Boycott Campaign Targets Sacha Baron Cohen's Ali G Film

Sacha Baron Cohen's upcoming film "Ali G Who Iz I?" has sparked a boycott campaign in the United Kingdom, with a media monitoring organization urging cinema chains worldwide to refuse to screen the movie. The campaign, led by NewsCord, has reportedly sent over 37,000 emails to theaters, arguing that the revival of the Ali G character perpetuates racist stereotypes. In response, the UK cinema chain Picturehouse Cinemas stated it currently has no plans to show the film upon its release.

The film, set for release on October 23, marks the return of Baron Cohen's character Ali G, a white British man who adopts the slang and mannerisms he associates with Black British and Jamaican culture. First introduced in 1998, the character previously appeared in the 2002 film "Ali G Indahouse." The new movie is a mockumentary following Ali G as he travels to the United States to reclaim his former glory after learning his girlfriend is pregnant. It represents Baron Cohen's feature directorial debut.

NewsCord's campaign describes the character as an "alibi for racism," citing past criticisms from Black British comedians and concerns from Kazakh and Arab organizations about Baron Cohen's body of...