Editing Ali G

{{Short description|Fictional character created by Sacha Baron Cohen}}
{{about|the Sacha Baron Cohen character|the TV series|Da Ali G Show|the film|Ali G Indahouse}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2019}}
{{Use British English|date=July 2018}}
{{Infobox character
| name        = Ali G
| series      = [[Da Ali G Show]]
| portrayer   = Sacha Baron Cohen
| creator     = [[Sacha Baron Cohen]]
| image       = AliG-Harv.jpg
| caption     = Ali G giving a [[commencement speech]] at [[Harvard]] in 2004
| occupation  = Interviewer, singer, [[rapper]], [[Member of Parliament (United Kingdom)|MP]], Ambassador
| first       = ''[[The 11 O'Clock Show]]'' (1998)
| last        = ''[[The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon]]'' (2024)
| based_on    = [[Tim Westwood]]<br />(voice and accent)
| nationality = British
| full_name   = Alistair Leslie Graham<ref>{{cite AV media |people=[[Mark Mylod|Mylod, Mark]] (Director) |date=22 March 2002 |title=[[Ali G Indahouse]] |medium=Motion picture }}</ref>
| home        = [[Staines-upon-Thames|Staines]], England
}}
'''Alistair Leslie Graham''', better known as '''Ali G''', is a [[satirical]] fictional character created and performed by English comedian [[Sacha Baron Cohen]]. A faux-streetwise [[poseur]] from [[Staines-upon-Thames|Staines, England]], Ali G speaks in [[rude boy]]-style [[Multicultural London English]]. He conducts interviews with unsuspecting subjects who do not realise they have been set up.<ref>{{cite news |title=Da Ali G Show (TV Series) |url=https://www.radiotimes.com/programme/b-zteorv/da-ali-g-show/ |access-date=8 July 2022 |work=Radio Times}}</ref>

Ali G first appeared as the "voice of da yoof" on [[Channel 4]]'s ''[[The 11 O'Clock Show]]'' in 1998. Subsequently, he became the title character of ''[[Da Ali G Show]]'' in the early 2000s; he was also the title character of the film ''[[Ali G Indahouse]]''. In a 2001 poll by Channel 4, Ali G was ranked eighth on their list of the [[100 Greatest (TV series)|100 Greatest TV Characters]].<ref name="GreatestTVcharacters">{{cite web |url=http://www.channel4.com/entertainment/tv/microsites/G/greatest/tv_characters/results.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090531160558/http://www.channel4.com/entertainment/tv/microsites/G/greatest/tv_characters/results.html |archive-date=31 May 2009 |title=100 Greatest TV Characters |access-date=26 May 2019 |publisher=[[Channel 4]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.itnsource.com/en/shotlist/ITVProgs/2001/05/05/Y22090001/ |title=100 Greatest ... (100 Greatest TV Characters (Part 1)) |publisher=[[ITN Source]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150221233837/http://www.itnsource.com/en/shotlist/ITVProgs/2001/05/05/Y22090001/ |archive-date=21 February 2015 |access-date=13 June 2014}}</ref>

In a 2007 interview with ''[[The Daily Telegraph]]'', Baron Cohen announced that Ali G, along with [[Borat Sagdiyev|Borat]] (another fictional character made by Baron Cohen), had been retired.<ref name="shed">{{cite news|url=http://www.actressarchives.com/news/baron-cohen-borat-and-ali-g-are-dead-to-me|title=Borat and Ali G are dead for Sacha Baron Cohen|work=actressarchives.com|date=21 December 2007|access-date=15 July 2012|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121104072349/http://www.actressarchives.com/news/baron-cohen-borat-and-ali-g-are-dead-to-me|archive-date=4 November 2012}}</ref> However, Ali G returned at the 2012 [[British Comedy Awards]] to accept Baron Cohen's Outstanding Achievement Award, causing controversy by making jokes about [[Catherine, Princess of Wales|Kate Middleton]] and [[Jimmy Savile]].<ref>{{cite news|last1=Jackson|first1=James|title=Ali G mocks Jimmy Savile at British Comedy Awards|url=https://www.thetimes.com/culture/tv-radio/article/ali-g-mocks-jimmy-savile-at-british-comedy-awards-2cfnb5qbcwt|access-date=23 July 2015|work=[[The Times]]|date=13 December 2012}}</ref> Ali G returned to television with ''Ali G Rezurection'' in 2014.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/02/06/ali-g-tv-series_n_4737938.html |title=Ali G Has Been 'Rezurected' For New TV Series On FXX |newspaper=[[HuffPost]] |date=2 June 2014 |access-date=14 April 2014}}</ref> ''Rezurection'' features new footage of Ali G introducing old highlights of ''Da Ali G Show'', while Borat reappeared for ''[[Borat Subsequent Moviefilm]]'' in 2020.

==Development==
Ali G is a fictional [[stereotype]] of a British suburban male "[[chav]]" also known as Alex or Alistair; who imitates inner-city urban [[British hip hop]] culture and [[British Jamaican]] culture, particularly through [[Hip hop music|hip hop]], [[reggae]], [[drum and bass]] and [[Oldschool jungle|jungle music]], as well as speaking in [[rude boy]]-style [[Multicultural London English]] from [[Jamaican Patois]]. Ali G was part of a group called the "West [[Staines]] Massiv", and grew up near Staines in [[Langley, Berkshire|Langley]]. He also lived part of his life in Staines.

