Not sure where to put this.
Roy Moore threatens legal action after ‘illicit scheme’ from Sacha Baron Cohen, Showtime
I am confused. Can Sacha Baron Cohen do this? Doesn’t he and Showtime need waivers to show these interviews from Roy and the others?
I was wondering about that as well.
But I assume they have any necessary waivers from all these people, since all of them knew that they were being interviewed and filmed. (It’s possible that they didn’t need waivers altogether, for this reason.) But the question is about the fact that the waivers, if any, were granted under false pretenses. Question is how that shakes out. I have no idea.
We already saw how well Mr. Moore rides his high horse Sassy, didn’t we?
Sarah Palin was also complaining about this. In her case, she had to fly “across the country” (from Alaska to I don’t know where) for the interview. In that situation, I think she had the right to be really, really pissed off. (As for Sacha Baron Cohen, I’ve intentionally never watched anything of his–he strikes me not as a funny prankster but as a smug, deeply unlikable douchebag.)
I’m not really sure why public figures would need to sign waivers to be filmed.
Also not sure why this is in the Pit.
Here’s a good story of basically how these happen:
https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/how-sacha-baron-cohen-pranked-radio-host-austin-rhodes-1126709
i hate, hate, hate to say this…But I hope Moore prevails.
On a defamation claim? No chance.
Poe’s Law at work. The parody of the target is indistinguishable from a sincere expression of the target’s views.
Cohen’s victims may have a right to be embarrassed, but they walked right into it on their own volition. Their fondest wishes were coming true. They wanted national exposure to fly their freak flags and they got it. Maybe they’ll learn something.
I think this is opening a very messy can of worms.
A lawsuit? This is just the kind of publicity that I’m sure Mr. Cohen was hoping to avoid! 
He’s getting the best free PR from the worst people… Gaetz, Moore, Cheney, Palin, Arpaio (all were duped as part of this). Gaetz is only one responding w/ a sense of humor, and says he was already a Cohen fan and is looking forward to seeing the piece.
Also on the question of whether Cohen can do this… He has done it before, many many times. Familiar with Da Ali G Show? Borat?
Is there not a difference between broadcasting an interview on a news program and using someone’s likeness for an entertainment show?
Austin Rhodes is the guy giving his account of his interview for the show, in enalzi’s link–and he has a great sense of humor about it, which is I think the only winning strategy. Note that Cohen’s team showed up late and gave Rhodes some waivers to sign while they were setting up lights and mics and stuff. I don’t doubt that Moore signed some waivers under similar conditions, and has no leg to stand on in his lawsuit.
Sacha Baron Cohen isn’t “using someone’s likeness” - he’s using the actual “someone”.
If that “someone” didn’t bother to read the waivers he signed - waivers that I have no doubt were very carefully worded by Cohen’s lawyers, who have been preparing these waivers for years, now - and then participated in the interviews, they have no one to blame but themselves.
I doubt they need any permission from the likes of Roy fucking Moore.
Well Palin is a blithering idiot, so trolling her was some serious Low Hanging Fruit. But to hell with her too. Stupidity SHOULD be painful.
Jimmy Kimmel: People Will Agree to Anything.