Cohen is acting; they are real. It is easy to forget that although reduced to subculture stereotypes, these are individuals whose trust Cohen is taking advantage of. Their lamentable and often distasteful sentiments and prejudices should not divert us from recognizing that they have been "entrapped."
- Richhallucinations, Playing "Find the Bigot" with Borat, Slate Magazine.
Some truths about me: I've never been able to sit through an entire episode of Da Ali G Show. I've seen lots of episodes of Punk'd but I rarely laugh. I generally skip the fake interview segments on The Daily Show and the real (but in character) interview segments on The Colbert Report. I don't get the "shock comedy" (or pretty much anything) in Jackass. I've never found candid camera shows very funny and I'm highly uncomfortable when comedic situations are portrayed in "the real world" where participants in the comedy aren't in on the joke.
I love challenging comedy. I'd just rather it not be willfully mean-spirited.