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Pete Davidson Defends Saudi Gig, Blames "Losing Millions" on Ferry
Music

Pete Davidson Defends Saudi Gig, Blames “Losing Millions” on Ferry

by jummy84
written by jummy84

Pete Davidson returned to the Weekend Update desk on this week’s episode of Saturday Night Live, where he addressed the money he and Colin Jost are losing on the decommissioned Staten Island ferry they purchased in January 2022.

Holding up a recent New York Times article about the ill-fated purchase, Davidson used the opportunity to defend his performance at the controversial Riyadh Comedy Festival. “In case you’re wondering why I had to do a show in Saudi Arabia, we’re losing millions on this ferry,” he joked. “I assume that’s what the article says. I can’t spend $5 on a paywall when I got a kid on the way.”

With Dave Chappelle, Bill Burr, and Louis C.K. also on the bill, Davidson wasn’t the only comedian to face backlash for his performance. However, the criticism was especially pointed toward Davidson, whose father died while responding to the 9/11 attacks on the World Trade Center. The Saudi Arabian government, which is currently named in a lawsuit alleging the kingdom’s role in funding the attack, sponsored the festival.

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Davidson referenced the 9/11 connection during the segment, while revisiting the bit that Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is purportedly Weekend Update co-anchor Colin Jost’s uncle: “I understand RFK. You know, I wouldn’t be famous without my dad dying, either. Thank god that happened. Wouldn’t trade it.”

This isn’t the first time Davidson has defended the Saudi performance as just another gig. In a September appearance on Theo Von’s This Past Weekend podcast, he dismissed claims that the festival was an attempt to “comedy-wash” the Saudi government’s atrocious human rights record. “I’ve been getting a little bit of flak just because my dad died [in] 9/11,” he said at the time. “So they’re like, ‘How could you possibly go there?’”

As is often the case, the simple answer is money.

Returning to the topic of the ferry, Davidson took a jab at SNL creator Lorne Michaels by referencing reports that Tina Fey could soon take over as executive producer. “If Lorne Michaels has taught us anything, it’s that you never, ever give up,” he said. “Even if everyone says the time has come and Tina Fey is ready to take over.”

According to the New York Times report, Davidson and Jost’s LLC, Titanic 2, is currently being sued for $13,500 in “outstanding obligations” on their ferryboat, John F. Kennedy. They purchased the vessel for $280,100 nearly four years ago in a move that Jost once described as “the dumbest and least thought-through purchase I’ve ever made in my life.”

It’s currently sitting unused in a Staten Island shipyard, with grandiose plans for a restaurant, concert venue, and movie theater left unrealized.

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Whitney Cummings Shrugs Off Saudi Comedy Fest Criticism as "Just Racism"
Music

Whitney Cummings Shrugs Off Saudi Comedy Fest Criticism as “Just Racism”

by jummy84
written by jummy84

Whitney Cummings has heard the criticisms for performing at the controversial Riyadh Comedy Festival, which the comedian has dismissed as “just racism.”

Cummings spoke up on her Good for You podcast, where she responded to the ongoing disapproval being leveled at comedians like herself who traveled to Saudi Arabia for the fest.

“I guess I’m this weirdo. I don’t operate under, you know, the idea that every government and their people are the same,” she said. “Like, you think that the people of Saudi Arabia and the Saudi government all share [the same values]? So you also believe that the Chinese government and the Chinese people are exactly the same? It’s just racism. I think it took me a second, because when people are going like, ‘You’re doing something unethical,’ I’m like, ‘Oh, these must be ethical people, let me listen.’ And then you’re like, ‘Oh no, you’re just racist.’ But these are also, by the way, the same people that would go like, ‘Trump’s not my president! I am nothing like our government.’ But other countries are?”

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Cummings is the latest in a line of comedians who’ve defended their decision to perform at the Riyadh Comedy Festival. Aziz Ansari faced off against Jimmy Kimmel on his late-night talk show about it recently, saying that while it’s “a complicated issue,” he still wanted to perform, and that “there’s people over there that don’t agree with the stuff that the government’s doing, and to ascribe like the worst behavior of the government onto those people, that’s not fair.”

