Activists Launch Campaign to Block Sacha Baron Cohen's Ali G Comeback Film
Activists are urging theaters to refuse to screen Sacha Baron Cohen's upcoming Ali G movie, "Ali G: Who Iz I?", calling the character a racist caricature. The UK-based watchdog NewsCord has sent 37,000 emails to cinemas worldwide. Critics argue the parody is outdated and offensive, while Cohen has anticipated backlash.
The campaign against the film centers on NewsCord, a UK media-watchdog group, which claims to have sent 37,000 emails to cinemas worldwide urging them not to book the movie. The organization has cited historical criticism of the character, including comparisons to Black and White Minstrels and complaints from Kazakh and Arab groups about earlier Cohen projects. No major cinema chain has yet confirmed it will refuse to screen the film, and NewsCord previously retracted a false claim that one had done so.
Cohen has publicly acknowledged the anticipated backlash, posting a sarcastic remark on X about playing it safe by reviving the character. Online reactions have been mixed, with some critics calling the character outdated and others noting that protest messages have included antisemitic content. Danish chain NFBIO responded to the boycott attempt by defending artistic expression and confirming it would screen the film.
This controversy could reignite broader debates about parody, race, and cultural appropriation in comedy. The outcome may influence how studios and theaters weigh activist pressure against artistic freedom, particularly for legacy characters from earlier eras. It could also affect public discourse around what constitutes acceptable satire, with audiences divided between those who see Ali G as a pointed critique of appropriation and those who view it as reinforcing stereotypes. The film's reception may signal whether such boundary-pushing comedy still has cultural currency.