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‘Borat’ With Bill Simmons and Kyle Brandt

May 19, 2026 · Borat (2006) · Comedy · 1:23:42 · ▶ Listen on Spotify

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Horlbeck Runtime Scale

Bill Simmons▶ 25:29Minus 16 on the Horlbeck scale, likely the shortest movie they've done (84 minutes)
Kyle Brandt▶ 25:40Notes an intro clip is longer than the movie, but says the short runtime is fine and could even be shorter

Most Rewatchable Scene

Bill Simmons▶ 28:02The opening scene in the town where Borat introduces everyone (running of the Jew, the egg, the town rapist, the mechanic and town abortionist)
Kyle Brandt▶ 29:20The New York street scene where Borat confronts the 'my fucking hero' guy who threatens to pop him in the balls

Dion Waiters Award

Bill Simmons▶ 30:06Pat Haggerty, the humor coach
Kyle Brandt▶ 30:02Weatherman on Channel 16 (the guy who 'barely can do the weather' during Borat's news segment)

Probably Unanswerable Questions

Bill Simmons▶ 38:19Raises unanswerable poop questions (was it real, did he poop in a bag, where'd they get it), and on the blurred penis question says he thinks it's blurred because Borat's dick is so big, though Sasha Baron Cohen producing may have wanted it to seem bigger; prefers the blurred version to full nudity
Kyle Brandt▶ 38:40Wonders logistically what happens to the poop bag (assumes you just put it in the street trash like dog poop), and questions whether the penis blur is a joke about size or modesty for Sasha Baron Cohen; ultimately says leave it as is

Picking Nits

Bill Simmons▶ 42:18The elevator reaction shot is unrealistic — the people in the elevator underreacted; he'd be way more horrified if two naked guys got in an elevator with him, especially with women present.
Bill Simmons▶ 43:56On the frat guys' 'don't let a woman make you who you are' line: 'I can't decide if that was great advice or incoherent.'
Kyle Brandt▶ 40:48Why did they blur the nudity at all in some shots? It's a half measure — if they're going that far with the scene, just show it fully instead of blurring.

Coach Finstock Life Lesson

Bill Simmons▶ 44:00The frat guys' drunken interview scene where one says he'd 'never let a woman make him who he is' - moral: 'Do not let a woman ever, ever make you who you are' (mocking the frat bros' sexist bravado as the film's target)
Kyle Brandt▶ 44:21Agrees with the frat guy scene as the takeaway moment, elaborating that the guys are exposed as idiots ('I call people and have sex with them and don't call them back... because they don't have my respect'), feels no sympathy/protectiveness for them since they're adults who knowingly performed on camera

Butch's Girlfriend Award

Bill Simmons▶ 58:25The movie's length/runtime is the weak link - he thinks it's too short and needed 1-2 more scenes (e.g. from the road trip), though he also agrees with Kyle that the etiquette/manners dinner lady scene is bad.
Kyle Brandt▶ 59:06The scene where the etiquette/manners teacher (a nice older woman teaching Borat and Azamat dinner manners) is shown the Polaroids of the naked wrestling/genitals photos - he finds it disturbing that this kind woman had to see that.

Apex Mountain

Kyle Brandt▶ 1:00:42Apex Mountain for movies that set off accent frenzies — every person under the sun was saying 'high five!' / 'my wife' (beating Fargo's 'oh you betcha' and the Arnold impressions).

Stephen A. Smith Hottest Take Award

Kyle Brandt▶ 1:03:32We as a culture should bring back the kiss left, kiss right greeting instead of handshakes, even among male friends like at a fantasy draft, because it's classy, retro cool, and hands are dirtier than faces.

Casting What-Ifs

Bill Simmons▶ 1:04:33Notes that Johnny Depp, George Clooney, and Steve Martin all wanted roles in the movie because they loved Sacha Baron Cohen, but he turned them down; no actual recast discussed.