Baron Cohen has stated that [[BBC Radio 1]] DJ [[Tim Westwood]] was an influence on the development of his character.<ref name="rollingstone">[https://www.rollingstone.com/movies/news/the-man-behind-the-mustache-20061130?page=4 Sacha Baron Cohen – The Real Borat – finally speaks], ''[[Rolling Stone (magazine)|Rolling Stone]]'', 14 November 2006.</ref> Westwood used to host Radio 1's ''Rap Show'' and became known for speaking in a Multicultural London English dialect. Ali G's middle-class credentials mirror Westwood's, as the latter was brought up in [[Lowestoft]] as a bishop's son.<ref name="rollingstone"/> Prior to his character's first appearance on ''[[The 11 O'Clock Show]]'', Baron Cohen had portrayed an early incarnation of him named MC Jocelyn Cheadle-Hume on a show he presented called ''[[F2F (TV series)|F2F]]'', which ran on the satellite channel [[Granada Talk TV]]. While in character, Baron Cohen chatted to a group of skateboarders and realised that people could be led to believe his character was real; he then filmed a number of segments which were ordered off-air by [[London Weekend Television]].<ref name="rollingstone" />

==History and appearances==
Ali G, a faux-streetwise [[poseur]] with a deeply stereotypical view of the world, first came to prominence on [[Channel 4]]'s ''[[The 11 O'Clock Show]]'' as the "voice of da yoof" in 1998.<ref>[http://film.guardian.co.uk/features/featurepages/0,,1883923,00.html "'He becomes the character, certainly with Ali G and Borat. He has a mix of Sellers' acting and Rod Hull's bottle'"] by Kirsty Scott, ''[[The Guardian]]'', 29 September 2006.</ref> He interviewed various public figures in the United Kingdom, always either embarrassing his interviewee by displaying a mixture of uninformed [[political incorrectness]], or getting the interviewee to agree to some shocking inaccuracy or insult.

Other examples of his bold interviewing style include getting [[Lindsay Urwin]], the [[Bishop of Horsham]], to admit that God created the universe and then asking him, "And since then, [God]'s just chilled?" Ali G asked the Bishop about God's appearance, to which the Bishop replied, "Well, he's sort of Jesus-shaped." During an interview with [[James Ferman]], former director of the [[British Board of Film Classification]], Ali G asks whether his made-up vulgarities would restrict a film to an over-18 audience, and suggests that [[film censorship]] be performed by younger persons who understand contemporary slang. In an interview with the chairman of the [[Arts Council of England]], [[Gerry Robinson]], Ali G's first question was, "Why is the arts so – excuse me French, but – crap?"<ref>{{cite web| url = https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=katrLNbHE9I&t=3192| title = Interview with Gerry Robinson from ''Ali G – Innit''| website = [[YouTube]]}}</ref>

Ali G appeared in the 2003 short film ''Spyz'', directed by James Bobin. It showcases Ali G as James Bond in a series of inexplicably occurring action and sex scenes. In 2004, Ali G gave the [[commencement speech]]<ref>{{cite web| url = https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GUCy75CA3Aw| title = Sacha Baron Cohen (Ali G) Class Day {{!}} Harvard Commencement 2004 – YouTube<!-- Bot generated title -->| website = [[YouTube]]| date = 30 January 2015}}</ref> at Harvard.

Ali G was in a series of ads for the [[2005–06 NBA season]], in which he used his brand of off-kilter journalism to interview various NBA stars. The spots were directed by [[Spike Lee]].<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://lao-ocean.com/2005/11/06/nba-commercials-with-ali-g/ |title=NBA commercials with Ali G |access-date=13 February 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131005021307/http://lao-ocean.com/2005/11/06/nba-commercials-with-ali-g/ |archive-date=5 October 2013 |url-status=dead  }}</ref>

Ali G was also featured in the music video "[[Music (Madonna song)|Music]]" by [[Madonna (entertainer)|Madonna]] as her limo driver. He complains that her "babylons" are not as big as they appear to be on TV and calls her "[[Diego Maradona|Maradona]]" when asking to be in her next video.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://buzzworthy.mtv.com/2008/11/12/top-trl-video-cameos-ali-g-shows-madonna-the-real-big-ben/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100527073943/http://buzzworthy.mtv.com/2008/11/12/top-trl-video-cameos-ali-g-shows-madonna-the-real-big-ben |url-status=dead |archive-date=27 May 2010 |title=Top 'TRL' Video Cameos: Ali G Shows Madonna The Real Big Ben! |publisher=MTV |date=13 November 2008 |access-date=29 August 2012}}</ref><ref name="bbc">{{cite news| url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/731080.stm | work=BBC News | title=Ali G 'stars in Madonna video' | date=30 April 2000}}</ref>

Baron Cohen received the Outstanding Achievement Award at the 2012 [[British Comedy Awards]] and appeared in character as Ali G to accept the trophy.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-20696034|title=Sacha Baron Cohen honoured at British Comedy Awards|publisher=BBC News|date=13 December 2012}}</ref>

In 2015 Ali G appeared at the [[88th Academy Awards]]. Baron Cohen did not tell the ceremony's producers beforehand that he would appear on stage as his Ali G character instead of himself. He and his then-wife, actress [[Isla Fisher]], locked themselves in the bathroom for 40 minutes to secretly put on his costume, after telling people he had food poisoning.<ref>{{cite magazine | url=http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/oscars-sacha-baron-cohen-academy-871690 | title=Oscars: Sacha Baron Cohen Says Academy Didn't Know He'd Present as Ali G | magazine=Hollywood Reporter | date=1 March 2016 | access-date=3 March 2016}}</ref>

==Background==
Ali G is the leader of a fictional gang called "Da West Staines Massif", who currently lives in his grandmother's garage in a semi-detached house at 36 Cherry Blossom Close, in the heart of the "Staines Ghetto". He was educated at what he calls "da Matthew Arnold Skool", which is [[Matthew Arnold School, Staines-upon-Thames|a real school in Staines]].

