Progressivism Crushed Sacha Baron Cohen. Here’s the Proof

Sacha Baron Cohen shares an undeniable truth about comedy in a new Time Magazine essay.

… satire works best not when it preaches, but rather when it lives among the laughter. Then, once you walk out of the theater or switch off the TV, it makes you think.

Cohen might as well have been talking about “Saturday Night Live,” “The Daily Show” or “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” – showcases that lecture from oh, so predictable vantage points. 

Or, he was looking in the mirror.

Cohen once shocked the world with his 2006 comedy “Borat.” The film, part documentary and part scripted, let him bring his numbskull alter ego to America to expose the nation’s darker side.

What he mostly did was show how patient and kind the average American is, but we digress.

The film earned a whopping $26 million in its opening weekend, all the more remarkable since it debuted on less than 1,000 screens. A star was born, but Cohen never found a follow-up vehicle worthy of “Borat’s” deranged humor.

Subsequent comedies like “Bruno,” “The Dictator” and “The Brothers Grimsby” offered diminishing returns, even if he proved more effective as a character actor.

Think “Sweeney Todd,” “Talladega Nights” and “Hugo.”

Something else happened to Cohen along the way. He let his liberal leanings get the better of him. That impacted his work and brand in two profound ways.

First, he turned on free speech by slamming social media, calling it the “greatest propaganda machine in history.” Apparently, his New York Times subscription lapsed.

He also begged major platforms to boot President Donald Trump from their digital shelves following the Jan. 6 riots. Permanently.

More damning? Cohen stood down during the height of the woke mind virus. Comedians were getting cancelled, others were self-censoring for fear of reprisals and famous authors found their works censored to avoid hurt feelings.

A few brave comics stood up for speech, including fellow Brit John Cleese, Joe Rogan and Rob Schneider.

Not Cohen, who aligned with far too many on the Left in their quest to stifle speech. They only rally behind free speech when their own side is targeted.

Or they pretend it’s targeted, in the case of Colbert and Kimmel.

Secondly, by seeing only one side of the political divide, Cohen missed reams of comic material. And, by consuming one-sided news platforms, which is obvious based on his public commentary, he misses the big picture.

It’s ironic that his new film, “Ali G: Who Iz I?” is under attack by the remaining woke scolds, the same folk he refused to denounce in recent years. They claim the character, an ignorant white rap aficionado, is racist, problematic, or some other faux outrage.

That likely sparked his lengthy essay for Time Magazine. Let’s call it what it is – damage control.

Except now he’s peddling some of the same misinformation he claims to hate.

Cohen blames President Trump on Stephen Colbert’s CBS dismissal, ignoring the $40 million the show lost the Tiffany Network every year. He also says Trump made ABC suspend Kimmel for a week after the host lied about the person allegedly responsible for Charlie Kirk’s murder.

There’s zero proof of that. 

Not one but two lies. And it gets worse.

He teases how his new film helps expose Islamophobia and suggests an Israeli soldier is a terrorist. Meanwhile, Muslim radicals are ransacking Paris and Jewish citizens are being harassed and sometimes hunted across the globe.

Cohen is Jewish. Will “Ali G: Who Iz I?” even bring up the shocking rise of antisemitism across the globe? Don’t bet on it. He and his fellow progressives have downplayed the matter on many levels. “SNL” won’t go near it.

Plus, American Democrats are supporting leaders with obvious rage against Israel and, likely, Jews.

Abdul El-Sayed: “I think it’s time for us to realize that Israel is not actually our friend.” https://t.co/HgSEt6p9YA

— TheBlaze (@theblaze) October 20, 2026

The Anti-Defamation League is tracking antisemitism in New York City following the rise of DSA superstar Zohran Mamdani.

MamdaniMonitor.com.

Cohen rarely uses his satirical cudgel against the Left. Another snippet from his new film paints a false, one-sided narrative about those who want border security.

A fair-and-balanced satirist would be funnier, more perceptive and, most of all, accurate.

“Ali G: Who Iz I” will only be in theaters for one weekend. Box office experts say it’ll earn between $6-10 million, at best, before heading to streaming platforms (likely Prime Video).

Cohen has come a long way, baby, but that’s no compliment.