Borat shocks with $26.4 million opening
That is how the Wall Street Journal announced yesterday’s improbable win in the race to the top of the US Box Office. The figure corresponds to last Friday, Saturday and Sunday and represents a $6.4 million lead versus the second place (The Santa Clause 3: The Escape Clause).
We consider this a semiotic triumph in its own right. Borat's existence is composed of the most open stereotypes, he does not have to lose time explaining himself because he already exists in the collective mind brought to you by the same people that created the European police car (small, noisy, slow, white, annoying, ineffective, vintage).
Because he already exists in our minds he can focus on the joke, which is carefully designed to uncover stereotypes, prejudices, fakeness, as well as honest misconceptions. Borat represents real serious parody; he makes us laugh to tears in the most literal sense possible.
Comments
I could not agree more with your comment on Borat "laughing us to tears..." I finally saw it this weekend. Probably cackled the loudest in the theatre, but when the credits rolled en fin, I resisted tears. Barely. I hope lots of people understand the parody, and don't relegate it to an accented Jackass.
Posted by: Elisa | November 20, 2006 05:07 PM