Businessman Sues "Borat" Company

Remember that guy in Borat who ran away shouting "Go away!" as Borat tried to give him a hug? Well, his name is Jeffrey Lemerond, he's a businessman, and he's suing the company that distributed the movie on the grounds that his appearance in the movie has caused him "public ridicule, degradation, and humiliation." (He claims the company knew it was illegal to use his face in the movie because they scrambled his face in the trailer, but not in the movie.) The company has dismissed his claims, and they anticipate a victory.

This is not the first lawsuit that has resulted from Borat. One's initial reaction might be to tell these people to lighten up, that it's only a movie. Nevertheless, there is a decidedly unsavory side to Sacha Baron Cohen's brand of comedy, which involves duping unsuspecting people so that we in the audience can laugh at and feel superior to them. Whether or not that means Lemerond's lawsuit is justified, I'm not sure (I doubt it); but I think his anger is.