Proving beyond a doubt that even really bad publicity is good publicity, the previously little-known nation of Kazakhstan is now eternally grateful that nasty ol' Borat said such horrible things about it.

Two years on from the 2006 hit movie "Borat: Cultural Learnings Of America For Make Benefit Glorious Nation Of Kazakhstan," tourism projects have taken off, with three huge resorts still going strong despite the global economic crisis. In just the last six months, the number of tourists braving a trip into Kazakhstan has increased by 13 percent.

And while Borat might've portrayed Kazakhstan as a poor country to the American market, the Kazakhs themselves have their own ideas of who they should insult. A deputy chairman in the tourist ministry recently said the "Borat" film "was made in Romania--it's a very poor country." There’s nothing like passing the buck.

Related Stories:
· Blundering Borat Boosted Tourism [AFP, via Google]
· Borat Begets Kazakhstan Tourism Boom [Jaunted]
· Kazakhstan Travel coverage [Jaunted]

[Photo: sssteve.o] ]]> amandak 2008-11-13T09:00:14-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2008/11/5/214814/435

He's baaaaack! Sacha Baron Cohen's character Bruno took advantage of pre-election frenzy this weekend in California and attempted to crash a "Yes on Prop 8" rally in Los Angeles. The actor, who notably played a Kazakh the last time he was ambushing Americans, was in deep cover as gay Austrian fashionista Bruno until, when recognized, he and his camera crew tried to sneak away without being caught.

Bruno's exploits aren't quite as funny in light of the results in from the Proposition 8 vote, which according to current returns demonstrates that the electorate has passed the ban. This would mean that celebs like Ellen DeGeneras and Portia de Rossi, who married in May after the California Supreme Court struck down an earlier marriage-related proposition, would see their new unions invalidated--possibly within the year.

But with some 4 million provisional and absentee ballots yet to be counted, opponents of Prop 8 are still holding out hope.

Related Stories:
· Sacha Baron Cohen Crashes Anti-Gay Rally [Celebitchy]
· Gullible's Travels [Jaunted]
· Celeb Travel coverage [Jaunted]

[Photo: Faded Youth Blog]]]> egw 2008-11-06T08:45:08-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2008/9/11/75247/7217

When comedian Sacha Baron Cohen's "Borat" exposed the foibles of Americans everywhere, a few people weren't laughing, triggering a wave of lawsuits from people who participated in the film and didn't know they were being mocked. Well, guess what, suckers! You signed the release!

New York judge Loretta Preska, Jaunted hero, threw out lawsuits from the film's eternally patient driving instructor (above) and unnaturally sweet etiquette coaches, citing the agreements they signed to appear in the film.

It's perfect timing for Baron Cohen as he completes shooting on his next "character" film, next year's "Bruno" in which he plays a gay Austrian fashionista. Humor teacher, drunk frat boys and Pam Anderson beware!

Related Stories:
· Movie Ambush Travel: Bruno Is The New Borat In Kansas [Jaunted]
· Sacha Baron Cohen Caught Relaxing At Airport [Jaunted]
· Celeb Travel coverage [Jaunted]

[Photo: Evil Beet Gossip]]]> egw 2008-09-11T09:15:26-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2008/7/7/21221/26407

Wherever there is a publicity-hungry expert, Bruno is there! Comedian Sacha Baron Cohen wreaked havoc earlier this year at a Kansas airport in character as a gay Austrian fashionista, his follow-up to Borat. Recently, an Israeli defense expert was taken in by the comedian's wiles.

Yossi Alpher thought he was conducting an interview on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Instead, he was interrogated about the terrorist potential of hummus and Brad Pitt's love life. Apparently someone hasn't been to the movies recently!

What we want to know is whether this movie--allegedly titled "Delicious Journeys Through America for the Purpose of Making Heterosexual Males Visibly Uncomfortable in the Presence of a Gay Foreigner in a Mesh T-Shirt"--do for tourism in Austria what "Borat" did for Kazakhstan?

Related Stories:
· Bruno Is the New Borat in Kansas [Jaunted]
· Sacha Baron Cohen Goes Back To Pranks [ICYDK]
· Celeb Travel coverage [Jaunted]

[Photo: filmonic.com]]]> egw 2008-07-08T08:45:13-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2008/3/30/234536/927

Despite Sacha Baron Cohen's best efforts, news of the filming of his new movie has leaked to the press, er, us. It was common knowledge the Golden Globe winner was going to follow up his sleeper hit "Borat: Cultural Benefits of American To Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan" with a film based on his gay Austrian stylist character Bruno, but apparently Bruno has been spotted in Kansas... without pants.

Cohen had permits for a shoot in the Wichita, Kansas airport, but he probably didn't have license to strip and attempt to kiss random passengers there.

Thank goodness a passerby thought to film the mayhem. Who are these people who have never heard of Cohen or any of his characters? Apparently Ben Affleck was also fooled into being interviewed by Bruno. Oh, we love this country.

Related Stories:
· Wellington Hotel Talks Borat [HotelChatter]
· Borat Begets Kazakhstan Tourism Boom [Jaunted]
· Celeb Travel coverage [Jaunted]]]> egw 2008-03-31T09:03:57-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2007/9/4/22541/02568

Traveling like a celebrity can be hard work, especially when you have to stop to say Jagshemash to all your fans along the way. The comedian Sacha Baron Cohen, who instigated a nationwide rise in lawsuits last year as the Kazakh reporter Borat, was recently spotted relaxing with a chair massage at Vancouver International Airport. He no longer sports the bushy mustache of his alter ego, but fans spotted him anyway, according to the New York Daily News.

Of course, if Baron Cohen was handling his own luggage--as he is in the above photo, accompanied by actress-fiancee Isla Fisher--maybe he deserved that massage.

Related Stories:
· Vancouver International Airport [Official Site]
· Gatecrasher [NYDN]

[Photo: DailyStab]]]> egw 2007-09-05T08:45:01-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2007/6/13/19612/2492

Here's one guidebook we don't recommend using: that roving Kazakh reporter Borat (or rather his creator, Sasha Baron Cohen) has finally signed a deal with Flying Dolphin Press to publish a travel book. It's going to be split into two halves: "Borat: Touristic Guidings to Minor Nation of U.S. and A." and "Borat: Touristic Guidings to Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan."

There's only one quote floating around the internet from the publisher, Suzanne Herz:

There is one and only Borat and we are honored to have him join our pantheon of international writers.

Uh...Suzanne? We were expecting you'd say something a little more...funny. Not something that makes Borat sound like...mmm...Salman Rushdie. Unless you're being sarcastic. We hope you're being sarcastic. You know this man's shtick, right?

Actually, we hope you don't. And we look forward to the photo of you and Borat bungee jumping naked on the inside cover.

[Photo: the_defiance]

Related Stories:
· `Kazakh' Reporter to Pen Book of Travel Advice [CNN]
· Borat [Jaunted] ]]> dasubermeg 2007-06-14T12:39:20-05:00 Search Jaunted string http://www.jaunted.com/search/