[Updated:] Cortines steamed over 'Bruno' photo shoot

This is one of those only-in-L.A.-and-even-then-it's-a-little-too-weird-to-be-true stories.

The latest issue of GQ features a cover story about comedian Sacha Baron Cohen, in his new guise as gay Austrian fashionista "Bruno." What brought it to our attention was that GQ includes photos shot at L.A.'s Birmingham High School, featuring the barely clad Cohen cavorting with the Birmingham football team. An online slide show shows Cohen wearing shoulder pads, tight red shorts, an athletic cup and little else while engaging in "drills" with the team, in one case lying on top of a player he has evidently just "tackled."

At most, we're talking about a PG rating (for the photo shoot, not the new movie). But inasmuch as it did involve minors at a public high school, there are those who are not amused.

In particular, the stunt has incensed Los Angeles Unified School District Supt. Ramon C. Cortines, adding fuel to a debate over whether Birmingham, in Lake Balboa, should be allowed to convert to a charter school. The charter conversion is up for a vote before the school board Wednesday. "This recent GQ thing has not helped matters," Cortines said today. "We’ve allowed our students to be used, and not in the most glamorous circumstances, either."

The Daily News on Saturday quoted the superintendent as blaming Birmingham Principal Marcia Coates and Athletic Director Rick Prizant, both of whom have been among those spearheading the drive to remove the school from day-to-day district oversight and become a charter. But Cortines said today that Coates is responsible, not Prizant, and he has asked local district Supt. Jean Brown "to take the appropriate action." He did not say what that would be. (A mandatory viewing of "Borat," perhaps?)

Coates said she had been told not to comment on the matter, and Prizant said he similarly would not respond. Brown did not immediately return a call seeking comment.

— Mitchell Landsberg

[Updated at 5 p.m. with comment from Jean Brown and a clarification from Cortines:

Brown called to say that "Local District 1, on behalf of Birmingham, is very embarrassed by what has happened, and very disappointed in the judgment that allowed the students to participate in this activity.” She said she was attempting to determine who was responsible, after which "we'll decide what our next steps are going to be." She added that she was unfamiliar with Cohen and his movies but found the "nature of the poses" to be inappropriate.

Through a spokesman, Cortines called to say he hadn't intended to say that Prizant wasn't responsible, only that Coates was ultimately responsible.]

Comments

[Common Sense is knocking, why aren't you answering?]

Cortines should focus more on important things like your school and your district. How about providing a quality education at your school instead of creating attention to yourself?

[trae]

Cortines should be happy, from what I have been reading about LAUFSD, finally a success story.

[Observer]

Is the issue that Bruno is a gay character or that Cohen is using a gay character for comedic purposes?

I have not seen the movie so I have no opinion on whether the character / film is funny, offensive, or boring.

This strongest conclusion I can draw from this article is that that some school district personnel are trying to create a "Bruno issue" to counter a charter school initiative.

[Carllos M.]

If the players' parents consented and no player was coerced or pressured to do something they didn't want to, who cares? Could it be Cortines' homophobia showing in his remarks?

It's great that the players see it as no big deal if a gay man (even if fake) wants to get that close to them. Besides, doesn't the LAUSD need the money?

[Aaron]

How could people be so oblivious to we live in a world of Punk'd, TMZ, Ali G / Borat aka Sacha Boron Cohen (and he'll be making another movie like this, Borat, guranteed SO BE ON YOUR GUARD), any idiot that would've let the football team participate in such a sham is a sap, I mean, come on, really? This guy is hilarious. Why? Because he gets away with it. People are so unsuspecting, and hey, if it's not real, it's a joke, so laugh, get one with it.

[aw]

If Cortines is so out of touch that he gets upset over this, then he needs to get out of educating young people.

I saw the photos; they are funny and harmless.

This tempest-in-a-teacup smells like the fumes of a turf war. Look it, the only person raising a stink is the one who wants to maintain dominion over the school.

[Jake T]

If I ran the LAUSD, I'd be more embarrassed by the fact they're wasting money on a football team when so many of their "graduates" are functionally illiterate.

Get the basics right first, then worry about no-value-added extracurriculars later (if at all).

And let's not even get into a discussion as to whether encouraging teenagers to repeatedly run full speed into each other is anything other than child abuse. If you're going to have a school sport, at least pick one where concussions aren't routine events.

[Jeff K.]

I have no dog in this fight, so as an outside observer, I believe that the Superintendent has a point here. The issue here is that a grown man wearing next to nothing was cavorting about with underaged boys on a school campus during a school-sanctioned practice. This simply shows poor judgement, and at the least, the football coach should be fired. I am guessing if it was a fully clothed Micheal Jackson, someone's head would already be rolling.

[CL]

I wouldn't be upset if the district charged them to shoot the photos and paid the kids in the photos. The district could use the money and if its anything like my local school district they should have made over $5K for the day.

[aGarBoy]

On the ironic side: where's Eminem when we really need him! On the distressing side: where's the professionalism, the civility, the protection from exploitation, and the buck likely ever to stop! To answer my own final question, the buck will stop nowhere--guaranteed!

[Emile Zola]

"Through a spokesman, Cortines called to say he hadn't intended to say that Prizant wasn't responsible, only that Coates was ultimately responsible."

