Actor and comedian Sacha Baron Cohen has made a career out of donning costumes and convincing unwitting guests — often celebrities — that he is an eccentric or bizarre alter ego.
After a string of films and a television series following a similar format, People magazine reports that his latest project has been in the works for a year and promises to reveal embarrassing conversations with multiple high-profile Americans.
Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin confirmed in a recent social media post that she was one of the subjects “duped” by Cohen’s new series, “Who Is America?”
“Ya’ got me, Sacha,” the 2008 Republican vice-presidential nominee wrote. “Feel better now?”
She went on to describe Cohen’s brand of humor as “evil, exploitative (and) sick,” noting that she became the latest in a “long list of American public personalities” who have fallen for his elaborate ruses.
“For my interview, my daughter and I were asked to travel across the country where Cohen (I presume) had heavily disguised himself as a disabled US Veteran, fake wheelchair and all,” Palin wrote.
She said she remained seated for an extended period of time out of “respect,” despite what she called “Hollywoodism’s disrespect and sarcasm” showing up frequently during the lengthy interview.
“The disrespect of our US military and middle-class Americans via Cohen’s foreign commentaries under the guise of interview questions was perverse,” she wrote.
Though she predicted the resulting footage would be “heavily edited” in an attempt to “humiliate” her, Palin challenged “Cohen, CBS and Showtime” to broadcast the interview but donate its proceeds to a charity benefiting American veterans.
“Mock politicians and innocent public personalities all you want, if that lets you sleep at night, but HOW DARE YOU mock those who have fought and served our country,” she wrote.
Palin further alleged that the show’s production team “purposefully” drove her and her daughter to the wrong airport and caused them to miss their flight back home.
She concluded by writing that her daughter thinks Cohen is “a piece of ****” and suggesting that every “honorable American vet should feel the same.”
Representatives for Cohen and Showtime did not immediately respond to People’s request for comment.
According to The Hill, though, other public figures are starting to sound the alarm about Cohen’s upcoming series.
Matt Drudge, founder of the Drudge Report, wrote in a now-deleted tweet that Cohen is “at it again” with his latest series.
“Lots of tricks played,” he wrote. “Both Republicans and Democrats are getting caught up in the madness. Sacha has finked Cheney, Palin, Howard Dean, Alberto Gonzales, Bernie, Trent Lott, Patraeus, Ted Koppel, and more … BEWARE!”
Via WesternJournal
