Iwasn’t very impressed by season one of Who Is America? Sure Sacha Baron Cohen, under the guise of elaborate characters, prompted politicians to say problematic or embarrassing things on-camera, but given their party affiliations and voting records, nothing he uncovered really surprised me. However, SBC recently outdid himself and garnered the most striking confession he’s gotten yet: my father, Frank “The Iceberg” Cripe, is proud of me.
Ever since I was born, my father has reacted to me with an attitude ranging from disinterest to full-on disappointment. Whether I was getting cut from the basketball team, enrolling in community college, or getting a job as a junior social media editor – nothing could earn Frank’s approval. I’ll never forget the day I learned to ride a bike and he scoffed at me, “When I was your age, I could build a bike.”
That all changed last week when Sacha Baron Cohen disguised himself as another parent under the name “Ali G” (I guess he’s run out of characters?) who confronted my father at a local bar. Joining my dad for drinks, Cohen began making digs at how much more successful his fake child is than me. At first, my dad was on his side, agreeing that “My daughter’s so weak she can’t even out-drink me.” But as the insults got harsher, my dad got pretty defensive, arguing that he was a better father than Ali G, and that I’m not so bad of a daughter. In the heat of the moment, Cohen confronted him with the big question: “Oh yeah? So you’re proud of her?” to which my father angrily retorted, “Fine!”
I couldn’t believe my ears! I’ve been waiting years for this validation and it feels amazing (even if it was the result of a reality TV “gotcha!” trap). I cannot thank Mr. Cohen enough for his groundbreaking work!
Of course, in the aftermath of the interview, Frank has been adamantly denying the sentiment, claiming “I was tricked! He filled me with alcohol and baited me into saying it! I am not proud of her! This is fake news!”
My father may have lost his job as a congressman over his remarks, but the validation it’s given me as a person was worth it. This is my dad, America.