Sacha Baron Cohen Criticized for "Stolen Valor" on Hijacked Billboard Near CBS Offices

[Ubiquitous]

A street artist took over a Los Angeles billboard early Monday
morning by using a crew to place a gigantic overlay on top of a
legitimate ad for the 'Young Sheldon' show on CBS.

The prankster Sacha Baron Cohen has himself been pranked, courtesy
of a conservative street artist who hijacked a billboard across the
street from CBS studios near the corner of Beverly Blvd. and Fairfax
Ave. in Los Angeles.

Cohen's show, Who is America?, debuted Sunday night on Showtime, the
cable channel owned by CBS, but the billboard purposely steers
potential viewers away from the show by advertising misinformation.

The billboard also promotes Sarah Palin's theory that Cohen
disrespected the U.S. military when he pranked her by posing as a
wounded veteran in order to get an interview with the former GOP
vice presidential candidate.

The billboard has an image of Cohen in a U.S. Army T-shirt sitting
in a wheelchair with a prosthetic leg and a "Make America Great
Again" hat. The text reads: "Sacha Baron Cohen Walks Away With a
Hit...and a touch of stolen valor. Who Is America? Sat, 9pm. CBS."

The show, though, debuted Sunday night and is scheduled for Sundays
at 10 p.m. on Showtime. It's still unknown when the episode with
Palin will air.

Also near CBS studios Monday was a fake ad for the show behind glass
at a bus stop. It's similar to the billboard, though it differs in
that it promotes the Wounded Warrior Project, a charitable
organization that assists injured veterans.

The billboard, 40 feet across and 15 feet wide, and the smaller bus
stop ad are the work of Sabo, a conservative street artist who
oftentimes lampoons the Hollywood left.

Sabo hijacked the billboard early Monday morning by using a crew to
place a gigantic overlay on top of a legitimate ad for the Young
Sheldon show on CBS.

Sabo said he got the idea after Palin said on Facebook on July 10
that she was duped by Cohen.

"My daughter and I were asked to travel across the country where
Cohen (I presume) had heavily disguised himself as a disabled U.S.
Veteran, fake wheelchair and all," Palin wrote on Facebook.

"Out of respect for what I was led to believe would be a thoughtful
discussion with someone who had served in uniform, I sat through a
long 'interview' full of Hollywoodism's disrespect and sarcasm — but
finally had enough and literally, physically removed my mic and
walked out, much to Cohen's chagrin," wrote Palin.

The segment featuring Palin did not air Sunday, nor is it set for
the episode that will air next Sunday.

Palin, though, wrote in her Facebook post that "the challenge is to
Cohen, CBS and Showtime: donate all proceeds to a charitable group
that actually respects and supports American Vets. Mock politicians
and innocent public personalities all you want, if that lets you
sleep at night, but HOW DARE YOU mock those who have fought and
served our country."

CBS was unavailable for comment.

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