We're starting to get an idea about what to expect from Sacha Baron Cohen's new Showtime series, "Who Is America?"
His first victim is former vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin. In a Facebook post, Palin says she flew out to what she thought was a legitimate interview, but instead met Cohen "heavily disguised" as a disabled US veteran in a wheelchair.
The former Alaska governor eventually walked out of the interview, which she says was full of "Hollywoodism's disrespect and sarcasm."
Palin would like Cohen and Showtime to donate proceeds from the show, which debuts Sunday, to a veterans' charity.
So, here was the odd juxtaposition occurring in my Twitter feed today: both conservatives and liberals blasting Cohen for posing as a disabled veteran - and "promoted" posts (i.e., advertising) in my feed by Showtime proclaiming, "Sasha Baron Cohen is back!!!!"
So is Showtime embarrassed by the publicity? No - because it's okay to go to any length to MOCK CONSERVATIVES. Subscription services like Showtime and HBO need subscribers - and the largest subscriber numbers are in largely populated cities with liberal populations. If the liberal base was offended, the show wouldn't air.
But kudos to liberal commentators who can see past their own dislike of Palin to denounce posing as a disabled veteran as inappropriate in a "comedy" context.