Baron Cohen's 'Dictator' Drawing Fire for Alleged Arab Stereotypes

Baron Cohen's 'Dictator' Drawing Fire for Alleged Arab Stereotypes

Sacha Baron Cohen goes out of his way not to connect Islam with his brutal Middle Eastern character in “The Dictator.”

That isn’t enough for some Arab-Americans, apparently, according to TheWrap.com:

While Baron Cohen’s shtick may be in good fun, some Arab groups and experts aren’t in on the joke, believing the comedian has perpetuated negative stereotypes that go back to the early days of Hollywood.

“Arabs are being ridiculed again and again and again,” Jack Shaheen, author of “Guilty: Hollywood’s Verdict on Arabs After 9/11,” told TheWrap. “It’s unending and has been going on for nearly a century. [Baron Cohen] just advances the idea that it’s perfectly acceptable to ridicule Arabs in film.”

Read TheWrap.com for more outrage over Baron Cohen’s film, which hits theaters tomorrow.

COMMENTS

Please let us know if you're having issues with commenting.