There are calls for an American Republican Party lawmaker to resign after he was filmed spouting racist language on Sacha Baron Cohen's new TV show, Who Is America?
The show is definitely ruffling some feathers on both sides of the pond at the minute. This time it could just cost someone their job.
Representative Jason Spencer was filmed using the N-word on several occasions, as well as dropping his trousers and showing his backside in bizarre scenes on the Channel 4 and Showtime show.
During the shoot, Cohen was playing the part of Israeli counter-terror expert Captain Erran Morad, and convinced Spencer that he was receiving a lesson in counter terrorism.
He definitely wasn't.
First off, Cohen told him to use a selfie stick to look up women's burkas to see if they were a terrorist or not. This prompted Spencer to perform a derogatory impression of an Asian person, which has been widely condemned as 'racist'. Not a good start.
It then got worse.
Cohen told him that in his role as a prominent member of the Republican party, he might be targeted by terrorists for kidnapping. He told Spencer that if he was getting kidnapped, he should shout to attract attention.
The actor then advised Spencer: "In America, there is one forbidden word. It is the N-word. Now, I'm going to be the terrorist. You have three seconds to attract attention. Go!"
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Spencer promptly shouted the N-word 4 times at the top of his voice, only for Cohen to respond: "Are you crazy? The N-word is 'noony,' not this word. This word is disgusting."
Then, in possibly the most bizarre section, the politician dropped his trousers and ran at Cohen as part of his training. He was told by Cohen that if he bared his backside at the attacker and touched him with his buttocks that the attacker would become a homosexual.
Then, in a post credits scene, he used the N-word again - this time seemingly without having been led there - in a rant that was supposed to be a 'message to terrorists'.
All in all, not a good look for the politician.
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Spencer obviously knew that this was going to happen before the show aired, and released a statement threatening legal action if it was broadcast.
He said:"It is clear the makers of this film intended to deceive me in an attempt to undermine the American conservative political movement; therefore, I have sought legal counsel to challenge this illegal and unethical behaviour and plan on taking action if and when any of this fraudulently obtained footage of me is used by these Hollywood liberals to line their own pockets.
He continued: "They exploited my state of mind for profit and notoriety. This media company's deceptive and fraudulent behaviour is exactly why President Donald Trump was elected."
Spencer is known for his conservative politics, as well as for threatening a fellow state representative. The speaker of the Georgia House of Representatives, David Ralston, said: "Representative Spencer has disgraced himself and should resign immediately. Georgia is better than this."
The Governor of Georgia, Nathan Deal, also tweeted: "The actions and language used by Jason Spencer are appalling and offensive. There is no excuse for this type of behavior, ever, and I am saddened and disgusted by it."
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In a second statement, Spencer apologised for his actions, and said that he will not run for re-election, but added that he won't step down in the meantime.
He said: "I apologise to my family, friends and the people of my district for this ridiculously ugly episode. Finally, there are calls for me to resign. I recently lost my primary election, so I will not be eligible to hold office next term.
"Therefore, I will finish the remaining five months at my post and vacate my seat."
Featured Image Credit: Channel 4/ShowtimeTopics: TV and Film, News, Sacha Baron Cohen, US News, UK Entertainment, US Entertainment, Politics
