Sacha Baron Cohen is back at it again as he aims to resurrect Ali G’s bygone character that just isn’t funny
Age updated: 26 August 2026
Sacha Baron Cohen is at it again; his feeble attempt to drag out film and television characters that started in the late 1990s continues. Following a poor attempt to release Borat 2, the actor’s next attempt is another racist trope — Ali G: Who Iz I? Because, when you’re already dog whistling this much, what’s an extra few decibels? His latest trailer proves that both his ideas have not changed, in fact, he appears to have taken things too far, and its distributors, Sony and Amazon MGM, will likely see any controversy as a publicity win.
Surprise, surprise, the people who will enjoy this will be the uninformed, who will leave theatres with a misinformed understanding. Each facet of Baron Cohen’s supposed humour is anchored to the detriment of people of colour. For too long now, the actor has leeched off both Black and South Asian stereotypes, creating a whirlwind of disgusting caricatures.
Objections to Sacha Baron Cohen’s Ali G
But this observation is not new. When the original Ali G series premiered, Black comedians commented on its presentation, arguing that its premise represented humour at the expense of Black culture. Felix Dexter, of The Real McCoy comedy series, told New Nation newspaper: “I feel that a lot of the humour is laughing at black street culture and it is being celebrated because it allows the liberal middle classes to laugh at that culture in a safe context where they can retain their sense of political correctness.”
Peter Akinti, editor of Untold, organised a protest against Ali G Indahouse: “He is the new Al Jolson – he’s effectively blacked up to take the piss out of a stereotype of young black men that is deeply offensive.”
Richard Blackwood, whose own show aired on the same network, Channel 4, interjected too: “Someone told me he was actually doing an Asian person trying to be black but if that is the case then I don’t think people are getting it. Too many people are left thinking that is how black people chat to one another, that they are ignorant and don’t know about world issues.”
Dexter added: “I don’t think a black comedian could do it because to me the humour is essentially coming out of a white guy pretending to be black.”
Another surprise? Sacha Baron Cohen portrayed Kazakhs as antisemitic despite Kazakhstan being home to thousands of Jews. What does he have in store for his new Ali G film? Probably the same, and although we won’t say it, his target market will be those who care little about those he belittles.
We now see a worrying picture developing, in that whatever he says, he can get away with and it appears Ali G: Who Iz I? will continue a pattern of demeaning racist stereotypes. Could he act in a movie that does not fit the profile of Brüno, Borat and Ali G? Highly doubtful, and when he has, it’s been a mediocre performance at best. Baron Cohen came at a time when our concerns were being voiced but rarely given the same cultural weight as the praise surrounding him, and his humour was typified by an audience whose casual racism was mirrored in everyday life.
Ali G: Who Iz I? Misleading Satire
One location in Borat’s first movie was not, in fact, filmed in Kazakhstan, but in the predominantly Roma village of Glod in Romania. Two villagers eventually sued, alleging that they had been told they were being filmed for a documentary about poverty and objecting to their subsequent portrayal as criminals and rapists.
Veiled racist statements that his performances supported were not in short supply, and I remember them well: “I’m going to the P*ki shop” right in front of me. I couldn’t believe it. But in the age of an alleged progressive society, it seems it depends on what kind of person you are and whether you fit the bill of what Britain and the wider world wants you to be. If you’re not, you’re unfortunately fair game for a rat pit of discontent.
Opponents of this position argue that it’s “comedy” and That we’re simply too soft and woke. The people who agree with such sentiments are rarely the target, while the effects of Baron Cohen’s “comedy” reverberate subconsciously, with Black people left to suffer the societal consequences. The worst part is that it’s water off a ducks back for white people, but not for everyone else and the worst part is, the bulk of news outlets and magazines are swooning over his return.
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