[[Staines]], a commuter town to the west of London, is different from the inner city [[ghetto]] that Ali G claims. In the same comic vein, he also makes reference to [[stockbroker belt]] towns in the area, such as [[Egham]], [[Langley, Berkshire|Langley]] and [[Englefield Green]] with which he contrasts Staines. Despite the incongruous nature of his hometown, he purports to exemplify [[inner city]] culture. Ali's full name is later revealed to be '''Alistair Leslie Graham''' (revealed in the [[Ali G Indahouse|eponymous film]], much to his embarrassment).

Ali G speaks a comical [[wikt:patois|patois]] in keeping with his delusions of being black with [[Jamaicans|Jamaican]] ancestry and peppered with such catchphrases as "aight" or "aiii" (alright), "booyakasha", "big up yaself", "wagwaan", "west side", "batty boy", "respek", "for real", "punani", "check it", "wicked" and "keep it real". His trademark hand gesture closely resembles the "dip snap".

==Criticisms==
Although Baron Cohen has repeatedly stated that Ali G is a parody of suburban, privileged youth acting in a way that they think is typical of black people, some commentators have opined that the force of the humour is derived from stereotypes of blacks, not poseur whites.  According to this view of the character, the suburban background written into Ali G's character serves as a false alibi.<ref>{{cite news| url=http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/article1117675.ece|title=Affronted feminist Naomi Wolf takes a bite out of 'racist' Ali G|date=9 March 2003| work=The Sunday Times | location=London | access-date=23 April 2010 | url-status=dead | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110604150315/http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/article1117675.ece | archive-date=4 June 2011}}</ref><ref>{{cite news| url=https://www.theguardian.com/Archive/Article/0,4273,4378509,00.html | work=The Guardian | location=London | title=Race protest at Ali G's film premiere | first=Paul | last=Kelso | date=21 March 2002 | access-date=23 April 2010}}</ref><ref>{{cite news| url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/profiles/ali-g-keepin-it-real-for-real-750201.html | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110606085412/http://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/profiles/ali-g-keepin-it-real-for-real-750201.html | url-status=dead | archive-date=6 June 2011 | work=The Independent | location=London | title=Ali G: Keepin' it real, for real | first=John | last=Walsh | date=16 March 2002 | access-date=23 April 2010}}</ref> The [[sociologist]] Tara Alturi observed that, by presenting as racially ambiguous, Ali G both exploits [[minstrel show]] racial stereotypes for humour and ridicules white minstrel expropriation.<ref>{{Cite journal| last=Atluri| first=Tara| date=March 2009|title=Lighten up?! Humour, Race, and Da off colour joke of Ali G| url=http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/0163443708100314|journal=Media, Culture & Society| language=en|volume=31|issue=2|pages=197–214 |doi=10.1177/0163443708100314| s2cid=145704634| issn=0163-4437}}</ref>

The comedian [[Felix Dexter]] has said that he appreciated the humour of an innocent ignoramus confronting an expert with neither understanding the other, but felt that "a lot of the humour is laughing at black street culture and it is being celebrated because it allows the liberal middle classes to laugh at that culture in a safe context where they can retain their sense of [[political correctness]]".<ref>{{cite news| url=https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2000/jan/11/race.janinegibson | work=The Guardian | location=London | title=Comics find Ali G is an alibi for racism | first=Janine | last=Gibson | date=11 January 2000 | access-date=23 April 2010}}</ref> Fellow comedian [[Victoria Wood]] criticised Baron Cohen's style of comedy, saying that his "endless setting up of victims" was "tiresome" and akin to "laughing at lunatics".<ref>{{cite news |title=Comic Wood slams 'tiresome' Ali G |url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/4223581.stm |access-date=23 March 2020 |work=BBC News |date=31 January 2005}}</ref>