Bill Burr popped up on a live taping of the Conan O’Brien Needs a Friend podcast to say that he believes the controversy isn’t genuine, and is being inflamed by bots.

While comedian Jessica Kirson has apologized for her appearance at the fest, Louis C.K. defended his decision to perform there, calling it “a good opportunity.”

Dave Chappelle used his set at the event to say that “it’s easier to talk here than it is in America.”

Marc Maron, Shane Gillis and Zach Woods have all spoken out against the comics who chose to participate in the comedy festival.

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Jimmy Kimmel Challenges Aziz Ansari Over Saudi Arabia Comedy Festival
Music

Jimmy Kimmel Challenges Aziz Ansari Over Saudi Arabia Comedy Festival

by jummy84
written by jummy84

Aziz Ansari was among the comedians who recently traveled to Saudi Arabia to perform at the controversial Riyadh Comedy Festival, a decision that raised eyebrows and prompted questions from Jimmy Kimmel.

Ansari appeared on Jimmy Kimmel Live on Monday, October 6th, to promote his feature directorial debut, Good Fortune. Toward the end of the interview, Kimmel took the opportunity to ask Ansari about his choice to perform at the festival.

“People are questioning why you would go over there and take their money to perform in front of these people,” Kimmel commented. “This is something that’s become a big part of the news because people, a lot of comedians especially, are very upset because the people who paid the comedians to come to this are not good people. It’s a pretty brutal regime. They’ve done a lot of horrible, horrible things… I’m curious as to why you decided to do that.”

Ansari noted that “it’s something I put a lot of thought into” before deciding to accept the invitation.

“I have an aunt that lived there for a while, and I talked to her about this, and she said, you know, there’s people over there that don’t agree with the stuff that the government’s doing, and to ascribe like the worst behavior of the government onto those people, that’s not fair,” Ansari explained. “Just like there’s people in America that don’t agree with the things the government is doing, right?”

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Kimmel continued to press Ansari, saying that while the American government is doing “horrible things,” he called out the Saudi government for extreme atrocities, saying, “They murdered a journalist,” in reference to the assassination of Jamal Khashoggi in 2018, adding that “these are not good people over there.”

“I was just there to do a show for the people, and I talked to my wife about this before I went, and she said, you know, whenever there’s repressive societies like this, they try to keep things out, whether it’s rock and roll music, or, blue jeans, because it makes people curious about outside ideas, outside values,” Ansari said. “And this is a very young country, like half the country is under the age of 25, and things can really change. And to me, a comedy festival felt like something that’s pushing things to be more open and to push a dialogue. You kind of have to make a choice of whether you’re going to isolate or engage.”

Later on in the interview, Ansari shared that after accepting the invitation to perform, he decided that part of his fee would go towards “causes that support free press and human rights,” specifying Reporters Without Borders and Human Rights Watch.

“It’s a complicated issue, but I felt like it was something that was pushing things in the right direction, I hope,” Ansari added. Watch the full interview below.

Bill Burr, who also appeared at the festival, used his podcast to defend the decision, calling it a “great” experience, and concluding that the people there are “just like us.”

Dave Chappelle declared that “it’s easier to talk here (in Saudi Arabia) than it is in America” during his set at the festival.

Lesbian comic Jessica Kirson apologized for performing at the event, while Louis C.K. has defended his decision to appear.

Other comedians who performed at the Riyadh Comedy Festival include Sebastian Maniscalco, Kevin Hart, Chris Tucker, Pete Davidson, and Whitney Cummings.

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Lesbian Comic Jessica Kirson Apologizes for Performing at Saudi Comedy Festival, While Louis C.K. Calls It a “Good Opportunity”
Music

Lesbian Comic Jessica Kirson Apologizes for Performing at Saudi Comedy Festival, While Louis C.K. Calls It a “Good Opportunity”

by jummy84
written by jummy84

The current Riyadh Comedy Festival taking place in Saudi Arabia has received major backlash, including harsh criticism from comedians who are not participating in the two-week event. Now, comedian Jessica Kirson has apologized for performing at the festival, while the embattled Louis C.K. has defended his appearance.

The festival features a who’s who of prominent comedians who earned major paychecks for their appearances, including Dave Chappelle, Sebastian Maniscalco, Kevin Hart, Chris Tucker, Bill Burr, Pete Davidson, Whitney Cummings, and more.

