Set to premiere on the evening of July 15 in the US, and July 16 in the UK, Sacha Baron Cohen’s latest TV project Who Is America? has been making headlines in the week leading up to its release. With various details about the show making their way into the news — including the fact that the show was shot secretly, features interviews with the likes of Sarah Palin and Dick Cheney, and sees Cohen playing different characters — perhaps the most headline-worthy aspect of Who Is America? is the show’s premise, which IMDb describes as “Sacha Baron Cohen offers his take on America's patriotism”. Knowing Cohen, we can all guess this is just a nice way of saying he is about to troll 2018 America — hard.
Evidence of Cohen’s latest comedic experiment can be seen in a newly released clip meant to pique interest ahead of the premiere. The 10-minute clip shows Cohen in heavy prosthetics playing a new character, Erran Morad, an ex-Mossad Israeli who has come to America to conduct interviews on the issue of gun control. The clip features an interview with pro-gun supporter Philip Van Cleave and includes Morad’s suggestion to arm kindergartners, asking Van Cleave for his opinion on it. The clip is very reminiscent of Cohen’s days on Da Ali G Show, from the larger-than-life character he plays to the deadpan awkwardness of his interviews.
If this is just a taste of what Cohen has in store for viewers, then we better buckle up because who knows where Who Is America? is going to take us.
