Baron Cohen: the great dick-tator

The Oscars. Even if you are someone with little interest in popular culture, the name must ring a bell. It is one of the most talked about nights in the film industry and one which requires twelve months of preparation, countless hours of work and more stars than Oprah’s phone book. This year, the night was dominated by the incredible silent film The Artist, the beloved Meryl Streep, and countless other hard-working individuals… However, things didn’t quite pan out the way the way they should have done.

That’s who the worldwide audience should have been watching; the true stars. Instead, their eyes turned to a rather tall peculiar looking man with a big beard and a bright white suit, who was being flanked by two glamour models and clasping his version of a clutch – an urn containing the ashes of Kim Jong-il. Classy.

Despite being warned by the Academy Award committee that he was not allowed to promote his film on the red carpet or appear controversially dressed, Cohen shamelessly flaunted his new character ‘The Dictator’ in front of countless cameras and journalists. And clearly the Academy Award committee carried out the appropriate punishment – they let him walk along the red carpet regardless.

Yet Cohen felt that defying the committee was just not funny enough; he then proceeded to ‘accidentally’ pour the ‘ashes’ of Kim Jong-il all over much loved TV presenter Ryan Seacrest. One Burberry tuxedo ruined, and a whole lot of press coverage for Cohen. What joy.
When did tastelessness become the new ‘funny’? When did stupidity and bigotry become the new ‘in’ thing? And when did ruining someone else’s night become a celebrated act? I must have missed that along with the one dated from six years ago declaring Sacha Baron Cohen the funniest guy in film.

Whilst Cohen was swiftly ushered inside, Ryan Seacrest went in search for a new suit and tried to quickly swap his shocked expression for a sheepish grin. In my opinion, he was a very good sport. His co-hosts joked that at least now he would be the most popular ‘trend’ in the world of Twitter – they were mistaken, Sacha Baron Cohen and ‘The Dictator’ were being tweeted about far more.

A further worry immediately presented itself; the Americans began labelling this act as ‘British humour’ since their audiences tended to find it shocking whilst a few British journalists classed it as ‘hilarious’. Great. Thanks for that Cohen. If you represent what the world thinks of as ‘British’ humour I dread to think about what British music or role models are defined as – whoever won The X Factor this year round and Ashley Cole?

Our international reputation for comedy is already in tatters; British comedians who make a name for themselves in the US tend to screw it up. Take Russell Brand, for example:breaking Katy Perry’s heart is hardly the best way to win a legion of admirers. If this is the kind of comedy a Cambridge-educated comedian like Cohen is promoting abroad, we need to Fedex Michael McIntyre or Jack Whitehall over there immediately.

I can take a joke as well as the next person, but I feel this was a step too far. Making a mockery of the Oscars is as amusing as making a mockery of the annual Bravery awards. The Oscars aren’t some trivial television trophies handed out to the cast of TOWIE or Big Fat Gypsy Weddings. By trying to steal the show away from those who had truly worked for their awards, Cohen demonstrated that he felt he was above all other stars.

Maybe he was having a sulk that his film Hugo did not revolve around him, or would it be furnishing his mantlepiece with any individual awards? Perhaps he acted out of sheer boredom, since even the Oscar Red Carpet is below him and his reputation? I’m not too sure, but what I do know is that now, any Oscar headline is dominated to show his grinning bearded face or Seacrest’s stunned one. Mission accomplished for Sacha Baron Cohen.