Mining a similar vein of comedy is not the same as ripping it off. **Gary McDonald’**s character Norman Gunston had a very similar schtik in the mid 1970s on Australian TV, and is fondly remembered to this day for it. His interview of Sally Struthers is one of the greats of TV comedy. But no-one accuses Chris Morris of ripping him off.
I fail to see any meaningful comparison between Sacha Cohen and Chris Morris, much less any accusations of “ripping off.” Personally, I think Chris Morris’s comedy is much subtler, more intelligent, more absurd, and just plain weirder (Blue Jam, anyone?) than Cohen’s. Morris also seems to have much more range than Cohen. That said, I think Cohen’s comedy appeals to a broader audience. I think more people are apt to “get” Cohen’s style of comedy than Morris’s. Then again, I may be wrong.
As for Cohen and Kaufman, I really don’t think they have much, if anything, in common.
Kaufman was much more abstract and, well, modern performance art in his approach to comedy. A lot of times, you couldn’t tell what the joke was with Kaufman, or even if there was a joke. Cohen makes it pretty clear where the laughs are supposed to be.
See, when I read about Cohen’s comedy, I figured he was doing a live-action Lazlo Toth.
When I say he rips off Chris Morris I mean the interview segments from Brass Eye. Cohens comedy doesnt resemble any other facet of Morris’. I think Ali G was funny when he first appeared but there was always the sense of having seen it before.
Ali G: “Now I want to make sure I get this right. How do you spell your name?”
Buchanan: “Well it’s B-U-C-H-A-N-A-N.”
Ali G: “No, I mean how do you spell ‘Pat’?”