Rabbi Grossman and some of our respondents worry that the character of Borat will be taken as anti-Kazakh, which in turn triggers a mind-numbing satiric chain to untangle: a Jew mocking Kazakhs mocking Jews…

In fact, one of the most salient aspects of Baron Cohen’s performance is that he rarely gives an interview out of character, appearing in the media as Borat to the point that he routinely refuses to grant interviews to female and Jewish interviewers. (Apparently he’s willing to make an exception for Jon Stewart–even Borat’s not that dumb.)

Pushing his persona one step further heightens the absurdities of identity politics that Baron Cohen is looking to highlight. As Ali G would say, “Is it because I is black?”