Sacha Baron Cohen’s Borat 2 won the Golden Globe for Best Motion Picture – musical or comedy. In his acceptance speech the 49-year-old comedian did what he does best – made a few biting jokes.
At first Cohen took a swipe at Donald Trump saying the former president will contest his victory, a reference to the Republican’s attempts to challenge the results of the 2020 presidential election, which he lost to Democrat Joe Biden.
"He's claiming that a lot of dead people voted, which is a very rude thing to say about the HFPA [Hollywood Foreign Press Association]," Baron Cohen quipped.
The comedian then had a dig at Trump’s ally and lawyer Rudy Giuliani.
"I've gotta say this movie wouldn't have been possible without my co-star - a fresh new talent who came from nowhere and turned out to be a comedy genius. I'm talking of course about Rudy Giuliani. I mean, who could get more laughs out of one unzipping? Our movie was just the beginning for him. Rudy went on to star in a string of comedy films: hits like Four Seasons Landscaping, Hair Dye Another Day, and the courtroom drama A Very Public Fart", he said.
The remark about unzipping refers to a scene in Cohen’s film: Giuliani was interviewed by Borat's daughter Tutar Sagdiyeva. Throughout the interview Borat's daughter, played by actress Maria Bakalova, touches Giuliani's hand and at some point puts her hand on his knee. When the fake interview ends Tutar invites Giuliani for a drink "in the bedroom". She then helps Giuliani to remove his microphone and the lawyer then lays on the bed and seemingly puts his hand inside his pants.
good thing im not Borat..i would have let this continue till you were in ruins and a jail cell. pic.twitter.com/uOoxr2msWp
— Sir Spamalot (@DavidHojnowski3) January 12, 2021
Giuliani’s behavior in the scene raised a lot of questions though the lawyer himself maintains he did nothing wrong and was simply tucking in his shirt.
Cohen also thanked his crew for taking risks while making the mockumentary, and this time he spoke in earnest. The comedian revealed that those involved in the filming process had risked getting arrested or contracting COVID-19.
"They did that because we all believed so deeply in releasing this movie before the election to show the danger of lies, hate, conspiracies, and the power of truth, empathy and democracy," Cohen said.
In the Borat sequel, Cohen reprises his role of a Kazakh journalist Borat Sagdiyev, who travels throughout the United States interviewing real people and getting into funny and uncomfortable situations.
The actor revealed that he made the movie because of Donald Trump as he felt "democracy was really in danger".
Cohen also received a Golden Globe for Best Actor in a Motion Picture – musical or comedy. Accepting the award he thanked his bodyguard, who saved his life during the making of the movie.
"Most thanks of all to my bodyguard who stopped me getting shot twice. You know who you are, and you know I'm not allowed to say your name, but thank you," he said.
