The many faces of Sacha Baron Cohen

"Part biography and part political analysis, Saunders traces Baron Cohen's rise from a small-time comedian - one who might have easily been forgotten in the pre-Internet era - to a cultural lightning rod who set tongues wagging from Vancouver to Vladivostok. Through a probing discussion of the identity politics that mold this jester's unique brand of humor, the author navigates the eclectic sociopolitical climate that gave rise to the cable television hit Da Ali G Show and the international blockbuster Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan. The end result is a sublime synthesis of cultural history and contemporary politics that affirms the undeniable power of imagery in the global village."--Book jacket.