Documentary/Reality Show Self-defense: How to Defend Against the Likes of Borat

It's amusing to read all the feedback on BORAT. What did those people expect? I guess they went out of their way to get "innocent" folks to play their tricks on - But HOW can anyone be that innocent after all the Survivor shows and Michael Moore movies? But for those who want to fly that close to the sun and get their mugs on TV or in their local theaters - here are a few survival tips from on who has been there.

Don't trust them. The filmmakers/producers are out for their own purposes, and you are grist for their mill. They will do anything to produce dramatic and amusing content, including humiliating you and putting you in the worst possible light. For example, I got a chance to fly to Toronto for a talk show. The topic was "How difficult it is to be beautiful" - which is already dangerous, as how did they know I qualified?

But I am an actress and in the Player's Directory - which I told the lady who interviewed me - so I thought they would check. But the whole Hollywood beauty thing was something I wanted to talk about - and unmask the girl who looks good for one day in her red swimsuit in that TV show because of her drug use - but we never see what happens to her later....when the drugs affect her health & her looks...

So off I went. First thing, I was going to shower & prepare myself in my hotel room, but they rushed me out. I later realized it was a tactic to get me off guard - the first of many. Then we were all put in a small green room - and it seemed that we were being encouraged to bare our souls and they tried to stir up some antagonism. What's more, the women in the room, weren't that good looking.

So something was afoot - especially when the makeup guy looked at me & said with a gasp - "She is beautiful" and then although he did my hair, didn't put on lipstick. (I snuck out & put some on myself, knowing that without makeup, I would look awful.) So, I realized that they were going to play on the delusions of women who THOUGHT they were beautiful, but weren't. One of the women had had every surgery under the sun and looked very pulled and plastic, with weird arching eyebrows painted on. (Although she looked OK on camera, oddly enough.) The other one had lost a lot of weight.

When we went on I was sitting next to a gorgeous model and an attractive actress (who hadn't been in the green room) - and we did talk about the downside of good looks - jealousy and the like. And the actress talked about maintenance & how hard it was & the model about the pressure to lose more & more weight. So far so good. Then a man stood up in the audience and pointed at me and asked why I was on the show as I wasn't so good looking and pointed to the woman next to him as being attractive and asked why she wasn't on the show.

I kept my cool and replied that yes, she was attractive, but they had chosen me to be on the program, not her! That got him. I think he was a plant, and I was supposed to be insulted and get hysterical, but I didn't....Although it was a bit of a shock. Afterwards, people there apologized for the incident - but not the producers, obviously - who had wanted more blood. Luckily for me they were relatively mild-mannered - & the show didn't survive. But I got my trip! and a chance to air my views.

I also have had minor incidents in which I wound up on a hidden camera show. My old boyfriend did, too. It was Candid Camera - and was so funny they paid him for the clip - I tried, but couldn't get any money for my appearance. It was silly - but I played along with them - just for the experience. I think the key is that the producers are counting on ripping off your respectable social mask and revealing your dark inner side. The best protection is not to have a dark inner side to reveal! If you truly are innocent, you may be amusing without being humiliated - because the humiliation comes from a public display of traits you would rather have hidden.

But remember that the filmmakers always have the last word - because they can edit what you have given them. The participants in the reality shows on TV have woken up to realize that. So there is always a bit of a risk. Try to figure out where they are coming from. And if you are uncomfortable with that - Just Say NO. They will also hand you a release to sign - on that piece of paper are all the rights that you are signing away for a small remuneration or gratis. So if it's a major motion picture Don't sign it all away unless you feel that being up there is worth it (as it may be).

There is actually some discussion in the acting community as to whether or not being on reality shows and the like will help you with your career. ( We all do game shows, etc. ) I think the old show biz saw that any PR is good PR applies here. I mean, Jerry Springer was just on Dancing with the Stars...But you have to be smart and judicious. So a little bit here and there will be good camera experience, if nothing else.

Come to think of it, in this day of media we ALL need to be a bit savvy as to how to present ourselves in the media. I have done infomercials and it turned out one was a STING by NBC - The product was actually cocoa in a capsule. Now I really felt that it had had some effect - could have been the cocoa, and because I was being honest, did not get caught in their trap, as others involved did. So if you are honest, 9 times out of 10 you will be safe. They count on people lying just to get on camera!

Now if the people on Borat acted out of good nature and were just perplexed by what they were presented with, I am sure that they come off much better than those who acted less kindly. So - if you are faced with this situation, remember this article and ask yourself whether you want to play their game or not, and be prepared for a few curve balls. If you play well enough, you might be able to get a trip to Chicago or whatever and still come out intact!