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From virtually the moment Universal threw $42 million at Sacha Baron Cohen for Bruno, his Borat follow-up, questions about whether a far more recognizable troublemaker would be able to hide behind a bleached fauxhawk and mesh shirt and goad homophobic Americans into hilariously intolerant reactions to his subtle, Austrian-accented invitations to sodomy. So how is the Bruno team tackling the problem of Baron Cohen's fame? According to an operative, by waving his bedazzled microphone right under our noses here in L.A.. His report on the star's new faux-documentary shenanigans follows:

I was at the Omni Hotel in downtown Los Angeles today for a luncheon hosted by the Foreign Trade Association, and lo and behold, Sacha is there as our favorite gay Austrian Bruno!!! His get up is a little different than it was on the Ali G show. No mohawk with blond highlights, no tight t-shirt. He's dressed in leather pants, black vest and a black t-shirt. The hair is kinduva flock of seagulls/sad boy from the cure look - rusty brown hair mopped over to one side and the tips are a frosty blonde.

Obviously you had no idea what was going beforehand...There were several signs warning you that a documentary is taking place. I actually signed the release sheet to be interviewed. I was first told that it was about "world trade" and then when I asked again, I was told it was about American culture and world trade. I didn't really care cause they gave me 20 bucks and I thought it was going to be something about trade. Clearly, 99 percent of the people had no idea who he was. I could only wish I could hear what he was saying in the interviews. Sacha had about 10 people with him. Three people running around with releases to sign, 4 camera people, a blonde haired producer watching the whole thing and a frazzled old dude with string salt and pepper hair checking the sound at the other end of the ballroom. At one point he started freaking out and telling the producer "I don't have any fucking sound! Get that guy back for another interview! I don't hear shit!" They were obviously trained to deal with someone catching on, because as soon as I realized who he was (and I wasn't very good at hiding my surprise) his staff were on me like lindsay lohan to a line of coke. I tried a couple times to take a picture with my cell phone and they kept blocking me and telling me please don't take a picture. At one point they had someone following me making sure I couldn't get off a picture. The guy told me "Dude give it up, you've trying all day. It's not gonna happen." If I was really gung ho, I'm sure I could have taken one, but he's hilarious and I didn't want to make a scene and screw up his gig.

Sadly, our spy couldn't get us that cameraphone shot (we're just glad his attempts didn't end in an ugly stun-gunning by Bruno's handlers), but if the production continues to go guerilla at the downtown World Trade Week events, maybe someone will capture Baron Cohen's new look before security shuts him down. You know where to find us.