Cultural Learnings

Like its creator and star Sacha Baron Cohen, the comedy of "The Dictator" is mercurial to the extreme and as crude as the massive oil reserves of Wadiya, the fictional North African nation where his latest movie prank begins. By turns hysterical, heretical, guilty, innocent, silly, sophisticated, teasing and tedious, the film follows the power-mad leader Admiral General Haffaz Aladeen as he loses his bearings, his beard and his heart in New York City. "The Dictator" underscores both Baron Cohen's genius and his folly, and delivers the actor's signature blend of scatological outrage, sagacity and at least one full-frontal assault with a flaccid unmentionable.

People in Iran believe that “ Argo ,” which chronicled the storming of the U.S. Embassy in Tehran in 1979 and the later rescue of six Americans who escaped and hid with the Canadian ambassador, is "a propaganda attack against our nation and entire humanity" and a "violation of international cultural norms. " The comments, following a screening of the best picture-winning drama on Monday in Tehran attended by Iranian cultural officials and film critics, sparked news reports that the nation is considering suing Hollywood over how the country was depicted in Ben Affleck's film.

Two fraternity members from South Carolina have sued 20th Century Fox, claiming they were duped into making racist and sexist comments on camera in the spoof documentary "Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan." The film opened No. 1 at the box office last weekend. "Borat" follows the adventures of comedian Sacha Baron Cohen's Kazakh journalist character as he travels across the United States and mocks Americans.

Like its creator and star Sacha Baron Cohen, the comedy of "The Dictator" is mercurial to the extreme and as crude as the massive oil reserves of Wadiya, the fictional North African nation where his latest movie prank begins. By turns hysterical, heretical, guilty, innocent, silly, sophisticated, teasing and tedious, the film follows the power-mad leader Admiral General Haffaz Aladeen as he loses his bearings, his beard and his heart in New York City. "The Dictator" underscores both Baron Cohen's genius and his folly, and delivers the actor's signature blend of scatological outrage, sagacity and at least one full-frontal assault with a flaccid unmentionable.

People in Iran believe that “ Argo ,” which chronicled the storming of the U.S. Embassy in Tehran in 1979 and the later rescue of six Americans who escaped and hid with the Canadian ambassador, is "a propaganda attack against our nation and entire humanity" and a "violation of international cultural norms. " The comments, following a screening of the best picture-winning drama on Monday in Tehran attended by Iranian cultural officials and film critics, sparked news reports that the nation is considering suing Hollywood over how the country was depicted in Ben Affleck's film.

In late December, Sacha Baron Cohen announced the demise of Borat and Ali G. What can we say about these heroes, one a pigeon-toed champion of his motherland, the other the duck-toed favorite son of his hood? I submit that these dear fellows were, yes, philosophers in drag, plying the ancient dilemma of relativism for all to hear. Let us pay our final respects by having a look at Borat -- the movie and the lesson.

Borat beware: Accept an invitation by a top Kazakh official to find out what the country is really like and you could be in for a nasty surprise. "I'd kill this impostor on the spot," said Eltai Muptekeyev, who makes his living in Almaty by posing for photos with a blindfolded falcon clinging to a thick leather glove on his hand.

Attorneys representing the villagers of Glod, Romania, plan to file lawsuits today against "Borat" in New York, Florida and Germany, asking for more than $30 million in damages and seeking to stop further screening of the controversial comedy, which was No. 3 at the box office this past weekend, if scenes making fun of the villagers are not cut or changed.

A hands-on lesson with traditional Chinese instruments will highlight a free music festival May 14 at Alpine Recreation Center designed to introduce people of all ages and ethnicities to Chinese musical forms. "Chinatown Spring: A Festival of Music" will begin at 11 a.m. with a workshop on Chinese instruments taught by Wen-Hsuing Yen, a Pasadena City College professor and specialist in music history and ancient instruments.

