“Wikipedia is an encyclopedia collaboratively written by many of its readers. It uses a special type of website, called a wiki, that makes collaboration easy. Lots of people are constantly improving Wikipedia, making thousands of changes an hour, all of which are recorded on article histories and recent changes. Inappropriate changes are usually removed quickly, and repeat offenders can be blocked from editing.”

Borat’s movie (Borat’s Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan) has caused quite a stir. Wikipedia had to disable anonymous or newly registered edits of the site entries for Kazakhstan due to vandalism and less-than-serious updates of their site. The alterations to the site said the country’s motto is “High Five” and the national anthem opening line was changed to say: “Kazakhstan greatest country in the world. All other countries are run by little girls.” They have since reverted (almost) all the changes… see picture.

I’ve seen this guy on Jay Leno and he is kind of funny, in a weird demented kind of way. His humour is based totally on shock factor. Poking fun at a whole country, implying a backward (at least by North American “standards”) mentality to life. This is cultural mocking at its finest, or worst, depending on your point of view. I can definitely say I won’t go see the movie. But I will probably rent it when it comes out. And I’ll probably laugh.

Go ahead… someone re-spark the “Great Newfie Debate“.