This mockumentary series is very informative if you're not a US citizen. At first you won't believe what you're witnessing, idk how he pulls this off. Who Is America? will ruin all talk/news satire programmes for you.
133 Reviews
He does it again
jtkirk16115 July 2018
Hardcore Comedy Meets Activism
jtitus-198-11693122 August 2018
Wow... This show is absolutely off the chain - and disturbingly eye-opening! Sasha Baron Cohen disguises himself into five (5) ideologically different personas to essentially perform an experiment on what is claimed as "American Patriotism"! Sure, sounds overly derivative, but his take is hilariously intriguing! #DoEnjoy
Cohen deserves 10 stars just for keeping a straight face
foxcool23 July 2018
I really don't know how anyone can keep up the act when someone had their pants down yelling "usa!!! 'merica" while coming towards you butt first. This is absolute genius! I was laughing so hard my stomach hurts lol.
Imagine if there were no cameras
frank-340-83183016 July 2018
To truly enjoy you have to appreciate what he is doing, and that this is mostly unscripted and he is ridiculing so much of society.
Cohens ability to get people to believe him is fantastic. Whil many of us may have ideas for pranks most of us would be unable to stay in character and think on our feet without laughing as people seriously believe what is being said.
There was moments with each "victim" where I thought they might lose it and I was impressed by many at their courtesy despite what Cohen was saying - for that reason I wonder what was said either when the cameras stopped, or even after he left.
The extremes of society, left and right, are often so worthy of ridicule - and I am sure we will see many of them not get it, or get offended by it. Lets hope some people might even learn from this.
Brilliant. Off to rewatch the original Ali G
THIS IS NOT TV- THIS IS ACTIVISM
nfl-223 July 2018
What he has done in two episodes is more than John Oliver may have done in his first two seasons- and John was a game changer. Cohen's ability to expose the most tone-deaf aspects of people is pitch-perfect. Careers- political careers in particular- will change from this... they already have.
Die hard republican who finds this hilarious
milamj0917 July 2018
10 out of 10
jericw1617 July 2018
Only one episode so far, but from start to finish, it was a blast! My favourite character would have to be Erran (which is like Borat but is an anti terror expert so ya, lmao). Watch it , you won't be disappointed. Unless you're someone like the people in here giving it 1 star, then too bad for you, and I hope you can heal from the brainwashing.
Yes. Just yes
ericgehler15 July 2018
A Genius & Sociopolitical Game Changer
summervanderhart24 July 2018
Sasha Baron Cohen's work is remarkable, I always praised the genius of Borat, but never thought he could deliver it at such high stakes, cleverly manipulating the heads of state and to do the unthinkable while keeping a straight face through it all. This goes down as one of the best works in history.
Perfection
summervanderhart24 July 2018
Sacha is a comedic genius
klintmcintire9 August 2018
Sacha Baron Cohen has cemented himself as a legend with his latest show. Never has there been an entertainer with such a unique ability to goad those he interviews into revealing their demented nature. My one issue with Who is America would be that 90% of his efforts go in to messing with conservatives on the far right. I think there's plenty of fun to be had with ultraliberals as well. This show is clearly catered to those who abhor Trump, so I can understand the formula. As a political moderate, I just wish he'd go after EVERYONE
Kudos
venuslocal-2763323 July 2018
It seems that every few years we're treated to a cheeky and outrageous, but hilarious, cinematic masterpiece by Sacha Baron Cohen.
This time around it's in the form of Who Is America.
Cohen has no doubt spent considerable time perfecting his characters. Cohen's ability to think on hiis feet AS and IN character is superb - much like Robin Williams was able to do (RIP).
Who Is America gets a thumbs up from me.
This time around it's in the form of Who Is America.
Cohen has no doubt spent considerable time perfecting his characters. Cohen's ability to think on hiis feet AS and IN character is superb - much like Robin Williams was able to do (RIP).
Who Is America gets a thumbs up from me.
Just what a divided country needs!
cclanai16 July 2018
Sacha Baron Cohen gets both sides of our country to say ridiculous things. I never thought he would be able to go unrecognizable again. Kudos to his makeup department! Love this show, looking forward to more! Hilarious and relevant.
Hilarious
RussHog27 August 2018
Very glad to see Sasha Baron Coen back. Some of these skits are extremely funny. The one where the PC guy quotes Will Smith to a famous rap artist as a way to be culturally sensitive is so funny. Also the one where the silly head talks to Sherif Joe Arpaio - WTF? I miss the classic characters but this was a special show.
The satire continues with the low ball reviews here
chrisafhaines25 July 2018
Bernie gets it. The ex ABC news anchor gets it. These are the slow burners. The antidote to the rest of interview targets in episode 1 and 2.
The others get absolutely nailed by the brilliant Sasha. A whole heap of planning must go into these set-up's but the ludicrous subject matter just gets these interviewees so excited. It seems increadulous. The blinkers are on and the gloves are off.
