A campaign is underway in the U.K. to prevent cinemas from screening the new Sacha Baron Cohen mockumentary, “Ali G: Who Iz I?” Critics accuse the film of perpetuating racist stereotypes through the character of Ali G.
The trailer for “Ali G: Who Iz I?” released earlier this week, has sparked online backlash, with many accusing Sacha Baron Cohen’s character of being “outdated” and “racist.” Specifically, criticism focuses on Ali G’s appearance in the trailer – wearing fake dreadlocks and a Rastafarian hat – and his discussion of being an “absent” father.
NewsCord, a news comparison and media monitoring platform, initiated a campaign urging cinemas globally to refuse to screen the film. As of Friday, NewsCord claims to have sent over 36,000 emails to major cinema chains on behalf of those registering their opposition. The campaign asserts that Cohen uses satire as a “cover for enforcing racist stereotypes,” referencing a 2000 newspaper report where Black British comedians argued Ali G served as an “alibi for racism.”
Originally created in 1998 for Channel 4’s “11 O’Clock Show,” Ali G was intended as a satirical portrayal of a dim-witted white man imitating urban British hip-hop and Jamaican culture, highlighting cultural appropriation. However, Felix Dexter, a comedian, argued in 2000 that the character “allows the liberal middle classes to laugh at Black street culture in a context where they can retain their sense of political correctness.” Jeanette Winterson echoed this sentiment, questioning the difference between Ali G and the Black and White Minstrels.
Afua Hirsch, a British writer and broadcaster, stated in a Substack post that while she found the character offensive in her youth – “I just knew he was mocking us” – Ali G is now out of step with contemporary sensibilities. She wrote, “Black people don’t dress like that anymore. Even white people imitating Black people don’t talk like that anymore. Sexualizing black women and casually mocking working class women is not accepted anymore,” adding that Cohen’s “humor” is a “crude compound of all these things.”
Reports that the campaign had already secured a victory with Picturehouse Cinemas appear to be inaccurate. Picturehouse Cinemas responded to NewsCord’s email stating, “We currently do not have any plans to screen this film on its release,” which NewsCord initially interpreted as a commitment not to show the film. This claim was then picked up by U.K. press.
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