Comedians often have to do whatever it takes to be successful. And it seems as if that idea of working at any venue to make a name for yourself never leaves them. Because that is the only explanation why a lot of bigger names are doing the Riyadh Comedy Festival.
The festival, which is brought to us by the Saudi government who has a long list of human rights issues lobbied against it, features comedians like Pete Davidson and Bill Burr heading to Saudi Arabia for their debut comedy festival. You may be asking “Hey, why?” and that’s kind of where we all are. Including other comedians.
Marc Maron, who is never afraid of sharing his opinion, pushed back at the involvement of these comedians with the Saudi government after their role in 9/11 and the assassination of Jamal Khashoggi. “I mean, how do you even promote that? ‘From the folks that brought you 9/11. Two weeks of laughter in the desert, don’t miss it!’” he said in a video. “I mean, the same guy that’s gonna pay them is the same guy that paid that guy to bone-saw Jamal Khashoggi and put him in a f*****g suitcase. But don’t let that stop the yucks, it’s gonna be a good time!”
Maron revealed that he wasn’t invited there, so it allowed him to “take the high road on this one.” Shane Gillis, however, revealed that he turned down a “significant bag” from the festival. “I took a principled stand. You don’t 9/11 your friends,” he said.
Zach Woods, from shows like The Office and Silicon Valley, used a more comedic approach to call those out who decided to attend. “Now there’s a lot drips, killjoys and dweebazoids who say, ‘They shouldn’t do comedy over there because they’re whitewashing a regime that, just in June, killed a journalist, and killed Jamal Khashoggi, and played a big role in 9/11.’ Shut up! Name one comedian who hasn’t whored themself out to a dictator,” said Woods.
You want to sell out that badly?
The list is bad. There isn’t a comedian I would be dying to to risk my freedom for and so it is hilarious to see multiple women and people of color heading their way to the festival. Guess that pay check was worth all the alleged human rights violations? What is wild about this is that the Saudi government clearly was willing to pay, if Gillis is to be believed. Meaning they either sought these comedians out or the better ones out there decided to have a backbone and say no.
Bill Burr is an upsetting addition to the line up given his stance on a lot of political issues but then there are the usual suspects like Louis C.K., Dave Chappelle, Whitney Cummings, and more.
I just don’t know how they can go on with their daily lives knowing that everyone is judging them right now. Constantly knowing that everyone things I’m a sell out would, probably, stop me from taking the paycheck but hey, I wasn’t asked by “The folks who brought you 9/11” to attend.
(featured image: NBC)
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