Let's hope Sacha Baton Cohen's movie is funnier than his latest publicity stunt.
The faux outrage affected by the British comic actor and adopted by some media outlets over his nonexistent "banning" from the Oscar show is looking sillier by the moment.
Particularly so with the latest news Friday morning from show producer Brian Grazer that Baron Cohen is not only attending but will be participating in the show.
And he'll be doing so as himself, not as his character from the upcoming film "The Dictator."
That means that Baron Cohen most likely floated the idea that he wanted to walk the red carpet in character specifically so that he could turn the Academy's understandable reluctance into a "ban."
By doing so, of course, he could use the Oscar-week mania to whip up a little bit of early interest in the summer release.
And it couldn't hurt in attracting a younger demographic that the Oscars so desperately covet.
The stunt is hardly uncharacterstic of Baron Cohen: This is, after all, the same guy who, dressed as gay fashion reporter Bruno, descended from the rafters at the 2009 MTV Movie Awards and landed with his bare rear end in the face of Eminem, who stormed out of the show.
The rapper later admitted that the whole thing was planned.
Also read: Sacha Baron Cohen Got His Oscar Tickets — But His Alter Ego is Still Making Trouble
Even as Baron Cohen was using his film's website to launch a mock attack on "The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Zionists," Academy president Tom Sherak told TheWrap that the actor already had his Oscar tickets.
"We want him to come to the show," said Sherak. "But we would like him to come as Sacha."
Now Grazer has told Access Hollywood that Baron Cohen will indeed attend the show, and even participate in some unspecified way.
"He's coming," said the producer. "In fact, he's even part of the, there's a piece — he's part of the show … as himself."
This latest news comes on the heels of Baron Cohen posting a video in which his character, Admiral General Aladeen, delivered an ultimatum to the Academy.
"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," said "Aladeen."
Since Baron Cohen had the tickets in his possession at the time the video was posted, this is definitely a case of having your cake and hyping it, too.
And the chief consequence, which has been eminently imaginable all along, is that now more people know about "The Dictator" than knew about it three days ago.
Mission accomplished. Now, can this whole non-story please go away?