Satire is not about laugh out loud funny. This is an indictment of a part of America that cannot help themselves.
Be smart. Be like Bernie.
The others get absolutely nailed by the brilliant Sasha. A whole heap of planning must go into these set-up's but the ludicrous subject matter just gets these interviewees so excited. It seems increadulous. The blinkers are on and the gloves are off.
Satire is not about laugh out loud funny. This is an indictment of a part of America that cannot help themselves.
Be smart. Be like Bernie.
Shows the reality of the GOP
paralyzeduber25 July 2018
This is the funniest thing on the internet!
eugorx3 September 2019
Hit and miss
joey_k-7406013 April 2021
Audacious Comedy at the right time
davidmccrank-8556017 July 2018
Sasha Baron Cohen is at it again! Hilarious, audacious and shocking, this series is here at just the right time in America's history.
What he brings out in his subjects is brilliant, it really blows my mind what some Americans believe in, no wonder so many are pissed at him for exposing their views. Good. They need to look at themselves a bit more closely, and Cohen definitely achieves this.
Brilliant and Hilarious
Hilarious, brilliantly executed, and extremely biased.
nickschweiss7 August 2018
Warning: Spoilers
Cohen appeases our longing desires to have him once again return in ridiculous disguises and mess with people, all while staying in character through even the most ridiculous and cringey moments. This time it's through his hit new Showtime series "Who is America?"
Cohen has definitely gone off the chains master-crafting some of his most brilliant personas to date, such as a moronic Southern conspiracy theorist who can't do simple addition while interviewing Bernie Sanders. If the interviews themselves cease to entertain you, Cohen's ability to ad-lib in character will be more than enough. For those of you who've also been yearning for the return Cohen's classic shock-value, you'll also definitely be delighted to see it's return; whether it's him disguising himself as a disabled vet to manipulate Sarah Palin or getting several former or currently elected Republican officials to voice support for a program that would arm toddlers with weapons. It is paradigm television for those who've been quoting "Borat" for the past decade.
However, despite a brief monologue in "The Dictator", this is Cohen's debut to satirizing current social problems, politics, politicians, and figures that presently effect our society. Unfortunately, Cohen makes zero effort to stray away from only manipulating, shaming, and embarrassing anyone but Republicans. From having Senator Arpaio, a controversial Republican who still asserts that Obama's birth certificate is forged, to unwittingly agree to receiving a "golden shower", to manipulating Georgia Republican Representative Jason Spencer into screaming the N-word; it's apparent that Cohen has an agenda to humiliate the Republican party. This is corroborated by the episodes that have already aired on top of verified officials set to appear such as Palin and David Patraeus, who was Trump's first pick for Secratary of State. On top of that, the Bernie Sanders interview with Cohen disguised as Ruddick was particularly uneventful and blatantly fluff in contrast to the repeatedly over-the-op pranks pulled on Republican officials.
After only four episodes, it seems to me that the Cohen has already answered the question asked in the title: "Not the Republicans." I would've liked to see Cohen explore and reveal the twisted values and ideological fallacies of many politicians, both Republican and Democratic, and unfortunately was met with what seems to be playing out as a partisan diatribe. Personally I do believe that this was some decision-making by perhaps producers of the show, who probably deemed that exposing unfavorable characteristics of politicans of all kinds would simply be too complex in comparison to just exposing people we can simply slap a label on. Or perhaps Cohen feels this negatively about the Republican party. Who knows? As a result, I give "Who is America?" a 6.5 (rounded to 7) due to it's brilliant execution, Cohen's unrelenting bravery and acting skills but also due to it's failure to truly embrace what I thought would be a more intriguimg theme.
Cohen has definitely gone off the chains master-crafting some of his most brilliant personas to date, such as a moronic Southern conspiracy theorist who can't do simple addition while interviewing Bernie Sanders. If the interviews themselves cease to entertain you, Cohen's ability to ad-lib in character will be more than enough. For those of you who've also been yearning for the return Cohen's classic shock-value, you'll also definitely be delighted to see it's return; whether it's him disguising himself as a disabled vet to manipulate Sarah Palin or getting several former or currently elected Republican officials to voice support for a program that would arm toddlers with weapons. It is paradigm television for those who've been quoting "Borat" for the past decade.
However, despite a brief monologue in "The Dictator", this is Cohen's debut to satirizing current social problems, politics, politicians, and figures that presently effect our society. Unfortunately, Cohen makes zero effort to stray away from only manipulating, shaming, and embarrassing anyone but Republicans. From having Senator Arpaio, a controversial Republican who still asserts that Obama's birth certificate is forged, to unwittingly agree to receiving a "golden shower", to manipulating Georgia Republican Representative Jason Spencer into screaming the N-word; it's apparent that Cohen has an agenda to humiliate the Republican party. This is corroborated by the episodes that have already aired on top of verified officials set to appear such as Palin and David Patraeus, who was Trump's first pick for Secratary of State. On top of that, the Bernie Sanders interview with Cohen disguised as Ruddick was particularly uneventful and blatantly fluff in contrast to the repeatedly over-the-op pranks pulled on Republican officials.
