Fierce Backlash Against New Ali G Film in the UK: Activists Push to Stop Sacha Baron Cohen’s Latest Project

According to CinemaDrame News Agency, the triumphant return of the “Ali G” character has not been met with universal acclaim. At least in his native UK, the first cinematic appearance of the absurd, pretentious young man in over two decades faces a campaign aimed at keeping the film off theater screens.

Criticism and opposition to the film surged following the official trailer release for the new Amazon MGM mockumentary, titled Ali G: Who Am I?, scheduled for release on October 23. On social media, many have labeled the character—seen in videos wearing faux dreadlocks and a Jamaican cap while discussing his desire to be an irresponsible parent—an “outdated” and “racist” caricature.

In response, the news analysis and media monitoring platform NewsChord launched a campaign calling on cinemas worldwide to refuse to screen the film. Representing the protesters, the platform sent emails to major theater chains, claiming to have dispatched over 36,000 protest emails by Friday.

The campaign accuses Sacha Baron Cohen of using satire as a cover to reinforce racist stereotypes. They point to a 2000 newspaper report—published two years after Ali G’s first appearance on UK television—in which Black British comedians argued that the character was a tool to justify racism.

First created in 1998 by Sacha Baron Cohen on Channel 4’s The 11 O’Clock Show, Ali G is an ignorant white man imitating British and Jamaican hip-hop culture. The central joke stemmed from his deliberately obnoxious behavior, mocking both his own ignorance and cultural appropriation. The character quickly became a massive hit, securing his own spin-off show and launching Cohen’s career.

However, in the 2000 article, British comedian Felix Dexter argued that the character allowed the liberal middle class to laugh at Black street culture while maintaining a sense of political correctness—a view now echoed by many 26 years later and reshared in NewsChord’s campaign. Meanwhile, British author Jeanette Winterson added: “I fail to see the difference between him and the old Black and White Minstrel Show.”

In a recent op-ed, British writer and presenter Afua Hirsch emphasized that while Ali G was offensive during her youth (“I just knew he was making fun of us”), the character is completely out of step with the present day. She wrote: “Black people don’t dress like that anymore. Even white people imitating Black people don’t speak like that anymore. The sexualization of Black women and the degradation of working-class women are no longer acceptable. Baron Cohen’s alleged humor is a crude, distasteful blend of all these things.”

However, reports claiming that NewsChord’s campaign against Ali G: Who Am I? scored a major victory by convincing a key cinema chain appear to be inaccurate. The site published a response from Picturehouse Cinemas to one of the emails, which stated: “We currently have no plans to screen this film upon release.” NewsChord claimed this meant a definitive refusal to show the movie, a story that subsequently made its way into British media.

It turns out, however, that the email was merely a standard form response from Picturehouse regarding films not yet booked by the company or placed on the schedule, with no final decision actually made regarding Ali G: Who Am I?. Nevertheless, given Picturehouse’s inclination toward arthouse cinema and the film’s release date coinciding with the BFI London Film Festival and the start of awards season, it is unlikely the movie will be a primary focus for the chain.

Commenting on the campaign, Phil Clapp, Chief Executive of the UK Cinema Association, said: “Cinemas exist to engage and entertain as broad an audience as possible. They are not there to act as censors or arbiters of public taste. Therefore, once a film receives a certificate from the British Board of Film Classification (BBFC), cinemas decide whether or not to screen it based purely on the anticipated reaction of their audience.”

While it remains unclear whether Sacha Baron Cohen expected this level of backlash, he clearly anticipated strong reactions. In a message accompanying the trailer, he wrote: “In an era where a comedian’s career can be ended by one politically incorrect joke, I thought I’d do the safest thing possible and bring this guy back.”

It is also worth noting that despite the considerable number of detractors, Ali G: Who Am I? has also been met online with immense enthusiasm from fans eager for its release. Figures who have voiced their support on social media include Kevin Durant and A$AP Rocky.