Sacha Baron Cohen defends reviving “problematic” Ali G character for new film

Sacha Baron Cohen has written an essay defending the return of his “problematic” character Ali G for new film Who Iz I?. Ali G was first introduced on Channel 4’s The 11 O’Clock Show in 1998 before his popularity led to the spin-off Da Ali G Show in the early 2000s, and full length feature film Ali G Indahouse in 2002. Cohen has returned to the character sporadically, including 2014’s Ali G: Rezurection and occasional appearances on US talk shows and awards ceremonies. Earlier this year, he was spotted at Wimbledon and Who Iz I? was announced shortly afterwards. While the Sacha Baron Cohen creation is typically presented as a pastiche of cultural appropriation, critics have accused the character of actually amplifying racial stereotypes in a way that is harmful. One campaign has seen more than 55,000 emails sent to cinemas requesting they not show the new film, with Ali G accused of being “an alibi of racism”. The BBFC has rated Sacha Baron Cohen's new Ali G film 15, despite thousands of people urging it to refuse the film classification. We have asked the BBFC to explain how it concluded the film is not racist, and whether the people who made the decision reflect the communities t...