Posted on by saturnalianblog

Using the Borat Sagdiyez character, British comedian Sacha Baron Cohen gave a speech to the Oklahoma City Traffic Commission about women’s rights, free speech, and nervousness. Excerpts from the speech were included on the HBO series Da Ali G Show during the third season episode “Rekognize,” which aired July 25, 2004.

Raw video of the speech from YouTube is embedded below in two parts. At Large Commissioner Milford J. Clayton delivers the opening remarks before Borat begins his speech. Transcript of the speech with help from the Unofficial Borat Homepage is included beneath the videos.

Milford J. Clayton: . . .that we must have something of this type in order to keep our neighborhoods safe. So we welcome you to the finest in the United States, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. Do we have comments from the . . . uh . . . television?

Would you pronounce your last name for me, please?

Borat: Uh . . . Borat Sagdiyev. Uh . . . my address, uh, 15 Kuzikh Street, Horizak district, uh, two mile north of Jew town, uh, in a capital city, Astana, Kazakhstan.

I want to thank you, uh, Mr. Clayton, very much to welcome me, uh, and to let me do short speech showing my thank and to show difference Kazakhstan democracy and your wonderful system.

Um, my country is a Kazakhstan is, uh, south of Russia, and you may not know this, but is a seventh biggest in world. Um . . . thank you for let me speak. My English is a horrible but I hope you understand me and understand, uh, the difficulty but also the goodness of my country.

I am proud that you allow me to learn from US and A, democracy, and how is it done. And here in US and A democracy is a best in world. Also, is very interest for me to learn about the problem of a traffic.

I must tell you story about history of today. Fourteen years ago in a town called Tishnik there was a brave woman who raised a flag, a Kazakh flag. There were many other people who then followed her. All they wanted to do was raise the flag of their country and speak their language. Soviet Union communist did not allow them, and they sent a Soviet Union Army in, and there was many, many killing. As everyone know, today is a fourteenth year anniversary of a Tishnik massacre. So please now I ask you stand and give them respect.

(Sounds of people shuffling)

Borat: Please we will have ten minute silence.

(Almost a minute and a half of silence)

Borat: Thank you.

I please you show very much respect, uh, I admire US and A and from my country we send you greeting and admiration for your system and your country. Um, today you discuss a problem of the traffic in your city. It is very interest for me. I think please that people must not be too angry about this problem of a traffic. Maybe it is a worse problem in a country like a Kazakhstan where people too poor that cannot have car to have opportunity to have much traffic. So I would like people to learn always their country in relation and a benefit and a luck that you have to talk to have these problems. We wish in a Kazakhstan to have a problem like this.

As well, please, I hope you appreciate freedom to stand and to criticize, uh, superior people and the council. In Kazakhstan for many year was impossible. Uh, under communism and under Soviet Union impossible to make a criticism and it is a great admiration that you are allowed to speak how you feel and how you think. For many year I have always read Thomas Jefferson Declaration of Independence. When I read this first time I almost cry. It mean so much the idea of to be free. To be equal, to be one people. Uh, we in Kazakhstan must learn that we must not be scared of a difference, and because somebody make a say they is a problem, it does not mean that you must, uh, not allow them to speak.

Also in my country, um, also it is very great surprise to see a woman here today. In Kazakhstan we say to allow a woman in a politic is to, uh, we say in a Kazakhstan to allow a woman in a politic is like to have a pig in a party. Uh, this why it is a very nice to see the equal how you treat, uh, different people equal. Uh, I am a scared because of a difficulty for economics for women in a Kazakhstan that this also change how they’re equal. And we people watching this today will take lesson from equality. In fact, in a government building in a Kazakhstan the only woman allowed in are prostitute. This is not, uh, here today, and wonderful to see woman who are have power. Uh, and we hope one day in a Kazakhstan we’ll have a woman politician and, uh, learn from you.

