Comedy is never black and white. It’s the gray area that generates laughter. Different people laugh at different things. That’s the magic of the art of comedy. Sacha Baron Cohen’s “Bruno” was neither magic, art, or comedy. It was a tragic, fart comedy. Before scribbling out my reasons why I disliked “Bruno”, let me devote a small paragraph to the elements I thought were good about the movie.
Cohen is a really good, committed actor.
“Bruno” is a contemporary minstrel show. Silly, stereotypically gay vingnettes are strung together like a kindergartener’s macaroni project – minus the thought or care for it’s audience. The concept is to interact with unsuspecting interviewees who are under the assumption that Bruno is a real person. The joke of the scenes are in the reaction. The character of Bruno overshadows any possible irony. When the joke of the scene easily becomes “hey, look at this stupid gay guy”, then Cohen’s true intentions for his comedy become unclear and irresponsible in this political climate.
A good example of how this concept works is in a scene with Congressman Ron Paul. Armed with hidden cameras, scented candles, and purple bikini briefs, Bruno tries to seduce him in a hotel room while they are waiting for the crew to set up the actual interview. Ron Paul’s silent reaction and eventual blow up is quite amazing. Many other bits are just that – bits. Bits of fractured reality caving in to a pit of cringeworthy fabrication. At one point, Bruno hires Mexican workers to be furniture for his victims. Paula Abdul accepts the invitation and sits on a wincing old man, but then quits the interview when a nude gentleman displaying cuts of sushi is wheeled out on a table for Paula’s catering needs. Paula is not on THAT many drugs to have thought this was real.
Whether it’s a busty dominatrix crudely edited into a scene or a horrible sidekick subplot, mixing the artificial elements with the real (and sadly, fewer) only works against the claim of social satire by further blurring the line of what we’re supposed to be laughing at. “Cohen’s well-meaning attempt at satire is problematic in many places and outright offensive in others,” Rashad Robinson, senior director of media programs for GLAAD told the New York Times. “Some gay advocates are worried that Cohen could reinforce negative stereotypes about homosexuals”.
If the height of summer comedy involves talking dicks and bratwurst jokes, then Bruno will thrill you. You might even think it’s “brilliant” as a few of my friends have described it. But, when a straight comedian puts on gayface in the name of social satire, I desire more than pratfalls and umlauts. That is not to say a gay comedian would get away with it, but they would have trouble getting their picture greenlit. It’s much more acceptable to watch straight guys act like gay guys rather than gay guys act like gay guys.
Go see ‘Up’ again. It’s beautiful and actually brilliant.
