Everybody was expecting Bruno to be uncomfortable, perhaps even in the same vain as Borat, but thanks to Barbara Walters of “The View”, we know it is much worst.
The show opened the morning of July 14th with Bruno as the first topic. Joy Behar and Walters were the only two of the ladies who had seen the movie. They each gave their honest opinion of the movie – Behar's review was not a surprise.
To listen to Behar's evaluation of the movie it would seem it was just an edgy light-hearted comedy, not meant for the easily offended. Therefore, it was up to Walters to give the movie the straightforward evaluation it deserved.
“There were times when he is hilarious.” explicated Walters, “There are 12-year-olds here. This is a movie that is listed as R, which means you can come with a parent. If you are a parent, do not bring your child to this movie. There are close-ups, which Joy did not mention, of penises and pubic hair as close as this with it wagging like this. (This is going to make you all want to go see this movie and that's why I'm sorry to go through this.)” Walters explained vividly, with hand motions to match. She continued to detail the movie and the negative impact she believed it would have, “Bruno is supposedly an Austrian homosexual. This movie purports to make people who are homophobic know more. I think if you're not homophobic, it could make you. I don't need to know how you are doing anal intercourse.”
Although she admitted “It's quite vile. You can't imagine what he does and what he shows”, Behar told how, despite of all that was described by Walters (including an “anal intercourse machine”), she was still “not shocked by any of that.”
Walters refused to support Bruno's exploitation of “the little people” (basically, the unsuspecting people who are being constantly ridiculed in the movie.) Also, she disapproved of the scenes with the not-so-little. “They say he pretends to be, in this case, he would be an Austrian interviewer. He interviews Ron Paul for example who had the good sense to walk out.”
Walters acknowledged the proper amount of respect for elected officials; whereas Behar did not. “That whole scene is hilarious.” Behar interrupted, “I just think it was funny.”
Walters ended her critique with a final plea: “My point is you want to go see this movie? It's not as funny as Borat, it hasn't gotten the same reviews. What I'm saying is this is a movie that is almost as pornographic as any pornographic thing I've seen that's in your neighborhood movie theater. Go see it. Have a good time. Part of it is boring. Sometimes it's very funny. But for heaven's sakes, don't take your children.”
Whoopi Goldberg agreed with Walters, but only in that special way of hers.
“A 12-foot penis on a screen is not my idea of a good time…In the house, yes.”
