School chiefs' anger at Bruno photoshoot

Los Angeles education chiefs are the latest to be offended by Sacha Baron Cohen’s Bruno – after the character posed for provocative pictures with a high school American football team.

The comedian wore little more than skintight red shorts and an athletic support when he posed with the Birmingham High gridiron team for a typically outrageous cover shoot for GQ magazine.

But schools chief Ramon Cortines says the photos ‘smack of soft porn’, adding: ‘A school is no place for that.’

He is demanding to see parental consent forms before further action against the school, which is currently applying for a more independent ‘charter’ status.

The pupils in the photographs are aged about 17, but district superintendent Jean Coates also told the LA Times she found the ‘nature of the poses’ to be inappropriate. Click here to see a slideshow of them.

Meanwhile, Baron Cohen’s character has declared Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd ‘cute’ and implied he spent the night with him.

The day after appearing on a talk show with the premier, Bruno told reporters: ‘The reason I'm late is I just had breakfast in bed with Kevin Rudd. That guy is like, uber-cute. I thought Obama was like the hottest guy in the world until I met Kevin. I did to him last night what [opposition leader] Malcolm Turnbull has been trying to do to him for the last couple of weeks.’

Published: 30 Jun 2009