Will the Real Brüno Please Stand Up?

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With Bruno's immaculately highlighted coiffure waxing over the cultural horizon, astute pop phenomena analysts are busy scouring Austria for its greatest, gayest countrymen, hoping to unearth the source of Sacha Baron Cohen's inspiration. Lo and behold, they've found a couple of contenders, both of whom are taking their comparison to the controversial caricature-character in stride. Enjoying most of the limelight is ubiquitous television personality, cabaret star, and multi-media performer Alfons Haider (above) who tells People "I only have four things in common with Bruno: I'm a man, an Austrian, I'm on television, and I'm gay -- that's it. But if the world wants me to be the inspiration for Bruno, well then, I'll be Bruno. It's all pretty funny."

But then there's also Adi Weiss, a 33-year-old fashion journalist based in Vienna, who insists that he's "the most down-to-earth fashion journalist you'll ever meet" but jokes that he could use the publicity for an unfortunately fictitious show called Miss Fluffy. We're not ones to trump up a battle of the would-be Brunos -- there's plenty of love for gay Austrians to go around -- but we have to hand it to Haider when he concedes "I'm a bit of a bitch like Bruno ... I always make sure I get that interview."

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