In My Country There Is Problem
Encyclopedia
"In My Country There Is Problem", also known as "Throw the Jew Down the Well" after the song's key line, is a satirical song written by British
-Jewish comedian Sacha Baron Cohen
for his comic character Borat Sagdiyev. It features in the 'Country Music' segment of "Borat's Guide to the USA (Part 2)", that focuses heavily on the (positive) reaction of the patrons of an Arizona country and western bar to the antisemitic sentiments of the song. It appeared in Stereophonic Musical Listenings That Have Been Origin in Moving Film "Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan".
as attempting to learn about the culture of the United Kingdom
and, in the HBO series, the United States
. In interviews, Cohen, who is Jewish, has stated that the purpose of Borat was to expose antisemitism in his interview subjects, as well as simple indifference to antisemitism. Cohen, as Borat, typically displays his character's fear and hatred of Jews frequently on the show.
The song itself is a country-style song played on acoustic guitar
consisting of three verses. The first verse is a complaint about the state of transportation in Kazakhstan, which is followed in a refrain with a call to "Throw transport down the well - so my country can be free." The second verse is directed at the Jews of Kazakhstan, alleging they "take everybody's money", and calling for the listeners to "Throw the Jew down the well". The third verse contains a warning for the listener to "be careful of [the Jew's] teeth" before repeating the second refrain.
club in Tucson, Arizona
, and managed to drive much of the club's patronage to cheer and sing along by the end of the song.
After the episode had been broadcast, The Jewish Daily Forward published an article which claimed that the song depicted on the show was in fact a small segment of Borat's full performance at the bar. According to the article, Borat was on stage for over two hours when the sketch was filmed, and the song also contained a rant about throwing his family down the well which helped make it clear that Borat's actions were indeed a joke.
, stated that with the song as well as his other antics Borat managed to offend everyone:
After the episode had been broadcast, the Anti-Defamation League
sent Baron Cohen an open letter warning him that, while they understood the message he had intended the sketch to deliver, they were concerned that this aspect may not have been grasped by his audience. The organization issued a similar statement prior to the release of the Borat film.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
-Jewish comedian Sacha Baron Cohen
Sacha Baron Cohen
Sacha Noam Baron Cohen is an English stand-up comedian, actor, writer, and voice artist. He is most widely known for his portrayal of three unorthodox fictional characters: Ali G, Borat, and Brüno...
for his comic character Borat Sagdiyev. It features in the 'Country Music' segment of "Borat's Guide to the USA (Part 2)", that focuses heavily on the (positive) reaction of the patrons of an Arizona country and western bar to the antisemitic sentiments of the song. It appeared in Stereophonic Musical Listenings That Have Been Origin in Moving Film "Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan".
Background and content
Cohen's character Borat is an extremely anti-Semitic Kazakh journalist who is depicted in Da Ali G ShowDa Ali G Show
Da Ali G Show is the name of two related satirical TV series created by and starring British comedian Sacha Baron Cohen and featuring the character Ali G....
as attempting to learn about the culture of the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
and, in the HBO series, the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. In interviews, Cohen, who is Jewish, has stated that the purpose of Borat was to expose antisemitism in his interview subjects, as well as simple indifference to antisemitism. Cohen, as Borat, typically displays his character's fear and hatred of Jews frequently on the show.
The song itself is a country-style song played on acoustic guitar
Acoustic guitar
An acoustic guitar is a guitar that uses only an acoustic sound board. The air in this cavity resonates with the vibrational modes of the string and at low frequencies, which depend on the size of the box, the chamber acts like a Helmholtz resonator, increasing or decreasing the volume of the sound...
consisting of three verses. The first verse is a complaint about the state of transportation in Kazakhstan, which is followed in a refrain with a call to "Throw transport down the well - so my country can be free." The second verse is directed at the Jews of Kazakhstan, alleging they "take everybody's money", and calling for the listeners to "Throw the Jew down the well". The third verse contains a warning for the listener to "be careful of [the Jew's] teeth" before repeating the second refrain.
Appearances
Borat debuted the song in the third episode of the second season of Da Ali G Show as the climax of the character's investigation of country music. He sang the song at a country musicCountry music
Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...
club in Tucson, Arizona
Tucson, Arizona
Tucson is a city in and the county seat of Pima County, Arizona, United States. The city is located 118 miles southeast of Phoenix and 60 miles north of the U.S.-Mexico border. The 2010 United States Census puts the city's population at 520,116 with a metropolitan area population at 1,020,200...
, and managed to drive much of the club's patronage to cheer and sing along by the end of the song.
