"Bruno' and male neuroses

Bruno, the latest comic vehicle for the infectiously goofy Sacha Baron Cohen, seems at first glance a tasteless porridge of adolescent humor— a second serving of Borat, Cohen's parody of former Soviet republics. But look again: Bruno might be ripping off the scabs covering many of our cultural hang-ups, especially male ones.

Who would have thought that men are prudes? Yes, those same guys who laugh uproariously at a stripper swinging her breasts cannot crack a smile while Cohen— as a gay Austrian fashion reporter seeking celebrity in America, twirls his penis in time to the music.

"That's not his," a male voice commented from the audience. But is that meant to reassure his cohorts? Do they really think size matters?

Few people today would admit to a suppressed homophobia but, like any other prejudice, it is revealed unconsciously in situations we confront in daily life. Differences tend to make us uncomfortable; Bruno sets them in bold type and puts the whole audience on edge.

Seducing Ron Paul

Cohen's character arrives in America hoping to achieve the success of other Austrians such as Schwarzenegger or Hitler (although he somehow overlooks Freud). In the course of his quest for fame and fortune, Bruno conducts "Candid Camera"-style interviews of real celebrities (and especially conservative politicians) who don't quite understand who he is or what they're getting into— Cohen's trade mark. Ron Paul, the Texas Congressman and potential presidential candidate, clearly had no idea of Cohen's identity or reputation but presumably was desperate for publicity; the scene in which Cohen tries to seduce Paul in a Washington hotel room is almost too awkward to watch.

I guess politicians really can be clueless; they need someone to guide them through the thickets of pop culture. (Think of Obama worrying about the price of arugula in that Midwest market.)

Bruno enrolls in a course sponsored by evangelical Christians to reprogram homosexuals— and, again I felt sorry for the sincere minister who welcomed Cohen's scrutiny. We might not agree with him, but he didn't deserve ridicule.

Beyond Madonna satire

Bruno even attends a Swingers get-together that resembles any other social event until the over-aggressive female with oversized breasts attacks Bruno. Was this sequence staged or genuine? When Bruno adopts a very young African boy, everyone squirms. The moment goes beyond a Madonna satire to our hidden doubts about the appropriate status of gay guys as parents— everyone's covert homophobia is revealed.

Bruno is a satire on masculine identity, which no doubt which explains why you only hear female laughter from the audience. It makes men uncomfortable. Think about frontal nudity in art: It's generally female, rarely male. Men suffer enough performance anxiety; why aggravate it by turning them off? Perhaps theaters should post a warning: "Male advisory: This film may lead to unwelcome comparisons and reactions. Not a Date Night film but, perhaps, a Female Flick."