It is also very interest to hear how you solve a problem here before it become a serious. We know in Kazakhstan that if you ignore a problem people every day become more, more angry. Eventually you have revolution. This way very a intelligent to let people cure problem before problem become very, um, very bigger problem. I hope a US and A can help my country not only with a social but also, uh, eco . . . eco . . . economic. I sorry, I am very ner . . . nervous. All day I do a, I do brown water from my anus not a solid but, uh, like a water. I have a difficulty with your culture but also your magnificent food. Uh, it is a very nice and a we hope, uh, we’re here there will be a chance in a Kazakhstan that they will have American restaurant will open, uh, a restaurant.

And I a sorry if I made a smell before. I did not want to be, uh, embarrass from this, but, uh, you are all a good people.

I, uh, look around and it a wonderful to see people from all different color sit together on same level. In a Kazakhstan we do not have this. We have a people from a Kazakhstan. Before it was only people from, uh, a Russia, Soviet Union who were in a control. Would not let anybody from a different color. Now in a Kazakhstan many different people, Tajik, Uzbek, Kazakh, Turkish. I hope we will see these and make equal. Eh . . . it is like the joke we have in a Kazakhstan.

There is a man who see a small house. He say to the man who own this so small house, “Is this a house for a dog?” “No”, say the other man, “It is not house for a dog.” “So who live here?” “A man”, he say. “A man? This is too small for a man!” He say, “Is this for a man from Kazakhstan?” “No”, the other man answer, “Is not for a man from a Kazakhstan.” “Is this a man from Turkmenistan?” He say a, “No, is not for a man from Turkmenistan.” “Is this a man from Uzbekistan?”, he asked. He answer, “YES!”

You have, uh, heard this joke before?

(Laughter)

You understand it is, uh, it is because, uh, Uzbek people small?

Unidentified man: Mmm hmm.

Borat: But it is not just they small. People think people are small. We know in your country had slavery. Very, very bad. To see people because of color of a skin as a law is a terrible. We know in a Kazakhstan we feel like we had slavery under communism. Um, we hope that these type of hatred never be in any country again.

Uh, I also have a joke about a woman who have a hair, uh, shave below, but I will not say because is a rude, eh, and I want show, uh, respect and I have ask, eh, the people before they say not to say. But we realize that with democracy you have a freedom. Freedom to speech, freedom to think, freedom to live.

What is quality of life? Quality of life is not only we know with the money, with a car, with a clothes. Is also more value is way heart feel and way a mind feel. I have been very interesting to find out more about US and A. Before I come here, I hear some a bad things. But since I’ve been here, all I see is a good things. I have a no friends in US and A, but now I hope I have a many. Kazakh and US and A very different country, but people is same as people.

And we hope there will be a friendship. I hope after this I will have a good friends with a people here and you are invite to my country and when you there you may stay, uh, my house and we will have, uh, banquet to show you.

I see you are good people, good face. I see some of you they like me. Uh, you have a good warm heart, and I, uh, hope, uh, you all like me. I hope, uh, you like me very much. You, uh, I would like to do a romance inside of you. But, uh, not, uh, only if she lets me. Not with force. Uh, very beautiful to see a woman like this. In a Kazakhstan because of economic many beautiful woman work, uh, for, uh, men in a bad way. And this very fantastic to see, uh..uh, beautiful woman work here, uh, not as a low job but as a high job. All day long when I see you I think of you no clothes, whaaa whaaa wheee whaaa, but is a very wonderful.

When we think of a future we want you to know that Kazakhstan very sad what happen to you in a September 11. We want you to know that, uh, this no connection our country, and we never, uh, allow these people in our country. Uh, we want you also to know that number three, uh, president to say apology was our premier, Nazarbayev. We hope you will win this, uh, fight against a terror and we want you to know that Kazakhstan will help you in everything you can to stop this fight from terror. Uh, we have already allowed US plane in a Kazakhstan to, uh, let you take this terror. Uh, we, I wish you very good luck, I wish very much, uh, freedom of US and A, I wish a very much a friendship USA and a Kazakhstan , and I wish a very much that the democracy I see today will one day be as great as this in my country.

I respect you, thank you, and I love you. Thank you.

(Applause)

Borat: Thank you.

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Filed under: Flashback | Tagged: Borat, Da Ali G Show, HBO, Kazakhstan, Milford J. Clayton, Nursultan Nazarbayev, Oklahoma City, Sacha Baron Cohen, Thomas Jefferson, Traffic Commission |