"Brüno" star Sacha Baron Cohen has made millions at the box office by angering unsuspecting victims with his human chameleon talents. Now, for the second time, his antics have drawn the ire of the Ukrainian government. Cohen has survived altercations with presidential candidate Ron Paul, hip hop superstar Eminem, and even Donald Trump, but his latest film has now been shown the door with a country-wide ban in the former Soviet state.
Ukraine's culture ministry objected to Cohen's "artistically unjustified exhibition of sexual organs and sexual relations, homosexual acts in a blatantly graphic form, obscene language, sadism, anti-social behavior which could damage the moral upbringing of our citizens," according to Reuters.
The same fate befell the actor's last film, "Borat," which contained many of the same types of acts described by the ministry in its harshly-worded critique.
"Brüno" contains a great deal more nudity and focuses even more on sexual attitudes than its predecessor. Homosexuality is a component in almost every scene, even as Cohen uses the real-world reactions he captures to critique attitudes toward it in the entertainment and fashion industries.
Ukraine unfortunately does not appear to be amused by or interested in Cohen's strategies for engaging his audience. I suppose I can understand, since those tactics include highly inflammatory racial remarks and random acts of indecent exposure.
Do you think "Brüno" is worthy of a ban in Ukraine? What do you think of the country's decision to keep the movie out of their country? Share your reactions in the comment section below.
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