Did Sacha Baron Cohen rip off Howard Stern?
Posted by andreaitis on June 5, 2009
I’m having flash-backs (so to speak). It’s 1992 and I’m watching the MTV Video Music Awards. Suddenly, everyone looks up: it’s a bird…it’s a plane…it’s…Fartman!! He descended from the rafters, flying with cheeks bared in all of his fartastic glory.
Seventeen years later, enter Bruno at the MTV Movie Awards. He descended from the rafters, flying with cheeks bared in all of his fawntastic glory.
Hmm.
Sacha Baron Cohen may have had a more dramatic landing in Eminem’s lap, but Howard Stern did pretty well with Luke Perry. Let’s go to the videotape…
Howard Stern’s Fartman, MTV Video Music Awards 1992
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Sacha Baron Cohen’s Bruno, MTV Movie Awards 2009
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de.tech.ting 
mrsandyclark said
Andreaitis,
I was up until 3 AM this morning working on my take on this “controversy.” All because I was trying to find out when Prince had worn the yellow chaps with his ass exposed to make the point that Howard Stern wasn’t completely original in his “Fartman” performance. I could not find the date of Prince’s performance on MTV that I was looking for.
After a good night’s sleep, I realized it didn’t matter. Howard Stern is hardly the first person to arrive on stage aided by a wire. He and Sacha’s humor is very different. People are still debating whether Eminem was in on Sacha’s joke or not.
Howard Stern was using his brand of sophomoric humor. I’m not a fan and I felt it was more embarrassing than anything.
Sacha Baron Cohen’s Bruno was wickedly funny and hit his target just right. Also, if one of them was headed at me, I’d prefer it was Sacha.
So, Howard Stern I found physically repulsive and not funny. Sacha’s Bruno was hot and funny and may have really embarrassed a known homophobe. (Unless he has been removed from the list.) Other than each doing a one-note-joke and using a wire to descend to their mark, I don’t think anyone can seriously claim that Howard Stern was ripped-off.
Sandy