How Sacha Baron Cohen’s ‘Who is America?’ lures politicians into supporting guns for toddlers
Cohen persuaded US politicians to call for ‘Kinderguardians’ – armed toddlers – and baffled Bernie Sanders with nonsense economic talk
As expected, Sacha Baron Cohen takes no prisoners with his satirical new show, which was surprise-announced last week.
Who is America?, which premieres on US channel Showtime on Sunday, is the politically charged new project from British comedian Cohen, creator of characters such as Ali G, Borat and Brüno. He wrote and directed the new seven-episode weekly series.
The personalities he portrays in “America” are no less outrageous. Erran Morad is a gruff, Israeli anti-terrorism expert waving the flag for a new programme he calls “Kinderguardians”, which would train kids ages 3 to 16 how to use guns.
That he gets gun-rights activists Philip Van Cleave and Larry Pratt to speak out in support of the initiative – and even film a training video for children, with characters such as Puppy Pistol and Gunny Rabbit – is the episode’s funniest bit, if sadly not surprising.
“The only thing that stops a bad man with a gun is a good boy with a gun,” Morad says. Adds Pratt: “Or even a good toddler.”
Morad ultimately recruits former and current congressmen to record public-service announcements for the fake programme.
“We should think about putting guns in the hands of law-abiding citizens – good guys – whether they be teachers, talented children or highly trained preschoolers,” former Senate Majority Leader Trent Lott says, entirely straight-faced.