The type of comedy where only the comedian is in on the joke. For example. Borat doing a job interview. The woman conducting the job interview has no idea she’s acting the part of the fool in Borat’s act.
I’ve heard it described as “ambush humor”.
I’m sure there’s a term for it (it seems there is for everything else) but he’s basically tricking them into playing the Straight Man, in a Comedy Duo that they don’t know they’re part of. He did this with Ali G as well. How some of those people didn’t know what was going on, I’ll never know, some of those questions (along with his speech and the way he was dressed for who he was talking to) was so over the top I’m surprised more people didn’t either walk off or start playing along.
Comedy such as Jackass or Sacha Barons comedy,is indeed termed Ambush comedy. Where the butt of jokes are not aware they are being messed with until after,or never at all. The actual movie Borat,is a Mockumentry,however.
Hard to imagine that folks wouldn’t know they were being set up, especially back in the Ali G days. One of my favorite clips