It looks like more people are crawling out of the woodwork to sue Borat. Today we learn that a NY man is suing because his civil rights were violated. We get the story and following excerpt from IMDB:
A New York resident is suing the makers of Borat: Cultural Learnings Of America For Make Benefit Glorious Nation Of Kazakhstan, claiming his civil rights were violated during his brief cameo. Jeffrey Lemerond, 31, has filed suit under the name John Doe, in a U.S. District Court, after he appeared in the 2006 movie running away in fear from Sacha Baron Cohen’s Kazakh character Borat Sadiyev.
In the suit, Lemerond claims he did not give permission for his likeness to be used in the movie and “as a result of defendant’s outrageous and illegal conducts, Plaintiff has suffered public ridicule, degradation and humiliation.” Lemerond noted that while Fox studios pixilated his face in the movie’s trailer, they did not follow suit in the actual movie and subsequent DVD release, according to documents posted on TheSmokingGun.com.
I can see how your friends and co-workers may bust your chops if you got burned by Borat. This was the dude that ran from Borat on the New York city street. Borat didn’t even have an opportunity to make fun of the guy, because he ran like a coward. He was a fleeting moment in the film and I do not think anyone outside his work/family circle would even recognize him from the film if they met him face to face.
What the fuck happened to people having fun with being in media. I remember when I was a kid how thrilled I was to be in the local paper. This guy has his image in the Borat film and he is acting like a bitch. I can understand some people in the film being upset at Cohen for making them look stupid, intolerant, and ignorant; but not this guy. As far as I am concerned this is a dude looking for easy money.
Now granted, this guy may have a case, and to the letter of the law he may win. I just think this move is motivated by greed and the actions of a spoiled sport. Buddy needs to learn how to take a joke and quit being a douche-bag.
