Borat star Sacha Baron Cohen's controversial mock-interview Showtime series Who Is America? will not be returning for season 2. Showtime had expressed interest in bringing back the series after its headline-worthy seven-episode run this summer.
Ambush comedian Cohen first employed the mock-interview format, in which he dons various disguises in order to dupe famous people into answering ridiculous questions, on his HBO series Da Ali G Show. Several of the characters he played on that show, including Borat and Bruno, were later spun off into their own movies. This summer, Cohen created some new characters and returned to the gotcha format for Who Is America?, which saw him roping in various politicians, celebrities and pop culture figures and sometimes getting them to say career-destroying things.
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Though Who Is America? generated plenty of social media buzz and lots of news headlines, Cohen says he has no interest in coming back for season 2. As Cohen explained on THR's "Awards Chatter" podcast, he doesn't believe there are any politicians left he can trick after the carnage he inflicted. "I will never be able to get a politician to bare his buttocks while screaming 'God bless America!' and screaming the N-word," he said. Cohen also said he doesn't relish the thought of sitting in make-up for five hours a day in order to don his various disguises.
Indeed, Cohen debuted an array of new characters for Who Is America?, including hardcore right-wing conspiracy theorist Billy Wayne Ruddick and ultra-woke left-winger Dr. Nira Cain-N’Degeocello. But it was Cohen's new character Erran Morad, the super-militant former Israeli intelligence officer, who generated the best material and led to the juiciest results. In his Morad guise, Cohen infamously convinced Georgia state representative Jason Spencer to bare his behind and scream racial epithets, among other activities. Spencer's embarrassing display caused him to later resign from the Georgia House of Representatives.
In addition to creating comedy and ending careers, Cohen's Who Is America? has naturally also led to backlash and lawsuits. After being duped by Cohen, former Alabama Senate nominee Roy Moore has sued the comedian and Showtime, seeking $95 million in damages. Even before Who Is America? aired, former vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin aired her own grievances against Cohen after she was tricked by the comedian. Palin's public war with Cohen only resulted in the show receiving lots of valuable free publicity, and in the end Palin's segment never even appeared on the series.
Given the legal backlash against the show, perhaps it's best that Sacha Baron Cohen makes Who Is America? a one-off. And indeed, as Cohen himself said, continuing to trick people would likely be difficult anyway given the amount of attention he received for several of his more vicious take-downs. It appears Cohen's return to his own particular brand of brutal ambush comedy was as short-lived one, and now the comedian will have to blaze new trails going forward.
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Source: THR