== People interviewed by Ali G ==
{{More citations needed|section|date=November 2020}}
* [[Buzz Aldrin|Edwin "Buzz" Aldrin]] (1930–), whom Ali G addresses as "[[Buzz Lightyear]]," former astronaut, and the second [[List of Apollo astronauts|man to walk on the Moon]]: Ali asks him if he was "ever jealous of [[Louis Armstrong]]", Aldrin has to correct him and reminds him that it was in fact [[Neil Armstrong]] who landed on the Moon. Ali G also asks whether the "people on the Moon" were friendly or scared of Aldrin upon landing on the Moon. Ali insists that Aldrin should put conspiracy theorists straight, saying "what do you say to all of those conspiracy theorists who come up to you and say, does the Moon really exist?" He also believes that Aldrin was the first person to perform the moonwalk dance, not [[Michael Jackson]].<ref>{{cite web|title=BEFORE 'BRÜNO,' THERE WAS ALI G: FIVE GREAT INTERVIEWS FROM THE MAIN MAN|url=http://www.mtv.com/news/2432885/before-brno-there-was-ali-g-five-great-interviews-from-the-main-man/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170508171453/http://www.mtv.com/news/2432885/before-brno-there-was-ali-g-five-great-interviews-from-the-main-man/|url-status=dead|archive-date=8 May 2017|publisher=MTV|access-date=18 April 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Sacha Baron Cohen: best jokes and lines|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/films/2016/05/24/sacha-baron-cohen-best-jokes-and-lines/ali-g0/|newspaper=The Telegraph|access-date=18 April 2018|date=24 May 2016}}</ref>
* [[David Alderdice]], 43rd [[Lord Mayor of Belfast]]: Ali refers to him as the "Lord Mayor of Ireland" at the beginning of the interview. He also believed that [[Terry Wogan]] was part of the [[Irish Republican Army|IRA]].<ref>{{cite web|title=G force|url=https://www.theguardian.com/ali/article/0,,195441,00.html|website=The Guardian|access-date=28 February 2018}}</ref>
* [[John Gray (U.S. author)|John Gray]], author of ''[[Men Are from Mars, Women Are from Venus]]''.
* [[David Beckham]], former [[Association football|football]] player, and [[Victoria Beckham]], a member of the [[Spice Girls]].<ref>{{Citation |title=When Ali G met the Beckhams {{!}} Comic Relief | date=15 May 2017 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jIic9_ZhyC8 |access-date=2024-02-07 |language=en}}</ref>
* [[Tony Benn]] (1925–2014), former Labour MP for [[Chesterfield (UK Parliament constituency)|Chesterfield]], Cabinet Minister and chairman of the Labour Party from 1971 to 1972. Benn is shocked at Ali's stubborn and cynical view of the world. During the interview, Ali expresses his view that the workers [[UK miners' strike (1984–85)|who went on strike in 1984]] were lazy and pulling a "sickie", and that most people want to chill at home and watch TV instead of having to go to work. Ali suggests to Benn that celebrities and professional athletes such as [[Frank Bruno]] should become candidates, instead of barely known politicians who "probably sleep with horses".<ref>{{cite news|title=How I tamed Ali G|url=https://www.theguardian.com/media/2000/mar/30/tvandradio.television|access-date=18 April 2018|work=The Guardian|publisher=Tony Benn|date=30 March 2000}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Tony Benn meets Ali G: Watch Labour veteran burn Sacha Baron Cohen|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/tony-benn-meets-ali-g-watch-labour-veteran-burn-sacha-baron-cohen-9192169.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140314170548/http://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/tony-benn-meets-ali-g-watch-labour-veteran-burn-sacha-baron-cohen-9192169.html |archive-date=2014-03-14 |url-access=limited |url-status=live|access-date=18 April 2018|work=The Independent|publisher=Felicity Morse|date=14 March 2014}}</ref> Benn wrote in his diary on the day of the interview that Ali G had, "no knowledge of history at all but... he was an intelligent guy"; on discovering that the interview was a hoax, he wrote, "it was a fraud to write and say you want to do an interview about young people and politics, then bring this chap along who is an actor and makes you look a proper charlie." Later, he wrote that Cohen had written to him to ask if he would take part in a new film he was making, saying that Benn had been the only person that he'd interviewed who had "dealt seriously with his loud, sexist, materialist image of youth". Benn refused on the grounds that, "You can't be a comedian and a serious politician." However, Benn did end his reply letter with, "You're my main man".<ref>{{cite book |last=Benn |first=Tony |title=Free at Last! Diaries 1991-2001 |date=2003 |publisher=Arrow Books |pages=526, 537, 665 |isbn=0-09-941502-X}}</ref>
* [[Rhodes Boyson]] (1925–2012), former [[Conservative Party (UK)|Conservative]] Education Minister, who agreed with Ali G that the [[metric system]] should not be taught in schools because, "one deals in quarters and eighths of ounces".
* [[Pat Buchanan]] (1938–), former [[White House Communications Director]] to President [[Ronald Reagan]], political commentator and former presidential candidate: Ali makes an irrelevant comparison of lying to become United States President, to himself falsely claiming to work hard at McDonald's but instead admitted to Buchanan that he ate 15 [[McChicken]] sandwiches a day, sold marijuana and that he wore the costume of [[Ronald McDonald]] while having sex. During the interview, he mistakenly refers to [[Weapon of mass destruction|WMD bombs]] as [[BLT]] sandwiches. Buchanan apparently assumes he is referring to bio-lethal toxins; but near the end, he asks Buchanan "is it ever worth fighting a war over sandwiches".<ref>{{cite web |title=Ali G – sandwich war | date=4 March 2006 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kwEd_tcKBfU  |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211211/kwEd_tcKBfU| archive-date=2021-12-11 |url-status=live|via=YouTube |access-date=15 June 2018}}{{cbignore}}</ref>
* [[Boutros Boutros-Ghali]] (1922–2016), former [[Secretary General of the United Nations]], mistakenly called 'Boutros Boutros Boutros Boutros Ghali' by Ali G. Boutros-Ghali clearly went so far as to participate in some of Ali G's notorious word games and providing the epilogue to the episode where, at Ali G's bidding, he tells youth viewers 'I am Boutros Boutros-Ghali; put down your guns and listen to [[Bob Marley]].' In response to Ali G's perceived ignorance, Boutros-Ghali provides a detailed explanation about why [[Disneyland]] is not represented in the United Nations, and reveals which foreign languages sound comical to his ear.