Wrong. Cortines, as head of the district, you are responsible. For the whole entire district. For the failure to graduate students. For the dismal performance of students. For paying teachers to sit around and do nothing while investigations are pending. It is not the students' fault, it is not the union's fault, it is not the parents' fault. It is your fault. You are the person in charge. You. That is what leadership is.

Voters, it is time to break up LAUSD. Now. Our kids' future is too important to waste it on jokers who play the blame game. Man I'm disgusted.

[Calvin]

To me Sasha Cohen is supremely unfunny and lacking in any sense of proportion or decency. The Borat shtick ridiculed Kazakhstan without knowledge of the nation, its people or culture. Now he is playing some weird stereotype gay guy - fashionista, flamboyant, and lecherous. He did no credit to the Kazakhs, as now he will do no credit to gay men. For his next movie I hope he plays the role of a self-centered, frivolous and boring British Jew who profits at the expense of others' dignity.

[dick radatz]

Cortines is simply trying to keep Birmingham from becoming a charter school, which may actually teach students something other than to love the LA Teachers Union !!!

[Brent Smiley]

This is what he's steamed over? Not the thousands of district workers standing in unemployment lines, not class sizes that are bursting at the seams, not the threat of furloughing employees and sending thousands of kids out onto the streets next year, but a picture advertising a new movie with a bunch of football players.

My God, what has this world come to?

[bruce]

roflmao.

i love it how the head bureaucrat seized upon this to try to block a school from becoming a charter, thereby evading his authority. i take comfort in the fact that nobody will be fired over it, because even if bruno had enjoyed gay sex with the quarterback on camera, that isn't enough to fire anyone in the teachers union.

this movie is shaping up to be a yukkfest, just like borat, it's on my "to see" list.

[Vladimir]

So let's be sure to get this straight: the fuddy-duddies at LAUSD see in Sasha Baron Cohen's once in a generation brilliant humor Very Dangerous Stuff For Minors, for which apologies must be rendered. From Sasha Baron Cohen's perspective -- and that of anyone with a sense of irony -- perfect! Perhaps our educators need to be educated that playing it safe is not necessarily the best way to educate?

[Arjay]

Shame on all. Allowing these students to be used for this photo shoot is an embarassment to the LAUSD. Their job is to protect students from such exploitation, even if they are tough footballers in uniform. Someone needs to understand that they are not yet a charter school. One has to question Coates judgment. If she has proven anything, it is that she is not fit to provide leadership at a cherter school.

[baller]

Cortines, get over it. Worry about the bigger things, like, weeding out employees getting paid to play solitaire. Or, how about that top heavy management in ITD?

[LA Teacher]

I'm sorry but the Superintendent is right. This was totally inappropriate and both the principal and the athletic director should be fired. These are people's children.

This is far more than PG stuff, and far more serious. Why would a principal lack so much judgement as to allow something like this and not even have veto power over the pictures? I can't believe how little class people have that they would think they are ok

A school should uphold the highest standards in society, not the lowest.

[Mike_S]

"Lighten up Francis."

Doesn't LAUSD have a few bigger problems than some sophomoric Bruno humor. You think there might be a little outrage and embarrassment over school cleanliness, graduation rates, literacy tests and alike. Oops, those actually require real work.

[Eric of Reseda]

FOLKS, this is just more proof that our schools are run by morons. SO out of touch. And they wonder why they are losing kids...Birmingham should be proud to part of Cohen's project.

[K.S.]

Do you know how these kinds of mistakes are made? Because the adults in charge identify so closely with the kids that they begin to think they are running a school of their peers. Since they, the adults, would be OK with adult photo shoots like this one, they assume it's OK for the kids too.

A very similar thing happened at my son's high school when their teacher, technically an adult but emotionally a teenager, in my opinion, showed the whole team an R-rated film during a team getaway. Their coach did not call parents to get permission. The team included kids from ages 15 to 17. I wrote a letter to complain to the school board after this happened(not LAUSD but a different district) and they never wrote back to me.

Kudos to Cortines for being courageous enough to come out and say what is right for minors, and what is wrong.

[ucla professor]

we're one of the only countries in the world that treats high school age humans like children. travel the world a bit folks. most communities around the globe have 17 year old men and women as their politicians, running businesses, taking care of families, or themselves traveling the world. here, everyone flips out that some actor played a gay character in costume with the football team. wake up people. that team of young men knows more about sex, sexuality and performing to get ahead then most of the pinheads in the teacher's union. but go on, keep treating them as little children. those poor immature kids who you need to protect. they are laughing at you all.

[JAA]

Since these photos were taken and used for the commercial purpose of promoting a film, all of the persons in the photos should have signed a model release. If they are minors, they cannot legally sign such a document, their parents or guardians would be required to give consent. In addition, the use of the school name should require clearance. There is no reason why the LA School district should provide free support for a movie studio, nor can they allow a minor in their custody to be used for such purposes.

[Ronbo]

I think the issue is that its easy to punk school officials and get access to the kids. If Cohen could get away with this, so could someone with far worse intentions. What if this had been some creep making something that resembled soft-core underage sex?

That's the joke that Cohen was making, but its also a serious critique of how poorly these school officials take their responsibility to act in loco parentis.