Booyakasha. For those of you who aren't hip to the viciously funny Ali G Show, here's the deal: He's comic Sascha Baron Cohen, whose three alter egos -- london ghetto superstar Ali, fey Austrian fashion reporter Bruno, and hapless Kazahkstani naif Barat -- offer ample fodder for hilarity as they attempt to interact with various member of the uninformed populace: from Pat Buchanan to Boutros Boutros-Ghali. If you don't have HBO, you can pick up the DVD of the first season of Ali's American run. (He's be a sensation in Britain for years.) A last resort: Download some clips from his site. Respect.

Harold Check