* [[Noam Chomsky]] (1928–), MIT professor and linguist:<ref>{{cite news | last=Farndale | first=Nigel | date=6 July 2010 | title=Noam Chomsky Interview | newspaper=[[The Daily Telegraph]] | url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/books/7865508/Noam-Chomsky-interview.html | access-date=1 May 2017}}</ref> During this interview, Ali G is perplexed about the difference between the terms "bilingual" and "bisexual" after asking if his "4-year-old part-Bangladeshi and part-English cousin will grow up to speak both languages".<ref>{{cite news|title=Noam Chomsky interview|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/books/7865508/Noam-Chomsky-interview.html|access-date=14 January 2018|work=The Telegraph|date=6 July 2010}}</ref>
* [[Jarvis Cocker]] (1963–), [[Pulp (band)|Pulp]] singer
* [[Linda Cohn]], [[ESPN]] anchor
* [[Gaz Coombes]], [[Supergrass]] singer
* [[Paul Daniels]] (1938–2016), magician
* [[Sam Donaldson]] (1934–), ABC news journalist for over 45 years: In the interview, Ali G confuses [[Watergate scandal|President Nixon's Watergate scandal]] with films [[Waterworld]] and [[Stargate]], and adds that the media should make it clearer for younger people. At the end of the interview, Ali admits to not paying taxes.<ref>{{cite news|title='Borat' Backlash Brings Anger, Lawsuits|url=https://abcnews.go.com/Nightline/Entertainment/story?id=2646888&page=1|access-date=31 January 2018|agency=ABC NEWS|publisher=Nick Watt|date=11 November 2006}}</ref>
* [[Mohamed Al-Fayed]] (1929–2023), former owner of [[Harrods]] and former chairman of [[Fulham F.C.]]
* [[Marlin Fitzwater]] (1942–), former [[White House Press Secretary]] to US presidents George H. W. Bush and Ronald Reagan: Ali asks Fitzwater "was it embarrassing working as a secretary, did it have the stigmata as working as a male nurse". Ali G expresses his belief that men who use the words "discussion" and "conflict" are homosexuals. Fitzwater ends the interview after calling Ali G an idiot due to Ali asking if he knows any secrets and implying that [[Hillary Clinton]] was a lesbian.<ref>{{cite news|title=The Cheerful Confessions Of Ali G, Borat And Bruno|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2004/07/15/arts/the-cheerful-confessions-of-ali-g-borat-and-bruno.html|access-date=31 January 2018|work=The New York Times|date=15 July 2004}}</ref>
* [[Jerome Isaac Friedman|Jerome Friedman]], MIT professor of physics and 1990 Nobel Prize winner
* [[John Kenneth Galbraith]], economist and public intellectual
* [[Daryl Gates]] (1926–2010), former [[Los Angeles Police Department|Los Angeles Police]] Chief: Shortly after the interview begins, Ali asks him "what was it like being the head of the NYPD?". After Gates corrects him, Ali blames a language barrier as the cause of the misunderstanding, adding "well you says tomato, I says potato". During the midst of the interview, Ali confuses [[O. J. Simpson]] for [[Homer Simpson]]. Ali asks for information regarding criminals who swallow condoms which contain drugs and pretends to write down the information given to him, implying that he will later use the information practically. At the end of the interview, Ali incorrectly refers to him as [[Bill Gates]].
* [[Newt Gingrich]] (1943–), former [[Speaker of the United States House of Representatives]]: At the very beginning of the interview, he spends nearly one minute asking Gingrich how to spell and pronounce his name. Ali expresses his concern that if a female ever became President of the United States then she would spend too much time buying facial products, shopping and new shoes, also saying that a female president would elect [[George Clooney]] and [[Brad Pitt]] as part of the cabinet administration. Gingrich replies "I think if you said that to most women who could be President, you'd be surprised how tough they are" and also citing Margaret Thatcher as one of the three best prime ministers of the 20th century. Ali is also worried that a female elected president would start crying if the U.S. were at war and that she would "get more and more hornier" if a rival did "bad things" to the U.S. as "women love bastards".<ref>{{cite web|title=Gingrich holds no grudge against 'Ali G'|url=https://www.politico.com/blogs/click/2011/12/gingrich-holds-no-grudge-against-ali-g-107464|website=Politico|date=14 December 2011 |access-date=13 January 2018}}</ref>
* [[Neil Hamilton (politician)|Neil Hamilton]], former [[Conservative Party (UK)|Conservative]] politician.
* [[Kent Hovind]] (1953–), [[evangelism|evangelist]] and [[Young Earth creationism|Young Earth creationist]]: During the interview, Ali G repeatedly says "shame on you" to Hovind due to believing that he did not flush the toilet whilst backstage. Ali also believes that humans are descended from monkeys on the basis that Hovind admitted to eating a banana, according to Ali, his admission serves as proof. Ali then proceeds to shut down Hovind, telling him to "speak to the hand because the face ain't listening, yo".
* [[Richard James Kerr]] (1935–), deputy director of the Central Intelligence Agency to [[George H. W. Bush]]: Ali G asked Kerr what kind of punishment should suicide terrorists face, after blowing themselves up. He also expresses his belief to Kerr that threatening suicide bombers with 20 years in prison may act as a deterrent.
* [[Glenn Hubbard (baseball)|Glenn Hubbard]], former professional baseball player
* [[John Humphrys]], BBC presenter / journalist
* Derrick Hussey, publisher and proprietor of [[Hippocampus Press]]
* [[Reed Irvine]], founder of [[Accuracy in Media]]
* [[Ernie Johnson Jr.]], sports broadcaster
* [[Steve Kerr]], former American professional [[basketball]] player who, according to Ali G, works on "TMT", and was the Most Valuable Player, or "MP3" of the [[NBA]].
* [[C. Everett Koop]] (1916–2013), former [[Surgeon General of the United States]] to [[George H. W. Bush]] and [[Ronald Reagan]]: during the interview, Ali cannot comprehend why his erection is not actually a bone. He accuses Dr. Koop of being a "player hater" when the doctor breaks the news that all people will eventually die, and tries to convince the Surgeon General that his deceased pet cat was actually human. Ali suggests removing the organs out of the human body and replacing them with a mobile phone. He also asks why the human heartbeat is "so old fashioned", and his "homies" would look after and respect their heart if they had a drum and bass heartbeat that they could relate to. Ali also asks the Surgeon General why all skeletons are involved in "evil stuff."<ref>{{cite news|title=Sacha Baron Cohen: 'Hollywood would be too scared to make Borat today'|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/film/grimsby/sacha-baron-cohen-interview/|newspaper=The Telegraph|publisher=John Hiscock|access-date=18 April 2018|date=9 March 2016}}</ref>
