Men In Borat-Style Mankinis Charged With ‘Hooliganism’ In Kazakh Capital
Six scantily clad Czech tourists wearing “Borat!”-inspired bathing suits were detained by authorities in Astana, the capital of Kazakhstan, the Guardian reported. The men were attempting to take a picture in front of the city’s large “I Love Astana” sculpture while wearing black afro wigs and neon green mankinis.
The men were charged with “minor hooliganism,” according to a Kazakh-language news outlet. Each was fined 22,500 tenge, or about $67.
The mankinis were largely popularized by Sacha Baron Cohen in his movie “Borat!: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan.” In the movie, the character Borat wears the mankini to the “beach” in his small village, which appears to be a patch of sand near an industrial canal.
The Kazakh government originally banned sales of the controversial movie. However, Kazakh government ministers have since credited the movie with boosting tourism to the former Soviet bloc country.
Contact Ari Feldman at feldman@forward.com or on Twitter @aefeldman.
I hope you appreciated this article. Before you go, I’d like to ask you to please support the Forward’s award-winning, nonprofit journalism during this critical time.
Now more than ever, American Jews need independent news they can trust, with reporting driven by truth, not ideology. We serve you, not any ideological agenda.
At a time when other newsrooms are closing or cutting back, the Forward has removed its paywall and invested additional resources to report on the ground from Israel and around the U.S. on the impact of the war, rising antisemitism and the protests on college campuses.
Readers like you make it all possible. Support our work by becoming a Forward Member and connect with our journalism and your community.
Make a gift of any size and become a Forward member today. You’ll support our mission to tell the American Jewish story fully and fairly.
— Rachel Fishman Feddersen, Publisher and CEO
Join our mission to tell the Jewish story fully and fairly.