Is This Movie Better With

Bill Simmons▶ 1:16:52Suggests adding the 'let that tongue go' guy from Borat to the recurring utility player list, and pitches a bit where Naked Borat and Naked Azamat crash a 1993 cardiologists' conference, working in Dr. Charles Nichols from The Fugitive
Kyle Brandt▶ 1:16:20Riffs on having the 'let that tongue go' guy roast all the Rewatchables hosts instead of directly picking someone for the movie; praises Bill's Dr. Charles Nichols/Fugitive bit as a great inclusion

Just One Oscar

Bill Simmons▶ 1:18:34Best Lead Actor for Sacha Baron Cohen (initially considered screenplay)

Best Double Feature

Bill Simmons▶ 1:20:03Best in Show followed by Borat
Kyle Brandt▶ 1:20:11Borat and Bruno, watched Bruno which he thought was not as good as Borat but still funny

Who Won the Movie

Bill Simmons▶ 1:20:35Sasha Baron Cohen (Borat)

Movies Referenced (33)

Wayne's World (1992)

6 mentions · Kyle Brandt, Bill Simmons▶ 31:31IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Baywatch (2017)

4 mentions · Kyle Brandt, Bill Simmons▶ 32:45IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Blood Diamond (2006)

3 mentions · Bill Simmons, Kyle Brandt▶ 1:02:07IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Road Trip (2000)

3 mentions · Bill Simmons, Kyle Brandt▶ 17:57IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Best in Show (2000)

2 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 9:16IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Blair Witch (2016)

2 mentions · Bill Simmons, Kyle Brandt▶ 9:21IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Jingle All the Way (1996)

2 mentions · Kyle Brandt▶ 32:37IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Joker (2019)

2 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 17:48IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Little Miss Sunshine (2006)

2 mentions · Bill Simmons, Kyle Brandt▶ 1:03:08IMDb ↗Lb ↗

The Hangover (2009)

2 mentions · Kyle Brandt, Bill Simmons▶ 17:57IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Beverly Hills Cop (1984)

1 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 4:56IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Boogie Nights (1997)

1 mentions · Kyle Brandt▶ 1:13:01IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Directors Referenced (7)

Todd Phillips

9 mentions · Bill Simmons, Kyle Brandt · Known for Joker, Due Date, Old School▶ 16:30IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Charles Nichols

3 mentions · Bill Simmons, Kyle Brandt▶ 1:17:28IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Brit Manor

2 mentions · Bill Simmons, Kyle Brandt▶ 37:20IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Larry Charles

2 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for The Dictator▶ 19:18IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Anson Jew

1 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for Passengers, Wonder Woman▶ 28:27IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Brian Robbins

1 mentions · Kyle Brandt▶ 1:10:51IMDb ↗Lb ↗

George Clooney

1 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for The Ides of March, Good Night, and Good Luck., Michael Clayton▶ 1:04:33IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Actors Referenced (45)

Sacha Baron Cohen

18 mentions · Bill Simmons, Kyle Brandt · Known for Borat, Borat Subsequent Moviefilm▶ 2:04IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Huey Lewis

8 mentions · Bill Simmons, Kyle Brandt · Known for Back to the Future, Short Cuts▶ 1:05:26IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Pamela Anderson

8 mentions · Bill Simmons, Kyle Brandt · Known for The Last Showgirl▶ 43:04IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Paris Hilton

7 mentions · · Known for House of Wax▶ 55:18IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Eddie Murphy

4 mentions · Bill Simmons, Kyle Brandt · Known for Harlem Nights, The Nutty Professor▶ 4:56IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Garry Shandling

4 mentions · Bill Simmons, Kyle Brandt · Known for Captain America: The Winter Soldier▶ 1:10:09IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Kid Rock

4 mentions · Bill Simmons, Kyle Brandt · Known for Into the Storm, Matchstick Men▶ 49:34IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Johnny Depp

3 mentions · Bill Simmons, Kyle Brandt · Known for Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl▶ 39:43IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Mike Myers

3 mentions · Bill Simmons, Kyle Brandt · Known for Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me, Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery▶ 6:07IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Alan Arkin

2 mentions · Bill Simmons, Kyle Brandt · Known for Argo, Little Miss Sunshine, Glengarry Glen Ross▶ 1:03:08IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Chevy Chase

2 mentions · Bill Simmons, Kyle Brandt · Known for Memoirs of an Invisible Man, Caddyshack, National Lampoon's Vacation▶ 4:59IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Conan O'Brien

2 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for The Lego Batman Movie▶ 6:44IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Writers Referenced (4)

Isaac Asimov

4 mentions · Bill Simmons, Kyle Brandt · Known for Bicentennial Man▶ 7:22IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Critical Role

1 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 1:03:02IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Roger Ebert

1 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 25:57IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Taylor Worst

1 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 1:19:37IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Cinematographers Referenced (2)

Buzz Aldrin

1 mentions · Kyle Brandt · Known for Transformers: Dark of the Moon, Apollo 11▶ 15:02IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Mike Toland

1 mentions · Kyle Brandt · Known for 21 Bridges, Hustle, Obvious Child▶ 1:10:47IMDb ↗Lb ↗