Opinion: Sacha Baron Cohen’s retreat to accusing critics of antisemitism is an outdated way to deflect criticism
Sacha Baron Cohen’s Ali G: Who Iz I? has been an utter and total disaster. The film opened to £1.3 million at the box office and has been panned by critics for its infantile comedy and lack of originality.
His other films — such as Borat, which portrays Kazakhstan as a place of extreme antisemitism — are equally troublesome. It’s home to thousands of Jewish people living alongside a majority population of Muslims. And his portrayal has distorted public perception of the nation.
Ali G: Who Iz I? Backlash
Cohen framed backlash against his new Ali G film as antisemitic. How about: the film stinks? Because it really does. Cohen’s approach to filmmaking is rehashing the same characters from his Channel 4 days, and he has not triumphed at anything new other than his feature-length Punk’d-style movies.
He’s a one-trick pony and hasn’t delivered anything of value to the wider community. His only contribution to society has been to take from it, and this is rendered in the shape of a box office flop from a career built around a glorified hidden-camera show.
Racist Caricatures
Nothing in Ali G: Who Iz I? was innovative or even remotely funny. To push back at critics and those who boycott the film, the actor said: “I’m not surprised that prominent Jews are being targeted.” No, Sacha, it’s because the film is a deeply unsettling caricature of Black British culture and no different to Leigh Francis’ Bo’ Selecta! — unfunny tripe and a commitment to bigotry. Characterising it as anything else is an attempt to save face.
Cohen says: “I’ve always designed my characters and comedy as vehicles to expose prejudice, bias, and stupidity.” The irony of this statement is that he cannot see his own bias, prejudice and stupidity.
Photo: Raph PH
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