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Originally Posted by tw
Can Kazakhstan declare a fatwah on Borat and put him in hiding like Salman Rushdie?
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That is the core of the problem. Kaz has no voice in our media, aside from their clumsy government. The comedian playing Borat is, as we chat here, creating the picture of Kstan that will inadvertantly be the dominant media view. KStanis do not have a media savy voice to explain who they are to the dominant culture. Borat represents the dominant culture. He is saying it is unacceptable in Western society to be a misogynistic anti-semite. Groovy. His profound popularity has made his the dominant voice in defining what Kstan is to the English speaking world. Not groovy. In short, his transition from small-time comedian to major media force has caused him to become what he decries, someone whose voice defines a group of people. Back and forth discussion in media is important in developing understanding between cultures, but this is a one way conversation. I'm not calling for any anti-free speech movement here, I just want folks to consider that bumpkins can be unfairly labeled and not everybody knows a bunch of folks from Kstan to balance their view.