Sacha Baron Cohen has hit out at Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg during his appearance at the Golden Globes, condemning him for ‘spreading Nazi propaganda’.
Taking to the stage to introduce Best Picture (Comedy or Musical) nominee Jojo Rabbit, the British comic used the platform to make a pointed remark about Zuckerberg.
“The hero of this next movie is a naive, misguided child who spreads Nazi propaganda and only has imaginary friends,” Baron Cohen said. “His name is Mark Zuckerberg.”
The comic then appeared confused at the card that he was reading, adding: “Oh wait, this is old and from The Social Network” – referring to the 2010 David Fincher film about the founding of Facebook. Jesse Eisenberg portrayed Zuckerberg.
In November, the Borat star used a speech at the ADL International Leadership Awards to condemn companies for amplifying hatred and violence in society. acceptance speech on Thursday (21 November) to call out the companies for amplifying hatred and violence in society.
“All this hate and violence is being facilitated by a handful of internet companies that amount to the greatest propaganda machine in history,” he said.
“Think about it. Facebook, YouTube and Google, Twitter and others – they reach billions of people. The algorithms these platforms depend on deliberately amplify the type of content that keeps users engaged – stories that appeal to our baser instincts and that trigger outrage and fear.”
“If you pay them, Facebook will run any ‘political’ ad you want, even if it’s a lie,” he said. “And they’ll even help you micro-target those lies to their users for maximum effect. Under this twisted logic, if Facebook were around in the 1930s, it would have allowed Hitler to post 30-second ads on his ‘solution’ to the ‘Jewish problem’.
“So here’s a good standard and practice: Facebook, start fact-checking political ads before you run them, stop micro-targeted lies immediately, and when the ads are false, give back the money and don’t publish them.”
The ceremony’s top prizes went to First World War drama 1917 and Quentin Tarantino’s Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, which won Best Film in their respective Drama and Comedy categories.
Earlier in the evening, Russell Crowe accepted his speech via a poignant letter he wrote while “protecting his family” from the bushfires back in his home country of Australia.
The ceremony’s top prizes went to First World War drama 1917 and Quentin Tarantino’s Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, which won Best Film in their respective Drama and Comedy categories.
Elsewhere, Phoebe Waller-Bridge took home two prizes for her work on Fleabag and, while accepting the trophy for Best TV Series – Comedy or Musical, cracked a raunchy joke about Barack Obama.
Ricky Gervais hosted the ceremony and immediately shocked with a joke about Leonardo DiCaprio’s 22-year-old girlfriend, Camila Morrone, and Prince Andrew.
Find a roundup of his best jokes here and a full list of the evening’s winners here.