* [[James Lipton]] (1926–2020), host of [[Bravo (US TV channel)|Bravo]]'s ''[[Inside the Actors Studio]]''. Ali G accuses Lipton of homosexual behavior because he cries while watching films. Lipton expresses that he hates the word "hoe" so Ali instead uses the word "bitches" to describe his opinion that women are better "actors" than men.<ref>{{cite web|title=BEFORE 'BRÜNO,' THERE WAS ALI G: FIVE GREAT INTERVIEWS FROM THE MAIN MAN|url=http://www.mtv.com/news/2432885/before-brno-there-was-ali-g-five-great-interviews-from-the-main-man/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170508171453/http://www.mtv.com/news/2432885/before-brno-there-was-ali-g-five-great-interviews-from-the-main-man/|url-status=dead|archive-date=8 May 2017|publisher=MTV|access-date=13 January 2018}}</ref>
* [[Ralph Nader]] (1934–), consumer activist and former US presidential candidate for the Green Party in 1996 & 2000: Ali wonders what is the big deal with saving the rainforest because he believes no one has ever lived there and there is not a KFC or McDonald's nearby. After discovering that people do live there, he believes that one would have to be crazy to live there due to the danger of a monkey defecating on a person's head. While talking about how to save money on electricity, unknown to Ali G, he admits to illegally rigging his home electrical meter and doing Nader a favor after he is "well negative about it".<ref>{{cite book|last1=Tracy|first1=Kathleen|title=Sacha Baron Cohen: The Unauthorized Biography: From Cambridge to Kazakhstan|page=140|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=lqMEpeNCwL0C&q=ralph%20nader%20sacha%20baron%20cohen&pg=PA140|access-date=13 January 2018|isbn=9781429993937|date=26 December 2007|publisher=St. Martin's Publishing }}</ref>
* [[Thomas J. Pickard]], former acting [[FBI Director]]: Ali G asks Pickard if he knows what is in the basement of [[Studio 54]], referring to the X-Files. After he acknowledges what he is implying, Ali hums the X-Files theme tune.
* [[Gail Porter]], television presenter
* [[Sue Ramsey]], Irish politician, [[Sinn Féin]]
* [[Sally Jessy Raphaël]], former talk show host, (who congratulated him for 'being himself')
* [[Jacob Rees-Mogg]] (1969–), [[Conservatives (UK)|Conservative Party]] parliamentary candidate, investment banker and future [[Member of Parliament (UK)|MP]] for North East Somerset (2010–2024). Ali incorrectly addresses him as "[[Lord Rees-Mogg]]". He asks him "which class is [[Pakistani|Pakis]] in" and wonders if he impregnated the daughter of a lord, which class would the baby belong to. During the interview, he borrows a top hat from Rees-Mogg, believing he would be upper-class if he wore it, Rees-Mogg compares him to [[Lord Snooty]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Jacob Rees-Mogg: a Boris in the making?|url=https://www.totalpolitics.com/articles/interview/jacob-rees-mogg-boris-making|website=Total Politics|access-date=14 January 2018|date=8 July 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Why Jacob Rees-Mogg for Tory leader is no laughing matter|url=https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2017/jul/20/jacob-rees-mogg-tory-leader-no-laughing-matter|newspaper=The Guardian|publisher=Michael Segalov|access-date=18 April 2018|date=20 July 2017|last1=Segalov|first1=Michael}}</ref>
* [[Andy Rooney]] (1919–2011), of the [[Columbia Broadcasting System|CBS]] programme ''[[60 Minutes]]'', who repeatedly corrects Ali G's poor grammar, and responds angrily to Ali G's foolish questions about the current state of the media. (It is worth noting that Ali G wonders whether the media would ever publish the results of a presidential election early; while Rooney dismisses this idea as preposterous, this is precisely what the Chicago Daily Tribune did in 1948, falsely reporting that Thomas E. Dewey had defeated Harry S. Truman). Rooney thus furiously and abruptly ends his interview, claiming a busy schedule. Ali G then characterizes Rooney's treatment of him as "racialist," using a British variant of the word "racist," the former of which Rooney (an American) does not recognize as any type of real word.
* [[Charles Schultze]], former Chief Economic Advisor to President [[Jimmy Carter]]<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ksGzn5bRFzQ  |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211211/ksGzn5bRFzQ| archive-date=2021-12-11 |url-status=live|title=Ali G – Economics and Selling Stocks High |via=YouTube |date=27 August 2006 |access-date=14 May 2012}}{{cbignore}}</ref>
* [[Brent Scowcroft]], former [[National Security Advisor (United States)|National Security Advisor]] and Air Force General
* [[Tomasz Starzewski]] (1961–), fashion designer: At the very beginning of the interview, Ali G thinks Starzewski's suit is made out of vaginal hair. Starzewski was offended when Ali asked if he would make clothes for any woman, "even if she has nice personality but a face like a [[rottweiler]]'s ass", believing that it would bring on shame for Starzewski's clothing brand if he decided to make clothes for unattractive women. At the end of the interview, Ali assumed that he was happy when fashion designer, [[Gianni Versace]], was murdered as "there was less competition".
* [[Teddy Taylor]] (1937–2017), former MP for the Conservative Party: Ali expresses his belief that most countries in Europe are "crap countries", he also thinks it is racist as a result of Jamaica not being part of Europe. He asks Taylor if himself will still be able to buy pornography "with dogs and women" and if that particular category will be available in the UK. At the end of the interview, Ali G suggests that if people want to join Europe then they should have a "brian", referring to a human brain.
* [[Dick Thornburgh]] (1932–2020), former U.S. Attorney General and governor of [[Pennsylvania]]. While both men are discussing murder and the law, Ali believes it is justifiable to murder someone "if they call your mum or nana a hoe". Ali has a hard time distinguishing the meaning of a "hung jury" and an erection, Thornburgh laughs and wishes he made it clearer for Ali. In the interview, he wonders if "whoever smelt it deal it", in reference to farting, is a crime in the United States. He also believes if a prisoner on the death penalty is given a free meal then the person would be able to eat forever, subsequently avoiding the execution.
