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102 Ali Smith, William Gibson

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ALI G IN DA USAIII US celebs and politicians, once again claiming to be a kids education

Channel 4, Fri 11 Apr. 10pm coco programme host, only for the victim to realise all too late that the whole thing is a wicked wind-up. Whether you‘re Donald Trump,

At the end of last year, Sacha Baron Cohen survived an assault on his Naomi Wolf, Newt Gingrich, Boutros-Boutros Ghali or Buzz Aldrin (or hotel bedroom in Tel Aviv when two adjoining guests shot themselves as Ali dubs him, ‘Buzz Lightyear’), the best plan is probably to go to bits. Stray bullets blasted through the wall and past his ears as he along with the ruse and see it through, fighting your corner all the way slept. and the entertainment world was still occupied by its finest and perhaps hitting back with cracks of your own. Jewish-born comic imitating a white guy trying to be a boy from the Wolf didn’t take that option though; she is reported to have been so hood. Funny old world. outraged by the humiliation suffered at Ali G's bling-riddled fingers

Cohen is well used to being in the line of fire, with his Ali G that her solicitors have been steadfastly character causing one hell of a fuss when he first arrived upon a consulting the big book of law on uptight . totally unsuspecting British public with a slot on the ill-fated 11 philosophers being made fools of. IS O'Clock Show before goofing around with his own wind-up For British viewers jaded by G‘s ' programme and chat-based farrago. Was the character racist? Or wheezes, there are a couple of other maybe homophobic? Was it right to be acting so dumb? In fact. just Cohen creations at the ready to rub salt who on earth was he in the first place? into the wounds of the rich and . .

Many of the same questions were posed by American audiences pompous. Borat, the naive Khazakstan when Ali G in Da USAiii first aired on good old HBO in February of this reporter and Bruno, the camp Austrian year. Within about 30 seconds of the opening show, there is a fairly fashion correspondent get their tame reference to 9/11 (confusing it with the 7-Eleven chain stores) moments in the company of bemused yet all hell broke loose in the daily columns and magazine opinion strangers. slots. ‘How dare this weird Brit with the gaudy clothes and vulgar In episode one, Borat goes in pursuit of jewellery come over here and poke fun at our grief?’ was the gist of love (“the sexy intercourse') by undertaking an exploration of the dos, the complaints. Perhaps it just took an outsider with balls (and Ali G don‘ts and dear-God-you-mustn‘ts of speed dating US-style. And has continually insisted that his pair are abundant) to open up debates Bruno flirts his way onto the catwalk during New York Fashion Week about the current state of the American psyche, national security and in the kind of skimpy underwear which Ali G wouldn't be seen dead in race relations. Or maybe it was just an off-colour, off the cuff. and for fear of being dubbed a batty boy. Whatever you call Sacha Baron mildly amusing remark. Cohen (‘one-joke wonder way past his sell-by date’ has been one

For this batch of shows, Ali G dupes his way into the confidence of recurring title), the boy certainly has got balls.

THE LIST 101