It’s been twenty years since Ali G first burst onto the scene and quickly became a cultural icon.
Generation
Now the character created by Sacha Baron Cohen is gearing up for an epic comeback and introducing him to a whole new audience.
His new film, Ali G: Who Iz I?, will see him navigate life “since the world went to c**p,” and will see him star in a new mockumentary alongside his pregnant girlfriend (me) Julie – played by Morgana Robinson.
Although Sacha has never been afraid of controversy – offending most of Lincolnshire with his 2016 film Grimsby, while 2009’s Bruno was accused of stoking homophobia – he may have bitten off more than he can chew with his latest project.
Ali G is indeed designed to shock and offend, but the world has changed a lot since he was first created in 1998.
Ali G has vowed to target Gen Z as he makes his outrageous comeback in the new film, Ali G: Who Iz I? – So make sure you have the trigger warnings ready!
Gen
Similar satire shows of the era such as Little Britain and Bo’ Selecta! have been taken off the air, labeled problematic and their stars have come forward to apologize.
Even the slightest risk of causing a violation can result in a trigger warning being required.
Just last week, theatergoers of How the Other Half Loves were informed in advance about a slice of toast being consumed on stage – with the warning that the production involves ‘real food’.
Still, Ali G is determined to poke the beast with his new project, which will target perhaps the “most triggered” generation, Gen Z.
In the film’s first trailer, he pokes fun at TikTok trends, conducting an interview about the threat from Iran, while squeezing shaving cream into the microphone for ASMR – online clips designed to relax through the use of soft sounds.
While Ali G’s
Alongside a screenshot from his account, in which he has listed the universally panned Cats movie as one of his favorites, he wrote: ‘Az well as now bein woke me haz also decided to become a generation z – one of the things we do a lot when we go on the Letterboxd, check out my profile. #AliGWhoIzI [sic].’
Ali G made his film debut in 1998 on Channel 4’s The 11 O’Clock Show, when he would interview prominent public figures in Britain.
The new interactions made the character a household name before he headed up The Da Ali G Show from 2000 onwards.
Some of his most iconic guests included David and Victoria Beckham when they appeared in a Red Nose Day special in 2001.
Sacha roasted the couple, including about then-two-year-old son Brooklyn, and said: “Tell me, does Brooklyn like your music, or is he getting a bit old for it now?”
Ali G was designed to shock, but the world has changed a lot since he was first created (pictured with David and Victoria Beckham whom he roasted in a 2001 Red Nose Day special)
Cambridge-educated comedian Sacha decided to retire the character in 2007 as he became more recognisable, limiting the effectiveness of his antics.
There have been whispers of a comeback in recent years, but in 2023 Alf Lawrie, the head of factual entertainment at Channel 4, shut down the rumors, saying the show would never have happened under the modern rules.
He mused: ‘You can’t make Ali G, Borat or Brass Eye now because the rules have changed. You can’t fool people on the same grand scale.
‘TV has become a slightly more regulated environment than twenty years ago.
“When you made Borat 20 years ago, you could very seriously pretend it was from Kazakhstan, and until it aired people had no idea what else. Nowadays you can no longer deceive in the same way…
‘We now have much more respect for our contributors than before. But it means the nature of some satire has changed.”
However, it looks like Sacha is up for the challenge as the new Ali G movie is set to release in October.
The latest trailer opens with Ali G saying, “Yo, I’m Ali G. I’ve been gone for 20 years, chilling,” and in that time the world went to shit. There was Covid. Wars. And Ed Sheeran. But I’m going to get back at it with a brand new thing called a documentary…
‘For the first time this is with real people and not with actors. For over a year we let the cameras follow me everywhere. Nothing was off limits.”
The clips featured Ali wearing a rasta cap and his signature Tommy Gear headgear. A rastacap is a traditional slouchy, large-knit hat or tam specifically designed to cover and protect dreadlocks within the Rastafarian culture
In the film’s first trailer, he pokes fun at TikTok trends, conducting an interview about the threat from Iran while squeezing shaving cream into the microphone for ASMR
Ali G’s
The film’s synopsis reads: ‘After twenty years of “chillin’, tokin’ and bonin'”, Ali G is shocked to discover that his long-term girlfriend, Julie, is eight months pregnant…
‘Faced with an extra mouth to feed, he steps out of his mind and heads to America to reclaim his former glory… but soon encounters adversaries who will ultimately threaten the existence of himself and his child…’
The film follows 2002’s Ali G Indahouse, with a stunning cast including Martin Freeman, Charles Dance and Michael Gambon.
On Monday, the official Ali G Instagram account shared a poster for the film featuring the star in a large puffer jacket emblazoned with the film’s name.
An accompanying caption reads: ‘Check it, the world’s largest puffa worn by the world’s largest puffer. Respek de erb respek ya nan and respek me trailer droppin Tomorrow’, with the wording being a nod to Ali’s text pronunciation in the first film.
He was also featured in a video where he stood in front of Ali’s iconic yellow car and rapped to the tune of Humpty Dumpty about the film’s release.
Ali G: Who am I? will hit theaters on October 23