"Buck," the story of the real horse whisperer Buck Brannaman, comes at you with the understated eloquence of the man himself — a soft-spoken cowboy philosopher changing lives as he gentles horses, an aw-shucks hero who never claims to be more than an ordinary man. What a relief in times saturated with news of the worst of humanity to see something of the best. In her first documentary, which won the coveted audience award at the Sundance Film Festival this year, director Cindy Meehl mirrors that sensibility.

Margarita Lopez grew up embarrassed by how easily she spoke Spanish. As she grew fluent in English and became one of the top students at her L.A. high school, she always considered her native language a reminder of her roots as the daughter of working-class Central American immigrants. Speaking Spanish took her back to sixth-grade remedial English, when she was given books to read "with just four words in them. " She remembered being made to feel dumb. "I was mad at being bilingual," she told me. Of course, she was wrong to think that way. She sees that now, as a 19-year-old freshman at Vassar College in New York's Hudson Valley.

In late December, Sacha Baron Cohen announced the demise of Borat and Ali G. What can we say about these heroes, one a pigeon-toed champion of his motherland, the other the duck-toed favorite son of his hood? I submit that these dear fellows were, yes, philosophers in drag, plying the ancient dilemma of relativism for all to hear. Let us pay our final respects by having a look at Borat -- the movie and the lesson.

Fifty years ago today, at 3 p.m, "American Bandstand" made its debut on national television. In living rooms and rec rooms throughout the country, young viewers . were suddenly able to watch teenagers much like themselves dancing in Philadelphia (where the show was produced) to the same records that could be heard on their local Top 40 AM radio stations.

Attorneys representing the villagers of Glod, Romania, plan to file lawsuits today against "Borat" in New York, Florida and Germany, asking for more than $30 million in damages and seeking to stop further screening of the controversial comedy, which was No. 3 at the box office this past weekend, if scenes making fun of the villagers are not cut or changed.

Two fraternity members from South Carolina have sued 20th Century Fox, claiming they were duped into making racist and sexist comments on camera in the spoof documentary "Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan." The film opened No. 1 at the box office last weekend. "Borat" follows the adventures of comedian Sacha Baron Cohen's Kazakh journalist character as he travels across the United States and mocks Americans.

Borat beware: Accept an invitation by a top Kazakh official to find out what the country is really like and you could be in for a nasty surprise. "I'd kill this impostor on the spot," said Eltai Muptekeyev, who makes his living in Almaty by posing for photos with a blindfolded falcon clinging to a thick leather glove on his hand.

AMERICANS who know Borat love Borat. They love him more than the government of Kazakhstan officially hates him. At an advance MySpace screening of "Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan" at the Century City mall, the crowd was punchy with anticipation and queue-fatigue. My friends reacted to the news that I was going like Grandpa Joe after Charlie's discovery of the Golden Ticket.

In the lexicon of Madison Avenue, summer and fun go together like sun and surf, pain and gain, sweat and equity. You build a good time with calories, just like you build a good wall with brick. For starters, you have to go somewhere. The park, the beach, the mountains. That's what the advertisers would like you to believe. But there is an easier path to contentment. It's the delicious art of doing nothing. Absolutely nothing. You sit. You recline. You take in the shade.

AMERICANS who know Borat love Borat. They love him more than the government of Kazakhstan officially hates him. At an advance MySpace screening of "Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan" at the Century City mall, the crowd was punchy with anticipation and queue-fatigue. My friends reacted to the news that I was going like Grandpa Joe after Charlie's discovery of the Golden Ticket.

Hundreds of Vietnamese volunteer teachers gathered at Cal State Long Beach this weekend to exchange ideas on how to infuse increasingly Westernized Vietnamese students with a greater interest in the culture and language of their ancestors. The weekend instructors, from engineers to assembly workers to bankers, teach courses in Vietnamese language, culture and history at 65 churches, temples, public schools and office buildings in Southern California.