Ali G Film Faces Backlash in UK

Sacha Baron Cohen’s new Ali G film is facing criticism in the U.K. ahead of its cinema release on Oct. 23.

The film, “Ali G: Who Iz I?”, is a mockumentary bringing back Cohen’s famous character more than 20 years after his last major appearance. Since the trailer was released, critics have accused Ali G of being an outdated and racist portrayal of Black and working-class culture.

NewsCord, a news comparison and media monitoring platform, has launched a campaign asking cinemas not to show the film. The campaign says Cohen uses satire to reinforce racist stereotypes. NewsCord said more than 36,000 emails had been sent to cinemas by Friday.

Ali G first appeared on British television in 1998. The character is a white man who imitates Black British and Jamaican culture, with the comedy based on his ignorance and cultural appropriation. The character was hugely successful but also attracted criticism from Black comedians and writers at the time.

Writer and broadcaster Afua Hirsch recently argued that the character no longer fits modern attitudes, saying its portrayal of Black culture and women is outdated.

Reports that Picturehouse Cinemas had decided not to show the film were later disputed. Variety reported that Picturehouse’s response to a campaign email was a standard message saying the film had not yet been booked, and that no decision had been made.

Phil Clapp of the U.K. Cinema Association said cinemas should not act as censors. He said venues decide whether to show a film based mainly on its likely audience response once it has received a classification from the British Board of Film Classification.

Cohen appears to have expected controversy. Promoting the trailer, he joked that he was bringing Ali G back because comedians can now face consequences for a single politically incorrect joke.

Despite the criticism, the film also has supporters online, including basketball star Kevin Durant and rapper A$AP Rocky.