New Movie Hits a Political Minefield
Sacha Baron Cohen’s latest film, Ladies First, has landed in hot water before it’s even out. The trailer dropped this week, featuring Cohen alongside Rosamund Pike, but it’s not the quirky plot that’s causing a stir. Instead, the comedy star’s outspoken support for Israel amid the Gaza-Iran conflict has sparked backlash across the board. The film follows a cad waking up in a female-run parallel world, but this sci-fi twist is being overshadowed by fierce criticism of Cohen’s politics. In 2023, he met with TikTok execs to call for cracking down on what he called “the biggest antisemitic movement since the Nazis” — targeting content about the conflict. His past roles, like in The Spy, have also been slammed for glorifying Israeli intelligence while casting Arab nations in a bad light.
Social Media Explodes with Boycott Calls
- @AlanRMacLeod: “Sometimes, boycotting is easy.”
- @AndreaT2303: “No fvcking way. This ‘actor’ supports genocide. No fvcking thanks.”
- @lactrum: “Boycott this film. Baron Cohen is a Zionist.”
- @dermotheaney: “Hope it collapses at the box office. He’s on a different level of Zio.”
The backlash is deafening. Many fans vow to skip the film entirely, turning their anger into calls for wider boycotts.
Will ‘Ladies First’ Ever Find an Audience?
Despite the scandal, the trailer hasn’t impressed. Critics say the premise feels stale — some even compare it unfavourably to classic British comedy like The Two Ronnies. Cohen’s glory days seem behind him, leaving only memories of better laughs. And in true Cohen style, here’s a wild throwback: a woman once claimed her Alexa ordered £100 worth of sex toys after hearing Borat on the device. Classic chaos – but it seems even that kind of shock value can’t save Ladies First from today’s political heat.