* [[Edwin Meese]] (1931–), former United States Attorney General and counsellor to President Ronald Reagan. Ali G is baffled that it is illegal to steal a person's television but not their girlfriend, implying that a girlfriend should become property and even suggesting that the government should do something about it. After Meese discovers that he has been pranked, he agrees to say "I was attorney general, my name is Meese, I say go to college and don't carry a [[gun|piece]]."
* [[Stansfield Turner]] (1923–2018), former director of [[Central Intelligence Agency]]: After Turner explains what the CIA stands for, Ali asks "so does it help if you is intelligent if you want to get in", Ali believes it is "[[racist|racialist]]" that the CIA will not hire stupid people. His concern and definition of racist is "ain't it unfair for those people who will feel bad inside if you won't allow them in there", Turner immediately laughs and Ali questions his reason for laughing. Turner politely remarks that Ali is intelligent after asking if he could ever join the CIA. Ali believes that female undercover CIA agents have cameras attached to their vagina and that they wear uniforms whilst on special missions. At the end of the interview, he questions "how do we actually know [[Louie Armstrong]] was actually stood on the moon", and he expresses his belief to Turner that [[Kevin Costner]] knew who murdered President JFK.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Robert A. Saunders|title=The Many Faces of Sacha Baron Cohen: Politics, Parody, and the Battle Over Borat|date=2008|page=38|publisher=Rowman & Littlefield |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=U3G5hUhjAdUC&q=stansfield%20turner%20sacha%20baron%20cohen&pg=PA38|access-date=14 January 2018|isbn=9780739123379}}</ref>
* [[Donald Trump]] (1946–), real estate developer and reality TV presenter; 45th and 47th president of the United States of America.<ref>{{cite web|title=Donald Trump Biography Reality Television Star, U.S. President, Business Leader|url=https://www.biography.com/people/donald-trump-9511238|website=biography.com|access-date=18 April 2018}}</ref> In the interview lasting under two minutes, Ali G proposes a business idea to Trump: arguing that, although [[ice cream]] is "the most popular thing in the world", it is flawed due to the ease with which it melts. Trump suggests that Ali is pitching him a "drip-proof ice cream": which Ali denies, though praises the idea and urges Trump not to release such a product, to which he complies stating "I promise you I won't". Ali proceeds to pitch him the "ice cream glove": a piece of hand-wear which Ali believes will prevent ice cream from dripping on one's hands during consumption, to which Trump replies "well, it sounds like a good idea and I hope you make a lot of money" before walking off the set.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://inews.co.uk/culture/television/ali-g-donald-trump-spoof-interviews/ | title=When Ali G infuriated Donald Trump – and other inspired spoof interviews | website=iNews| publisher=Mark Butler | access-date=18 April 2018 | date=4 April 2018 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=It's time we took a closer look at Ali G's Trump interview|url=https://www.sbs.com.au/guide/article/2017/07/17/its-time-we-took-closer-look-ali-gs-trump-interview|website=sbs|date=17 July 2017|access-date=18 April 2018|archive-date=18 April 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180418164620/https://www.sbs.com.au/guide/article/2017/07/17/its-time-we-took-closer-look-ali-gs-trump-interview|url-status=dead}}</ref>
* [[Lindsay Urwin]], the [[Bishop of Horsham]].
* [[Gore Vidal]] (1925–2012), author and essayist (whom Ali G mistook for [[Vidal Sassoon]]).
* [[Christine Todd Whitman]] (1946–), first female and former [[New Jersey]] governor and [[United States Environmental Protection Agency]] administrator: Ali is concerned about solar energy and worries that the sun will run out of energy and fuel if humans continue to use solar energy, he adds that [[Alaska]] has already "overused" the sun as "there is like darkness for months every year". After asking why the ocean is dirty, his proof is that fishes and whales are defecating too much and that humans should tell the fish not to defecate in the water.
* [[Sammy Wilson (politician)|Sammy Wilson]], Northern Irish politician, [[Democratic Unionist Party]].
* [[Naomi Wolf]] (1962–), former political advisor to [[Bill Clinton]] and [[Al Gore]], author and [[feminist]]: Ali expresses his concern that if women are granted human rights in the workplace then they will start asking for human rights at home. He also adds that men are the best cooks in the world and uses [[Colonel Sanders]] and [[Ronald McDonald]] as examples, compared to "Wendy"; the mascot of [[Wendy's]] Fast-food Restaurant, Wolf surprisingly agrees with him. Ali baits Wolf by expressing his view that women have better job opportunities than men, such as lap dancers, extras in music videos and strippers. He gives Wolf a "compliment" by saying that she could possibly work as a prostitute due to her attractiveness.
* [[Heinz Wolff]] (1928–2017), scientist and former emeritus professor of bioengineering at [[Brunel University]]: Ali asks if "[[Penis enlargement|knob enlargements]]" are in correlation with science. He also asks "is infinite a number" and is unconvinced by Wolff's explanation, repeatedly saying "million" and "billion" and asking if it is smaller than the given numbers. Wolff says that he could always add 1 to each given number, Ali ends the interview by saying "and that number is infinity?" To which Wolff replies 'no'.
* Professional basketball players [[Steve Nash]] (who was an award-winning player "[[NBA Most Valuable Player Award|MP3]]" according to Ali G and unable to speak proper English due to being Canadian), [[Kobe Bryant]] (whom he asks about the number of springs in a basketball), [[Ben Wallace (basketball)|Ben Wallace]] (who he accuses of "playa-hating"), [[Shaquille O'Neal]] (whom he argued with about the meaning of the NBA, Ali thinking it stood for Nationwide Basketball Society), [[Tim Duncan]] (from whom he tried to get a pair of free [[sneakers|trainers]]), [[Robert Horry]], [[Dwyane Wade]] (who he did not realise was an NBA player, claiming he had just "sneaked in" to "hang with mah man Shaquille O'Neal"), [[Richard Jefferson]] (whom he called [[Thomas Jefferson]]'s son), [[Charles Barkley]], [[Kenny Smith]] and [[Reggie Miller]].

