Advertisement
If you have a new account but are having problems posting or verifying your account, please email us on hello@boards.ie for help. Thanks :)
Hello all! Please ensure that you are posting a new thread or question in the appropriate forum. The Feedback forum is overwhelmed with questions that are having to be moved elsewhere. If you need help to verify your account contact hello@boards.ie
Hi there,
There is an issue with role permissions that is being worked on at the moment.
If you are having trouble with access or permissions on regional forums please post here to get access: https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058365403/you-do-not-have-permission-for-that#latest

Humiliated frat boys sue 'Borat'

  • 10-11-2006 6:41pm
    #1
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 768 ✭✭✭


    I had a suspicion that a lot if not all the Borat movie was staged but i guess they at least kept it semi real life. These guys were hilarious though, I watch the movie here in the US and it was just cringing all around me when these guys came on. Wonder will anything come from this lawsuit, doubt it.

    http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20061110/ap_en_mo/film_borat_lawsuit
    SANTA MONICA, Calif. - Two fraternity boys want to make lawsuit against "Borat" over their drunken appearance in the hit movie.


    The legal action filed Thursday on their behalf claims they were duped into appearing in the spoof documentary "Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan," in which they made racist and sexist comments on camera.

    The young men "engaged in behavior that they otherwise would not have engaged in," the lawsuit says.

    "Borat" follows the adventures of comedian Sacha Baron Cohen's Kazakh journalist character in a blend of fiction and improvised comic encounters as he travels across the United States and mocks Americans.

    The plaintiffs were not named in the lawsuit "to protect themselves from any additional and unnecessary embarrassment." They were identified in the movie as fraternity members from a South Carolina university, and appeared drunk as they made insulting comments about women and minorities to Cohen's character.

    The lawsuit claims that in October 2005, a production crew took the students to a bar to drink and "loosen up" before participating in what they were told would be a documentary to be shown outside of the United States.

    "They were induced to agree to participate and were told the name of the fraternity and the name of their school wouldn't be used," said the plaintiffs' attorney, Olivier Taillieu. "They were put into an RV and were made to believe they were picking up Borat the hitchhiker."

    After a bout of heavy drinking, the plaintiffs signed a release form they were told "had something to do with reliability issues with being in the RV," Taillieu said.

    The film "made plaintiffs the object of ridicule, humiliation, mental anguish and emotional and physical distress, loss of reputation, goodwill and standing in the community," the lawsuit said.

    It names 20th Century Fox, a unit of News Corp., and three production companies as defendants.

    Studio spokesman Gregg Brilliant said the lawsuit "has no merit."

    The plaintiffs were seeking an injunction to stop the studio from displaying their image and likeness, along with unspecified monetary damages.

    "Borat" debuted as the top movie last weekend with $26.5 million.


Comments

  • Moderators, Category Moderators, Arts Moderators, Entertainment Moderators, Social & Fun Moderators Posts: 16,663 CMod ✭✭✭✭faceman


    Should be posted to films tbh


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 10,673 ✭✭✭✭senordingdong


    Funny stuff.
    I wonder how I'd react in their situation.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 5,240 ✭✭✭Endurance Man


    This sounds like bull****, dumass kids trying to get a piece of his bank account.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 81,220 ✭✭✭✭biko


    They're only angry because there wasn't a warning label on Borat

    Boohoo


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,437 ✭✭✭Crucifix


    Don't you have to agree for them to use the footage, like with Candid camera stuff?


  • Advertisement
  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 26,584 ✭✭✭✭Creamy Goodness


    wow i actually tought that if any of the film was staged that this was the most staged part(i also thought it was the worst part of the movie they annoyed the hell out of me).

    the producers of the film must of gotten their permission for them to be in the film as no one could be that stupid in letting it into the film without their permission.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 10,673 ✭✭✭✭senordingdong


    Oh yeah...they defo would have gotten permission to show their faces and what not...but the 'frat boys' are saying they were lied to from the begining...which may be true in some way or another.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 29,930 ✭✭✭✭TerrorFirmer


    Crucifix wrote:
    Don't you have to agree for them to use the footage, like with Candid camera stuff?

    It says they signed a release form when they were drunk under some pretext.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 3,783 ✭✭✭Binomate


    That's bollox. You make racist comments on camera and sue the cameraman because he filmed you making a fool of yourself.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 691 ✭✭✭pepper


    all they are doing is making it look like they acted out of charcter for the clip so no one will think they are racist or sexist:mad:


  • Advertisement
  • Closed Accounts Posts: 36,634 ✭✭✭✭Ruu_Old


    Frat boys making a fool out of themselves, eh nothing new. They were just caught on camera this time and pissed off about it. :)


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,258 ✭✭✭Numina


    faceman wrote:
    Should be posted to films tbh

    it's more about the lawsuit than the actual film itself.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 2,701 ✭✭✭Diogenes


    Binomate wrote:
    That's bollox. You make racist comments on camera and sue the cameraman because he filmed you making a fool of yourself.

    Before or just after you are filmed for something to be broadcast you must sign a release form, saying that you allow the film makers to use your image and voice for this recording. It's a standard contract.

    However like any contract it can be voided if one party can demostrate they were mentally incapacitied (IE on medication, illegal drugs, or drunk) it's particularly frowned upon if one party piled the other party with alcohol.

    Thats first day contract law stuff, and any freshman law student could tell that to his frat house brothers once the film came out, and they decided to sue, seeing they have a case.

    However here's the rub. This is Sacha Baron Cohen, and he and his team have been doing this for years, in the US and UK, I sincerely doubt there isn't a single aspect of release form law they don't know backwards and upside down. They embarssed too many people with deeper pockets than this to get side stepped by a half dozen drunken thugs.

    I'll lay odds that the release forms were signed far before the frat boys touched a drop of booze, and theres a recording to prove it. Or an attorney. The frat boys will have to prove they were liquored up then made sign it, and it'll be their word aganist a production team who've made a living doing this for half a decade.

    You ain't even going to see these guys get pwn'd in court, one meeting with Universal lawyers, and they'll be slinking out of a legal office, with their moms and dads, and mom and dad's attorneys, who just realised how f*cking lucky they were this didn't go to trial, and how f*cking retarded their racist sexists sons are.


  • Moderators, Category Moderators, Science, Health & Environment Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 47,541 CMod ✭✭✭✭Black Swan


    The frats (and their lawyers) just want a piece of the action.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 11,987 ✭✭✭✭zAbbo


    "Don't ever let a woman control you, braaa."

    Idiots


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 21,611 ✭✭✭✭Sam Vimes


    zabbo wrote:
    "Don't ever let a woman control you, braaa."

    Idiots
    in fact he said "don't ever let a woman make you who you are" :)

    anyone know what that means?


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 14,277 ✭✭✭✭Rb


    Seems that they either realise what an arse they made of themselves, have suffered a bit of slagging/humiliation and are trying to find excuses to get a way out of it (while getting a piece of the action). Idiots.

    Still haven't got to see the film yet, can't wait though!


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 27,857 ✭✭✭✭Dave!


    Looking to get a bit of money tbh......


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 8,323 ✭✭✭Savman


    Fair play to 'em. They just made the film that bit funnier :D:D:D:D


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 7,589 ✭✭✭Hail 2 Da Chimp


    I doubt they're gonna be able to prove that the signed the waiver under false pretences though. But those guys are idiots and deserve everything they get!


  • Advertisement
  • Closed Accounts Posts: 7,230 ✭✭✭scojones


    Man those guys pissed me off.


Advertisement