Abel Raises Cain

If Borat had a father, it would be this guy. Abel Raises Cain!

Before there were such terms as "mockumentary" or "punked," Alan Abel was able to play out many outlandish pranks, letting the media be unwitting co-conspirators. Like forming a committee to clothe "naked" animals. His wife pretending to be a Jewish housewife to run for president. A committee to ban breastfeeding as a salacious, incestuous act (one he's pulled many times over the years, and still getting the same expected reactions). A fake Powerball winner. A school to show people how to be successful beggars. He even pretended to be Howard Hughes, and had people fainting in Phil Donahue's audience. His aim is not exactly to make fun of people, but more to show how the media (especially trashy talk shows) and the public will believe anything (especially without fact-checking) and sometimes to make social commentary.

The guy is in his 80s now and I think he's still pulling the occasional prank. This documentary is filmed by his daughter and includes day-to-day life, old news footage and media coverage, and there are many more interesting pranks depicted in the film and in the special features section of the DVD. Whether or not it is a good or well-made film, it is a fascinating historical documentation on how gullible and greedy the media is, not only to fall for a prank but to be duped again and again by the same prank; how the more outlandish the prank, the more it is believed and its topic reviled to Abel's amusement; and how people still want to get their 15 minutes of fame.

Don't believe everything you see on television!