Borat evokes a mixture of hilarity and embarrassment

Borat, evokes a mixture of hilarity, embarrassment, and horror.
Borat is a Kazakhstani journalist (played by Sacha Baron Cohen) who is sent to America to find out more about ‘the best country in the world’.
His character is a racist, sexist, journalist, who is a hero in his own country.
Cohen claims to have developed the character as a tool to bring out the worst in people, the racism and prejudice which still openly exists in the United States.
I saw this film twice, once knowing nothing of Cohen’s aims nor the film’s content and the second understanding the reasoning behind the explicit racism in the film.
As an avid believer of political correctness, a considerable proportion of the scenes in the film shocked me and I found it hard to believe that it was allowed to be shown here in the UK.
Many scenes are extremely funny, but are overshadowed by the vulgarity of the insults, portrayed by Borat’s innocence throughout.
The greatest moments of humour, were the situations Cohen and the American people found themselves in.
Many such scenes, although funny, carried a squirm rating of 10, and two thirds of the way in, I found myself clock watching.
Clearly believing Cohen is an innocent Kazakhstani, the American people are overly polite and unaware they are being set up.
As a society of Bush-hating Brits, where the majority believe all Americans are stupid, this humour goes down well.
What I think is not understandable, is Borat himself being bigoted and racist is a situation where he is not trying to evoke a reaction.
At one point he is shocked at seeing a black man for the first time and says: “This man is a real chocolate face, no make up” - Is this really necessary?
If left out would this have reduced the impact of the film?
The ongoing characterisation that all Kazakhstanis are anti-Semites is also incomprehensible, and I think unnecessary.
This leads me to question, why has this film has been such a success?
In bringing out the worst in the American people, he seems to have brought out the worse in us all.
This film is funny in many ways, the form with Kazakhstan subtitles and national anthem, give the whole piece a fantastic realism.
However, I worry that many will be laughing at the film, for the wrong reasons, laughing that someone is at last agreeing that gay men should be, ‘strung up’ or that women have a ‘brain the size of squirrel’.
This film may be used as a tool for like minded people to be racist and prejudice.
My advise is, watch it, but watch it knowing that it’s aims are to comment on political correctness and to evoke a reaction in you, do not belittle yourself and join in with the racism, instead appreciate its humour and intelligence.