==Discography==
*"[[Me Julie]]" (2002), single with [[Shaggy (musician)|Shaggy]] from the soundtrack to the film ''[[Ali G Indahouse]]''.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.officialcharts.com/charts/singles-chart/20020317/7501/ | title=Official Singles Chart on 17/3/2002 | website=[[Official Charts Company|Official Charts]] }}</ref>

==In popular culture==
* In an episode of the [[MTV]] [[claymation|clay animated]] series ''[[Celebrity Deathmatch]]'', titled "Night of Comedy Comeback", there is a fight to the death between Ali G and [[Jamie Kennedy]]. The fight ended with Jamie slashing Ali G's stomach open with his own necklace.
* He is referenced in songs such as "[[Audacity (song)|Audacity]]" by [[Stormzy]], "[[AJ Tracey|Country Star]]" by [[AJ Tracey]], and "Post Verified Lifestyle" by [[JPEGMAFIA]].
* He is shown in the opening sequence of ''[[The Big Short (film)|The Big Short]]''.

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{Spoken Wikipedia|En-Ali_G.ogg|date=2006-04-28}}
* [https://www.channel4.com/programmes/da-ali-g-show Channel 4 Ali G website]
* [https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=3613548 Sacha Baron Cohen interview with NPR's Robert Siegel]
* [https://www.theguardian.com/ali/article/0,2763,195449,00.html An article in the Guardian]
* [https://archive.today/20130105212932/http://www.streetgangs.com/topics/2002/031202aligshow.html Tricked into Silly interview with Ali G], [[Alex Alonso]], Streetgangs.com, 12 March 2002
*{{commonscatinline}}

{{Sacha Baron Cohen}}

{{Authority control}}

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[[Category:British television comedy]]
[[Category:Comedy television characters]]
[[Category:Da Ali G Show]]
[[Category:Fictional television personalities]]
[[Category:Fictional interviewers]]
[[Category:Television characters introduced in 1996]]
[[Category:Fictional English people]]
[[Category:Fictional rappers]]
[[Category:Male characters in television]]
[[Category:British comedy rappers]]
[[Category:Fictional government ministers]]

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