You could actually plot Sascha Baron Cohen’s Trajectory As A Comedian Linearly.
Spoiler: It Follows A Downhill Slope, from pretty hilarious and spot-on critique of white appropriation, to uncritically and opportunistically pandering to white culture’s prejudices.
Ali G: Straight white-identifying Jewish male playing straight white male appropriating black culture.
RESULT: HILARIOUS.
Borat Sagdiyev: Straight white-identifying Jewish male playing straight white dominant-culture member of an “other”.
RESULT: A little off, grievously offensive to people from backgrounds of former Soviet states.
Brüno Gehard: Straight white-identifying Jewish male playing gay white male, using an array of gay stereotypes for “humor”.
RESULT: In unfunny territory, deeply so for people identifying as LGBT.
Admiral General Aladeen: Straight white-identifying Jewish male playing presumably Arab man, using an array of “Arab” and “Muslim” stereotypes for “humor”, during a time when Muslims and Arabs are stigmatized and oppressed.
RESULT: Grievously unfunny to Muslims, and people are noticing the racism.
Some of you are wondering why I’m emphasizing the Jewish aspect of his identity; I may note that it’s not the “Jewish” part of his identity that’s a problem, it’s the “White-identifying” part that is.
And it follows to type — White Jewish Men have had a history of playing, and playing hard, towards white culture’s prejudices. Anything to make sure the monster that is white culture doesn’t eat them.
Whether Cohen buys this shit or has internalized it is beyond my ability to know, or want to know.
