For many months now, Sacha Baron Cohen (of Borat, Ali G, & Bruno fame) has been secretly filming yet another prank TV show. In it he plays a ridiculous character and reacts with real people who don't know who he is.
The show, which premieres Sunday the 15th on Showtime, is called Who Is America?. Cohen's new character, Billy Wayne Ruddick Jr., PhD, seems to be focusing most of his attention on conservatives and Trump supporters.
This includes high profile Republicans like Judge Roy Moore (the disgraced Republican Senate candidate) and former Vice-Presidential candidate Sarah Palin.
After discovering the interview she did with Cohen's character was, in fact, meant to mock her, Palin took to Facebook. She also told The Daily Mailwhat happened and called the whole experience "perverse."
Obviously, Cohen wasn't going to take that lying down!
Cohen responded in character:
Here's the truth @SarahPalinUSA 🇺🇸 #MAGA #buildthewall #boycottsashacohen https://t.co/iFZWrFTxWL— Billy Wayne Ruddick Jr., PhD (@Billy Wayne Ruddick Jr., PhD) 1531418367.0
Many of Cohen's fans decided to play along.
@BillyWRuddick @SarahPalinUSA Billy Wayne Ruddik Jr. Is finally draining the swamp! I cant believe she said all tho… https://t.co/j6uhK1ZBpL— MakeOurInternetGreatAgain (@MakeOurInternetGreatAgain) 1531428660.0
@BillyWRuddick @SarahPalinUSA I was a Major in the United Parcel Service's elite Urban Deployment Unit.— Our_House (@Our_House) 1531453046.0
Such a quality clapback deserves some Borat love.
@BillyWRuddick @SarahPalinUSA https://t.co/CJNNw0xcma— Kingsoloist (@Kingsoloist) 1531428988.0
@BillyWRuddick @SarahPalinUSA Perfect. https://t.co/HLO5Y4OLvu— Kala 🦖 (@Kala 🦖) 1531434114.0
And the most amazing thing about Palin's comments? They're only going to help Cohen's ratings.
“what if I could get a disgraced pedophile to sue me for tricking him” is a galaxy-brain marketing pitch and I resp… https://t.co/AnQPzWc36S— KT NELSON (@KT NELSON) 1531443700.0
right-wingers after sasha baron cohen impersonated a troop: https://t.co/UH0wjkiGUm— Caleb Ecarma (@Caleb Ecarma) 1531322126.0
Many online also believe that, in this case at least, Palin laid her own trap.
How Sarah Palin was tricked... Sasha Baron Cohen- I would like to intervi... Sarah Palin- OMG YES I AM GOING TO B… https://t.co/MrftTli6Pg— Tony Posnanski (@Tony Posnanski) 1531270526.0
If Sasha Baron Cohen can “trick” you into an interview and you don’t recognize him the second you see him, you dese… https://t.co/Ph94cBhgAi— Jeff Braddock (@Jeff Braddock) 1531405282.0
No matter. The internet is getting pretty excited for the show's debut.
a lot of people on here are apparently under the impression that bc I think sasha baron cohen’s palin stunt was hil… https://t.co/dopRYI5nO7— KT NELSON (@KT NELSON) 1531332094.0
A fair share of snark was also thrown around...
listen I’m all in favor of comedy but it was completely unacceptable for sasha baron cohen to pretend to throw that… https://t.co/vZ5C0rymwF— KT NELSON (@KT NELSON) 1531330565.0
holy shit sasha baron cohen got arpaio, who was so mad he promptly called breitbart to complain. every word of this… https://t.co/C2m8IdlLmx— KT NELSON (@KT NELSON) 1531450006.0
If you want to find out what Sarah Palin told Sacha Baron Cohen on camera, tune in Sunday nights on Showtime!
I wonder if when Sasha Baron Cohen pitched his new show he said, "The genius thing is: the people we dupe? They'll do all our PR for us."— Matt Braunger (@Matt Braunger) 1531438815.0