Sacha Baron Cohen's new political prank show Who Is America? hasn't even aired yet — and already it's making headlines.
The show was a year in the making, with Borat and Ali G star Cohen once again donning disguises to dupe unsuspecting people.
Producer/writer/actor Sacha Baron Cohen arrives at the Premiere Of Columbia Pictures And Village Roadshow Pictures 'The Brothers Grimsby'. Photo / Getty
This time, he's going after powerful US political figures — the first teaser for the series showed former US Vice President Dick Cheney happily autographing Cohen's "waterboarding kit" mid-interview, apparently unaware he's in the notorious comedian's presence.
Now, Sarah Palin has confessed she too fell victim to Cohen's antics.
The former Vice Presidential nominee penned a lengthy Facebook post today admitting she'd been "duped" by Cohen, and slamming the comic for the tactics he used to convince her to take part in his program.
"Yup — we were duped. Ya got me, Sacha. Feel better now?" Palin's post began.
"I join a long list of American public personalities who have fallen victim to the evil, exploitive, sick 'humour' of the British 'comedian' Sacha Baron Cohen, enabled and sponsored by CBS/Showtime."
Palin explained that she had been approached via a speakers bureau with a "legit opportunity" to honour American war veterans as part of a "legit Showtime historical documentary".
Borat and Brittany Murphy are seen on stage at the 12th annual MTV Europe Music Awards 2005 at the Atlantic Pavilion on November 3, 2005 in Lisbon, Portugal. Photo / Getty
"For my interview, my daughter and I were asked to travel across the country where Cohen (I presume) had heavily disguised himself as a disabled US veteran, fake wheelchair and all. Out of respect for what I was led to believe would be a thoughtful discussion with someone who had served in uniform, I sat through a long 'interview' full of Hollywoodism's disrespect and sarcasm — but finally had enough and literally, physically removed my mic and walked out, much to Cohen's chagrin. The disrespect of our US military and middle-class Americans via Cohen's foreign commentaries under the guise of interview questions was perverse."
Palin instructed "shallow Sacha boy" to air the footage — "experience tells us it will be heavily edited, not pretty, and intended to humiliate" — but issued him a challenge: to donate to a charitable group "that actually respects and supports American Vets".
"Mock politicians and innocent public personalities all you want, if that lets you sleep at night, but HOW DARE YOU mock those who have fought and served our country. Truly sick," she continued.
Palin also alleged that, after "great costs on our part in time and resources" to attend the interview, Cohen's production team purposely dropped her and her daughter off at the wrong Washington DC airport, meaning they missed their flight home.
"Feel good and manly about your M.O, Sacha? By the way, my daughter thinks you're a piece of ****, Sacha. Every honourable American Vet should feel the same."
This isn't the first time Palin's been publicly tricked — in 2008 she was embarrassed by a prank call from Canadian comedians The Masked Avengers, pretending to be then French president Nicolas Sarkozy. The full, cringe-worthy phone call — with Palin unaware she was being pranked, even as the pretend Sarkozy boasted about his "love of killing animals" and "hot model wife in bed" — was aired on Canadian radio.
Who Is America? premieres on Soho and Neon, Monday July 16
