Former United Nations Chief Boutros Boutros-Ghali died on February 16 after an accomplished career. The Egyptian-born diplomat was 93. I have to be totally honest — I knew little about him. One thing I did remember, however, was this:
One of the most brilliant elements of Sacha Baron Cohen's demented brainchild, "Da Ali G Show," was his ability to secure and conduct cringe-worthy interviews with famous people as his alter ego, the eponymous Ali G. The show was a fascinating study of human character, leaving politicians and intellectuals at the mercy of a British gangsta wannabe and his unintelligible, often highly offensive, questions.
Boutros-Ghali's career in diplomacy was not without controversy, but in the Ali G interview, he is likeable. As soon as Cohen adds a "Boutros Boutros" to his name, the UN Chief starts smiling. When asked if the funniest language in the UN is French, Boutros-Ghali counters gleefully: "Not necessarily, maybe Arabic is more funny... it depends to whom!" He's having a great time. When Cohen asks him to spell out the French swearword "merde," Boutros-Ghali obliges with a twinkle in his eye.
Man, I always had a soft spot for "Boutros Boutros Boutros Boutros-Ghali" after that. And re-watching Ali G's political interviews, it's surprising how gracious many of his subjects are. James Baker, former Chief of Staff to Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush, patiently explains that the "carrots and sticks" reward-and-punishment idiom in international relations does not literally mean that foreign countries are offered root vegetables as an incentive for good behavior. Former Republican Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich calmly counters Ali G's suggestion that a female president would fall in love with Saddam Hussein because "women... they love bastards."
Donald Trump's appearance on "Da Ali G Show" stands out. Let's take a look:
There it is — the Trump "O Face," as early as 2003. We get some shrugs, a sardonic raising of the eyebrows. The orange-maned titan twiddles his fingers aggressively, ready to lunge out of his chair in disdain. He is impatient and dismissive. He has no time for Ali G's visionary sales pitch, the Ice Cream Glove (enabling mankind to eat ice cream cones with warm, un-dripped-upon hands — brilliant). Trump walks out of the interview in under 60 seconds.
Perhaps this wasn't the "true" Donald J. Trump. After all, he would have us believe that the views of Trump in the Private Sector are not equal to the views of Trump the Republican Presidential Candidate, at least when it comes to the Iraq War. Regardless, this interview is a long way from Ali G's conversations with patient elderly statesmen and the delightful Boutros Boutros Boutros... Boutros-Ghali. Maybe it's just that Donald Trump hates ice cream and joy.
Or maybe Trump sussed out a fellow con man as soon as he walked in the room. It takes one to know one.
