‘Who Is America?’ Premiere Review
Synopsis: Sacha Baron Cohen offers his caustic take on contemporary American patriotism.
Directors: Sacha Baron Cohen, Payman Benz, Daniel Gray Longino, Dan Mazer, Todd Schulman
Writers: Sacha Baron Cohen (created by, written by), Anthony Hines, Dan Swimer, Dan Mazer, Lee Kern, Adam Lowitt, Brian Reich, Kurt Metzger, Eric Notarnicola, Aaron Geary
Cast: Sacha Baron Cohen
‘Episode One’ Air Date: 16 July 2018
Who Is America? is currently available to stream on Stan in Australia, with new episodes every Sunday.
In all honesty, I can’t remember the last time a show put me through as many emotions as Sacha Baron Cohen’s new series, Who Is America? I started the seven-part premiere laughing hard; mid-episode I was watching through my fingers; by the end I wasn’t sure whether to keep laughing or scream at my TV. Maybe that’s the point.
If you’ve been wondering where Cohen has been the past couple of years — Who Is America? is the answer. Since Donald Trump’s presidency began, Cohen has been criss-crossing the U.S. with at least five new personas (four appear here; another in promos) to dupe and interview the unsuspecting — primarily senators, congresspeople, and political figures. This is the guerrilla comedy he’s known for, but unlike The Ali G Show (and the spin-off films), Who Is America? is darker, more targeted, and far more pointed.
In the two weeks leading up to release you probably saw names like Sarah Palin and Roy Moore blasting the series — unintentionally giving it great free promotion. The bigger question is: how did he fool them? After all, Sacha Baron Cohen (or at least Borat) has been a household name since 2006. The answer is: he still can.
Cohen disappears into his characters — a gun-toting Israeli “expert,” a reformed ex-con artist, an unhinged right-winger and a performative left-winger — aided by heavy makeup and prosthetics. But it isn’t just the disguise work or the acting. It’s the current climate. Many guests will take any interview to push an agenda and do minimal research into the fake outlets and titles Cohen’s team presents. It makes for jaw-dropping television — and a depressing civics lesson.
Is this Cohen’s funniest show? No — it isn’t The Ali G Show — but it’s aiming for more. The finale segment is more shocking than funny, which feels intentional. By comparison the middle piece, with an ex-con trying to sell “unique” art, lands as an amusing rerun of terrain Cohen’s covered before and feels slightly out of place here.
Who Is America? has shock value to spare, and it’s earned. After you watch the premiere (and you should), ask yourself this: what’s cruder — the faeces, or the guns?
Who Is America? is shaping up to be a wild ride. I can’t believe what Cohen pulls off in episode one: it’s hilarious, horrifying, and needs no voice-over hand-holding — the segments speak for themselves. The closer (the episode’s clear standout) is nothing short of insane. I can’t wait to see how the next six play out — both on screen and in the media reaction. Welcome back, Sacha. You were missed.
