Make Glorious Publicity

[question everything]

The Wall Street Journal

Make Glorious Publicity
December 4, 2006; Page A16

Kazakhs are laughing together with Borat -- all the way to the bank.

(snip)

Then came the hit movie, "Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan," starring the "Kazakh" on a grand U.S. tour. Its success fast proved the truth of that old saw, in the words last week of President Nursultan Nazarbayev, "that any publicity is good publicity." Or, updated for today, a ride on a popular culture wave is worth almost any price.

Even with its Caspian oil riches, Kazakhstan couldn't buy this sort of global exposure. As the film took off, earnest op-eds questioned the anti-Semitism and other mores embraced by Borat in Kazakhstan's name. (The country is in fact a pretty tolerant place.) Cable TV travel shows sent reporters to the country's beautiful mountains and came back touting an unspoiled holiday destination. Hotel.com reports a post-Borat 300% spike in searches for accommodation in the country. The New York Times Style section wrote up a Kazakh fashionista's visit to the Big Apple, noting that the country's "once sleepy second city, Almaty, has become a designer mecca." Naturally.

Kazakh novelist Sapabek Asip-uly thinks his country owes Mr. Baron Cohen a big thank you for "spark an immense interest of the whole world in Kazakhstan." In a letter published in a local newspaper, and picked up globally, he called on the Kazakh Club of Art Patrons to give its top annual award to Borat's creator. President Nazarbayev personally invited the comic for a visit.

(snip)

URL for this article:
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB116518899246839502.html (subscription)

[tomreedtoon]

1. Is a necktie party being held in his honor?

Does anyone seriously believe that Kazakhistan's national airline will put on TV commercials using the theme music "Throw The Jew Down The Well?" This is just spin. If that comic tries anything like this again he'll find out how happy the Kazik's will be, when he's the only one dancing at his necktie party.