denied this report from The Mirror, calling it "pure hokum".

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Johnny Depp May Play Freddie Mercury in New Biopic [tr]
Zanzibar Muslims Shun Freddie Mercury [tr]

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Ellen DeGeneres Glams it up on W

Ellen has a few things to say about her fellow comedians in the upcoming issue of W, characterizing Kathy Griffin as "very mean", Sarah Silverman "hilarious" and Sacha Baron-Cohen "brilliant". She also says designers are sending her a variety of "different suits" for her upcoming stint at the Oscars:

"Whenever Portia and I are on the red carpet, they’re yelling out for her to tell them what she’s wearing. But nobody cares [about what I’m wearing] because I have a suit on, even if it’s a Gucci suit. That to me is frustrating, because I put effort into getting ready too. But I guess it’s not as important, and I’m not as dressed up somehow. I also feel myself more of a person than a gender. When people show me clothing that seems very, very feminine, it’s hard for me to embrace that, because it just doesn’t feel like me.... It was fun [for the shoot] having somebody do that to my hair, and do that makeup. But would I want to do that every single day? No."

She looks pretty amazing on this W cover (click to enlarge).

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Guide to the Tube: Jake Gyllenhaal Calls Ellen [tr]

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Dreamgirls, Ugly Betty, Babel, Among Winners at Golden Globes

But by far my favorite moment of last night's Golden Globes was Sacha Baron Cohen's acceptance speech for Borat, referencing perhaps the most repulsively hilarious scene of the year:

"This movie was a life-changing experience. I saw some amazing, beautiful, invigorating parts of America but I saw some dark parts of America, an ugly side of America, a side of America that rarely sees the light of day. I refer ofcourse to the anus and testicles of my co-star Ken Davitian. Ken, when I was in that scene and I stared down and saw your two wrinkled golden globes on my chin, I thought to myself, 'I'd better win a bloody award for this.' And then, when my 300 pound co-star decided to sit on my face and squeeze the oxygen from my lungs, I was faced with a choice death or to breathe in the air that had been trapped in a small pocket between his buttocks for 30 years. Kenneth, if it was not for that rancid bubble, I would not be here today."

Well-deserved nods for Grey's Anatomy and Ugly Betty. It was also great to see newcomers Jennifer Hudson and America Ferrera win. The full winner list can be found here...

The best—and worst—of the Globes [the envelope]
Stars Colorful on Stage & Off at Globes [nyt]

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Towleroad Guide to the Tube #53

GET THE PARTY STARTED: Shirley Bassey covers the P!nk track for Marks & Spencer.

BORAT: Now, in addition to the frat boys and villagers, shit-handling socialite Cindy Street is up in arms. How dare they!

iPHONE: Apple bloggers interviewed by CNBC asshat about upcoming release.

NANCY PELOSI: Gets the SNL treatment.

Make sure to visit our past guides to the Tube here!

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Borat Threatened with Lawsuits from Villagers and Frat Boys

Following Borat's collection of nearly $70 million in receipts in its first two weeks at the box office, Sacha Baron Cohen has been threatened by lawsuits from a couple of groups who found themselves surprised by their depiction in the film. Two of the drunken frat brothers (but not the third apparently), humiliated by having their racism and sexism exposed in the mockumentary, and the Romanian villagers (portrayed as Kazakhs), who say the film mocks their poverty and isolation, want to make lawsuit!

Who's next? Elderly Jewish bed and breakfast owners, homophobic cowboys, portly men with hairy bottoms, or gay pride revelers?

As noted by one of our commenters, here's the Salon article detailing what's real and what's not in Borat.

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News: Whitney Houston, Too Much Madonna, Bruno and Borat

73% of New York City's domestic partnership registrations are heterosexual couples.

Welcome back Whitney Houston!

L.A. Times: Studies on whether or not the children of same-sex parents develop differently than those of opposite sex parents are inconclusive, but researchers say the field may still be too young to produce real answers.

Universal pays $42.5 million for Bruno, the Sacha Baron Cohen follow-up to Borat, before the latter has even opened: "With Bruno, Baron Cohen is calling upon another of his comic alter egos, Bruno, a gay fashionista from Austria who fancies himself as 'the voice of Austrian youth TV' and who sashayed from New York Fashion Week to Miami nightclubs in his previous appearance on HBO's Da Ali G Show, on which Baron Cohen also first introduced Borat to American audiences."

Is "spending on the arts" a new campaign-speak euphemism for being gay?

UK mom served with noise abatement order for blasting Madonna tunes.

George Stephanopoulos talks Rush Limbaugh and stem cell research with Michael J. Fox: "You know, it's amazing to — I can't stress enough. I don't want to react personally to these attacks. It's pointless. It's silly. It's like getting in a fight with a bully. What's the point? You're not going to change his mind. You're just probably going to get a nosebleed. So, you know, why bother? But make no mistake, it hurts. And it hurt when — it hurt — it hurt to see the president use the one veto of his administration to strike down this legislation."

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Weekend Flicks: Talladega Nights, Night Listener, Quinceañera

In addition to the Armistead Maupin thriller The Night Listener, and Sundance winner Quinceañera, both of which are on my list, Talladega Nights opens this weekend. Though it's far more mainstream than Night Listener or Quinceañera, AfterElton says Sacha Baron-Cohen's sympathetic and hilarious portrayal of Jean Girard, a gay Nascar Rival to Will Ferrell's Ricky Bobby, may surprise you:

"The filmmakers satirize the conservative stereotype of the 'gay elite' by including shots of Jean (who is sponsored by Perrier) sipping a macchiato, listening to classical music, and reading Camus's L'Etranger all while driving in a race...But Girard is never treated to gay slurs or anti-gay violence in the film, and his is the life of sophistication and wealth that is envied by the other characters. Ricky's eventual fall from grace does come at the hands of Jean Girard, but the Frenchman also plays a pivotal role in Ricky's triumphant return.

Girard never positions himself as "other" in comparison to the heterosexual characters, and, if anything, considers himself their superior. Girard isn't de-sexualized either, making obvious references to his sexuality and more than one pass at Ricky (who rejects the advances without incident or homophobia). In fact, the shocking end-sequence of the film is centered squarely on Girard's gayness in an extremely positive--and extremely funny--way."

Looks like a pretty interesting weekend at the movies for the beginning of August...

Gay Driver Laps Stereotypes in Talladega Nights [afterelton]
‘Quinceañera’: Turning Sweet 15 in Los Angeles’s Immigrant Stew [nyt]
A Long-Distance Friendship, and Then It Gets Strange, in 'The Night Listener' [nyt]

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