Sacha Baron Cohen Banned From Oscars, or Are We Being Set Up? (VIDEO)

By Dennis Romero Fri., Feb. 24 2012 at 1:15 PM

Cohen as the General.

Calling the organizer of the Oscar Awards the "Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Zionists," Sacha Baron Cohen character General Shabazz Aladeen threatened grave consequences if the Oscars people didn't reactivate his tickets to the big show Sunday.

That's right, Aladeen said the Academy will face "unimaginable consequences" if he didn't get his passes by noon that day.

The organizers reportedly pulled his right to be on the red carpet. Why?

The storyline is that the Academy doesn't want to play sucker to a typical Cohen ambush: He had planned to walk the red carpet as Aladeen, a character from his upcoming film, Dictator.

So the actor, who was invited to the Awards for his role in the Best Picture nominee Hugo, took to YouTube to decry the organization "for taking away my right to free speech."

The Middle Eastern General is righteous ...

... Except that this is all shaping up to be a pretty slick media stunt.

Oscars producer Brian Grazer told Access Hollywood that ...

We absolutely respect him as an artist and he's allowed to come. He's coming. In fact, he's even part of the ... he show... as himself.

Uh-huh. We're suckers for Sacha. Can't wait.

[@dennisjromero / djromero@laweekly.com / @LAWeeklyNews]

Tags:

Academy Awards, Aladeen, Dictator, media stunt, Oscars, Sacha Baron Cohen

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Danielle Russell

Okay I did see him dump those ashes on him. I just saw him dressed up like a nut and thought it was funny. I think He did not went too far , there is a chance to pour the ashes to Ryan's hair but he did not. He stopped himself and waited so that it will be pored in Ryan's suit.

Richard Sisk

I have to stand in admiration to the chutzpah of Sacha Baron Cohen. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Zionists indeed! Hilarious!

Brandt Hardin

The Academy should pull the stick out of their ass andlighten up. They are in desperate needof some added entertainment if they want anyone under the age of 60 to tunein. This is the shallowest and safestgroup of nominations they’ve ever presented. If the nominees seem as stuffy to you as they do to me, check out my ownTop 10 Movie Picks of 2011 athttp://dregstudiosart.blogspot...where you won’t see a single of the Academy’s nominees for Best Picture but youwill get some movie artwork I drew up as well as the reviews!