A Commentary on the Frat Boys' Lawsuit Against Borat

The other day, I was flipping through the radio stations in my car [sadly, I have yet to install a CD player and my car did not come equipped with even a cassette tape deck] and came across a woman mentioning the recently-released to theaters movie, Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan. Apparently, a few people are in an uproar, namely some included in the film, as they feel duped into believing it was a real documentary.

Two people who appeared in the film have gone so far as to file a law suit against 20th Century Fox as well as three other production companies, according to an Associated Press article entitled "Frat boys sue studio over 'Borat' appearance", which can be found at MSNBC. Having recently graduated from college with a Bachelor's degree in Film and Video Production, I am all too aware of the importance of the release form in the making of any of film. Although I personally feel as though filmmakers should employ an individual sense of artistic integrity when making their projects, this does not, in any way, alleviate those signing the form from responsibility.

Verbal statements account for practically nothing in our legal system, and if you are going to sign a contract, the simple use of your brain sparks the idea to ensure that you are, in fact, signing a contract that details accurately what has been described to you. (We all know the outcome of the story about the innocent man who can't read and the cop who draws up a statement of guilt.) This all relates to a handshake. Some people shake hands and never dream of going back on that deal. Others feel as though until the form is drawn up and signed, the deal is subject to change. But the ultimate outcome is the same in both cases - once you sign, the deal is set. The important thing is to be aware of the deal itself.