After only four episodes, it seems to me that the Cohen has already answered the question asked in the title: "Not the Republicans." I would've liked to see Cohen explore and reveal the twisted values and ideological fallacies of many politicians, both Republican and Democratic, and unfortunately was met with what seems to be playing out as a partisan diatribe. Personally I do believe that this was some decision-making by perhaps producers of the show, who probably deemed that exposing unfavorable characteristics of politicans of all kinds would simply be too complex in comparison to just exposing people we can simply slap a label on. Or perhaps Cohen feels this negatively about the Republican party. Who knows? As a result, I give "Who is America?" a 6.5 (rounded to 7) due to it's brilliant execution, Cohen's unrelenting bravery and acting skills but also due to it's failure to truly embrace what I thought would be a more intriguimg theme.
HOW CAN I MAKE PEOPLE LOOK STUPID?
kirbylee70-599-52617911 February 2019
Warning: Spoilers
I've never been a huge fan of Sacha Baron Cohen. I thought the hype around BORAT was undeserved and everything else he's done feature wise hasn't achieved even the minor success that that film did. And yet he still has enough followers that studios continue to give him money to make more movies and shows like this one.
Airing on Showtime the first season is now available on disc. I'd heard all the hype on this one much like BORAT and tried to go in with an open mind. That the press had cheered and danced around the fire at sequences where he made fun of conservatives made me think the show would be yet another of those singing to the choir type shows I still tried to approach it with an open mind. In the end, while there were scattered funny moments, I didn't find the show hilarious or thought provoking.
The plot to the series is to take Cohen and put him in makeup as various characters and then have him confront real live Americans of different persuasions as these extreme characters and see their responses. Of these characters the one most often used was Erran Morad, an Israeli anti-terrorism expert and ex-Mossad agent who cites his credentials to those he talks to. It was using this character that got the most attention when he is talking counter-terrorist measures with a state representative from Georgia and tells him to drop his pants and push his buttocks up against a terrorist if attacked. I'm sorry but I honestly can't believe anyone would be so stupid as to do this.
And that's what makes me suspicious of the show. No matter which party or political persuasion those being interviewed come from I don't think anyone would actually fall for the positions they're placed in on this show. The show depends on the belief that all of this is real and not scripted but I can't wrap me head around that actually being the case for the most part.
In addition to that the "comedy" of the show is mean spirited as well. The goal of Cohen here is to make people look as stupid as he possibly can. That's not showing who America is, that's showing who he thinks they are and can manipulate to prove his point. It's a reality show with no reality to it.
I have no doubt that the show will find fans to support it and as of now I read that a second season is coming. One would think that with the first season out there most people would question anyone who approaches them for an interview or to discuss topics one on one on camera. But then again politicians love to find themselves in front of a camera and my guess is some will do so even if it means making themselves look stupid, even if scripted. They think it makes them look human. Instead it just make them look like they want attention.
For fans of Cohen you will love this. For everyone else it is hit and miss.
Airing on Showtime the first season is now available on disc. I'd heard all the hype on this one much like BORAT and tried to go in with an open mind. That the press had cheered and danced around the fire at sequences where he made fun of conservatives made me think the show would be yet another of those singing to the choir type shows I still tried to approach it with an open mind. In the end, while there were scattered funny moments, I didn't find the show hilarious or thought provoking.
The plot to the series is to take Cohen and put him in makeup as various characters and then have him confront real live Americans of different persuasions as these extreme characters and see their responses. Of these characters the one most often used was Erran Morad, an Israeli anti-terrorism expert and ex-Mossad agent who cites his credentials to those he talks to. It was using this character that got the most attention when he is talking counter-terrorist measures with a state representative from Georgia and tells him to drop his pants and push his buttocks up against a terrorist if attacked. I'm sorry but I honestly can't believe anyone would be so stupid as to do this.
And that's what makes me suspicious of the show. No matter which party or political persuasion those being interviewed come from I don't think anyone would actually fall for the positions they're placed in on this show. The show depends on the belief that all of this is real and not scripted but I can't wrap me head around that actually being the case for the most part.
In addition to that the "comedy" of the show is mean spirited as well. The goal of Cohen here is to make people look as stupid as he possibly can. That's not showing who America is, that's showing who he thinks they are and can manipulate to prove his point. It's a reality show with no reality to it.
I have no doubt that the show will find fans to support it and as of now I read that a second season is coming. One would think that with the first season out there most people would question anyone who approaches them for an interview or to discuss topics one on one on camera. But then again politicians love to find themselves in front of a camera and my guess is some will do so even if it means making themselves look stupid, even if scripted. They think it makes them look human. Instead it just make them look like they want attention.
For fans of Cohen you will love this. For everyone else it is hit and miss.
See also
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