Watch Sacha Baron Cohen's "Dictator" character respond to Oscar ban

To the surprise of absolutely no one, it was recently confirmed that the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences is comprised predominantly of old white guys. As such, it was also no surprise when the news broke this week that those old white dudes didn't want the unpredictable Sacha Baron Cohen to add a little liveliness to the starchy Oscar proceedings by running around the red carpet and making a mockery of things in the guise of his Saddam Hussein-esque Dictator character, Admiral General Aladeen.

And since Cohen is certainly capable of sticking his butt in Helen Mirren's face or something (see: 2009 MTV Movie Awards), the Academy made it clear that, while an antics-free Cohen would be allowed to attend the Oscar ceremonies, any of his characters were strictly forbidden because, again, why make it fun? Who wants to watch Admiral General Aladeen slap around George Clooney when we can be watching those scintillating technical awards being presented?

Going back to the Ali G days, Cohen, of course, made his name taking the piss out of old white guys, and positively thrives on provocation and being denied. So he wasn't going to pass on the opportunity to fan the flames of this little controversy. This morning, Cohen released a video of himself in full regalia as Aladeen, addressing his banishment from the hallowed orgy of self-congratulation. Cohen-as-Aladeen stated:

"On behalf of the nation of Wadiya, I am outraged at being banned from the Oscars by the Academy of Motion Pictures of Arts and 'Zionists.' While I applaud the Academy for taking away my right to free speech, I warn you that if you do not lift your sanctions and give me my tickets back by 12 p.m. on Sunday, you will face unimaginable consequences."

Aladeen went on to mention some egregious Oscar snubs for "classic films" such as When Harry Kidnapped Sally, You've Got Mailbomb, and Planet of the Rapes.

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