'Bruno' Enrages LA Schools Chief

LOS ANGELES — The chief of the nation's second-largest school district is fuming over comedian Sacha Baron Cohen's magazine photo shoot with high school football players.

Los Angeles Superintendent Ramon Cortines isn't amused by the GQ magazine photos shot at Birmingham High School that feature the "Borat" star in his new incarnation as gay Austrian fashionista "Bruno."

The GQ cover story features pictures of Baron Cohen wearing shoulder pads, tight red shorts, an athletic cup and little else as he poses with football players at the school in the San Fernando Valley.

Cortines says the district "allowed our students to be used." He says the photos violate the district's policy on use of the school's name, and he has punished the principal and athletic director. Cortines would not provide details.

Comments

[LittleOldLadyWho]

I may not agree with Sacha Baron Cohen, on certain points--but, he is a genius at what he does. He TOTALLY transforms himself into one of his alter egos, and is believable in that particular persona.

He goes out and promotes his movies (two so far; that I know of) without hitting the "circuit" of programs with clips of the movie or a trailer--just with the antics that we know him for.

Totally brilliant, if you ask me. Besides, give the guy a break after a complete body wax--OUCH, or full body shave!!

[rigormrtis]

I'm sure once he finds out the school got paid for it he'll change his tune.

[mabinog]

LOL, probably thinks down in his heart of hearts that his hard work of maintaining the hertero-ness of his football jocks will be imperiled. The whole squad might catch the gay from a hack comedian playing a character that epitomizes the bigoted stereotype of gay.

[HC4BO]

What IF it was a woman in a bikini ????

Same reaction ???

[JumpDownTurnAround]

Of course not!

[JumpDownTurnAround]

If it was Hayden Panetierre or Megan Fox, this wouldn't even be an issue!

[DaneAZ]

Good point.

[derekc06]

That's not really fair to speculate like that... If there was another instance where there WAS a woman in a bikini doing a photo op at the school and the guy allowed it THEN you'd have a point... If there isn't you're just making unfair accusations...

[Targetdog]

Someone needs to get a sense of humor!

[gascelebrations]

Maybe Superintendent Cortines has something to hide.

[JumpDownTurnAround]

Bingo! Have you ever seen him in an interview? He's like Larry Craig when he was scolding Bill Clinton after the "incident" saying: "You're a bad boy, Mr. Clnton".
If this superintendent isn't gay, I would be shocked!
However, that having been said, this Bruno movie is not going to be a positive outlook for the gay movement!

[Tenfour]

then those people just aren't getting it .. and were probably homophobes to begin with .. it's like conservatives watching the colbert report and thinking he's on their side .. so not getting it

[Rockwell]

Damn, Ramone! Take a freaking sedative. I saw the photos. Nothing exploitive about it and those players are going to be on the cool list for a long time.

Methinks Ramone doth protest too much.

[Coltrane1234]

Can't wait. Hopefully this movie doesn't disappoint.

[AllanF]

he should be spending his energies trying to figure out a way to save the jobs of the thousands of teachers that were pinkslipped, instead of being homophobic.

[LIBERALandProudOfIt]

The kids in the picture with a "movie star" will be bragging to their buddies for years to come.
... to their girlfriends, their cousins, their aunts & uncles, fellow shoppers at the grocery store, strangers on the street, anybody who will listen.

When they are old and gray, they'll be bragging to their Grandkids about it.

GMAFB !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[ascribe1]

Maybe longtime NYC residents will remember Ramon Cortinez is the former Schools Chancellor who Rudy Giuliani drove out of office. Giuliani also had the nasty habit of imitating Cortinez, and lisping while doing so. I believe he once called him "precious" in a news conference. Classy, Rudy.
Anyway, point is Cortinez has a longstanding reputation as a closeted gay man.
His overreaction to this looks, to me, like covering his butt. He doesn't want to look complicit in this in any way. The stronger his anger over it, I think he feels it's that much less likely the old gay rumor will be revived.

[SparkyAdams]

Wow! So a gay guy objecting to Borat ridiculing gay people is now wrong in your exalted opinion?

Sha me on you.

Homophobia is not cool.

[october2009]

Only an American would say such a thing... We're so scared of sex and gays in the country...

[nycvagabond]

speak for yourself

[tregibbs]

Oh relax... if it was a female, or a friggin' half naked hag supermodel, there'd be no fuss about this at all. I'm so damn sick of the sexist double standard in this society. Grow the F*CK up !!

[gascelebrations]

I'm still making up my mind about the movie (especially since I haven't seen it yet). But geezers like this make it pretty easy to like.

I can see this guy hunched over in his Archie Bunker pose with the remote in his hand, Glenn Beck blaring at ear-splitting volume, sour look on his face, grumbling to himself while his wife comes running in saying "DON'T GET IN A TIZZY, ARRCHIE, IT'S BAD FOR YOUR HEART!!"

[JumpDownTurnAround]

Actually, this Cortines guy would be more like Edith than Archie but in a closeted sort of way!

[Godweiser]

Exactly why I'm excited about the movie; I'm waiting for that massive right wing coronary that's bound to come down and other sundry amusing responses.

The ROFLCopter is going to land, and unleash its Republican LULZ on the rest of us when this movie comes out. These pictures are just a teaser..

[JumpDownTurnAround]

massive right wing coronary!!! ROTFLMAO!

[Ponderus]

He gave the kids space to blow a raspberry at their elders.

They probably, and rightly, adore him.

This is just the kind of Puritan silliness Cohen pokes fun at.