After the episode had been broadcast, The Jewish Daily Forward published an article which claimed that the song depicted on the show was in fact a small segment of Borat's full performance at the bar. According to the article, Borat was on stage for over two hours when the sketch was filmed, and the song also contained a rant about throwing his family down the well which helped make it clear that Borat's actions were indeed a joke.
Analysis
Jody Rosen, writing for SlateSlate (magazine)
Slate is a US-based English language online current affairs and culture magazine created in 1996 by former New Republic editor Michael Kinsley, initially under the ownership of Microsoft as part of MSN. On 21 December 2004 it was purchased by the Washington Post Company...
, stated that with the song as well as his other antics Borat managed to offend everyone:
- ...Borat's performance of "In My Country There Is Problem (Throw the Jew Down the Well)" on an episode of Da Ali G Show [is] a densely packed piece of sociopolitical parodyParodyA parody , in current usage, is an imitative work created to mock, comment on, or trivialise an original work, its subject, author, style, or some other target, by means of humorous, satiric or ironic imitation...
: an incitement to pogromPogromA pogrom is a form of violent riot, a mob attack directed against a minority group, and characterized by killings and destruction of their homes and properties, businesses, and religious centres...
("Throw the Jew down the well/ So my country can be free/ You must grab him by his horns/ Then we have a big party") sung by a British Jew disguised as a Central AsiaCentral AsiaCentral Asia is a core region of the Asian continent from the Caspian Sea in the west, China in the east, Afghanistan in the south, and Russia in the north...
n bumpkin before a whooping, BudBudweiser (Anheuser-Busch)Budweiser is a 5.0% abv American-style lager introduced in 1876 by Adolphus Busch and one of the highest selling beers in the United States. It is made with up to 30% rice in addition to hops and barley malt. Budweiser is produced in various breweries located around the world...
-swilling audience at a Tucson, Ariz., honky-tonkHonky tonkA honky-tonk is a type of bar that provides musical entertainment to its patrons...
. It's hilarious. It's catchy. And it's a perfect distillation of Borat's satiricalSatireSatire is primarily a literary genre or form, although in practice it can also be found in the graphic and performing arts. In satire, vices, follies, abuses, and shortcomings are held up to ridicule, ideally with the intent of shaming individuals, and society itself, into improvement...
attack, designed to offend and indict just about everyone: Old EuropeOld EuropeOld Europe is a term that was first used by then-U.S. Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld in January 2003 to refer to European countries that did not support the 2003 invasion of Iraq, specifically France and Germany...
and Middle America, fulminating right-wingRight-wing politicsIn politics, Right, right-wing and rightist generally refer to support for a hierarchical society justified on the basis of an appeal to natural law or tradition. To varying degrees, the Right rejects the egalitarian objectives of left-wing politics, claiming that the imposition of equality is...
ers and piously PCPolitical correctnessPolitical correctness is a term which denotes language, ideas, policies, and behavior seen as seeking to minimize social and institutional offense in occupational, gender, racial, cultural, sexual orientation, certain other religions, beliefs or ideologies, disability, and age-related contexts,...
liberalsLiberalismLiberalism is the belief in the importance of liberty and equal rights. Liberals espouse a wide array of views depending on their understanding of these principles, but generally, liberals support ideas such as constitutionalism, liberal democracy, free and fair elections, human rights,...
, in addition to Kazakhstan's President Nursultan NazarbayevNursultan NazarbayevNursultan Abishuly Nazarbayev has served as the President of Kazakhstan since the nation received its independence in 1991, after the fall of the Soviet Union...
and Anti-Defamation LeagueAnti-Defamation LeagueThe Anti-Defamation League is an international non-governmental organization based in the United States. Describing itself as "the nation's premier civil rights/human relations agency", the ADL states that it "fights anti-Semitism and all forms of bigotry, defends democratic ideals and protects...
director Abraham FoxmanAbraham FoxmanAbraham H. Foxman is the National Director of the Anti-Defamation League.-Early life:Foxman, an only son, was born in Baranovichi, just months after the USSR took the town from Poland in the Nazi-Soviet Pact and incorporated it into the BSSR. The town is now in Belarus...
.
After the episode had been broadcast, the Anti-Defamation League
Anti-Defamation League
The Anti-Defamation League is an international non-governmental organization based in the United States. Describing itself as "the nation's premier civil rights/human relations agency", the ADL states that it "fights anti-Semitism and all forms of bigotry, defends democratic ideals and protects...
sent Baron Cohen an open letter warning him that, while they understood the message he had intended the sketch to deliver, they were concerned that this aspect may not have been grasped by his audience. The organization issued a similar statement prior to the release of the Borat film.
See also
- Antisemitism
- List of British Jewish comedians