In recent days, fellow comedians like Marc Maron, Shane Gillis, and David Cross (who wrote a lengthy takedown of his peers) have blasted the festival and the stand-up comics on the lineup, citing Saudi Arabia’s involvement in 9/11, the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, and the country’s history of oppressing women and members of the LGBTQ+ community.

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Jessica Kirson, who is openly lesbian, issued an apology after performing at the festival on September 29th. Her statement to The Hollywood Reporter reads, in part, “I hoped that this could help LGBTQ+ people in Saudi Arabia feel seen and valued. I am grateful that I was able to do precisely that — to my knowledge, I am the first openly gay comic to talk about it on stage in Saudi Arabia. I received messages from attendees sharing how much it meant to them to participate in a gay-affirming event. At the same time, I deeply regret participating under the auspices of the Saudi government.”

She added, “Most importantly, I am deeply sorry to all the fans and followers I have hurt or disappointed.”

Louis C.K., meanwhile, appeared on Real Time with Bill Maher, on Friday night, prior to his scheduled performance at the Riyadh Comedy Festival, and defended his decision to perform at the event, even referencing Kirson’s performance.

“When I’m talking to the other comedians who have been there, they’ve been really surprised by what’s going on,” said C.K. “There’s a woman who’s a lesbian and Jewish, who did a show there, and she got a standing ovation. So, there’s stuff going on that’s unexpected in this thing. People have been playing Saudi Arabia for years. Comedians have been going and playing Arab countries. There was a film festival there recently, it’s kind of opened up. But I’ve always said no to Arab countries.”

He continued, “And when this came up, they said there’s only two restrictions — their religion and their government, I don’t have jokes about those two things. It used to be when I got offers from places like that, there would be a long list, and I’d just say, ‘No, I don’t need that.’ But when I heard it’s opening, I thought, that’s awfully interesting. That just feels like a good opportunity. And I just feel like comedy is a great way to get in and start talking.”

The interview with Maher marked Louis C.K.’s first TV interview since admitting to sexual misconduct allegations back in 2017.

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Dave Chappelle Criticizes US at Saudi Arabia Comedy Festival
Music

Dave Chappelle Criticizes US at Saudi Arabia Comedy Festival

by jummy84
written by jummy84

During his set at the controversial Riyadh Comedy Festival in Saudi Arabia, Dave Chappelle shared his thoughts on the current state of free speech in the United States, saying that “it’s easier to talk here than it is in America.”

“Right now, in America, they say that if you talk about Charlie Kirk, that you’ll get cancelled,” Chappelle said to an audience of 6,000, according to The New York Times. “I don’t know if that’s true, but I’m gonna find out… they’re going to do something to me so that I can’t say what I want to say.”

While far from charging journalists with high treason over social media posts, Chappelle’s comments touch on fears of a free speech crisis stateside. The national debate on censorship and retaliatory government actions gained newfound attention after Paramount’s sudden cancellation of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert and ABC temporarily pulling Jimmy Kimmel Live! for his comments regarding the assassination of Charlie Kirk.

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Donald Trump and FCC chairman Brendan Carr subsequently doubled down on their threats to limit certain types of speech. The resulting uncertainty sparked quite a bit of outrage, an open letter signed by over 400 actors and musicians, a pointed South Park episode, and plenty of charged discourse.

Chappelle’s ideas may echo worries held by many others in the public sphere, but the setting in which he expressed them ultimately resulted in an ironic dissonance.

While Chappelle made the comments in the midst of a stand-up comedy set, critics have pointed out the irony of the sentiment. Saudi Arabia has a reputation for human rights abuses and often restricts speech within its borders. Media outlets are licensed by the government, and several journalists and Saudi Arabian citizens have faced harsh consequences for criticizing the regime or sharing ideas contrary to the state’s principles. Notable instances include Salma al-Shehab, a student who was initially sentenced to 34 years in prison after retweeting women’s rights activists on Twitter, and Jamal Khashoggi, a journalist who was brutally assassinated in 2018. Just this past June, the Saudi state executed journalist Turki al-Jasser for running a Twitter account that accused the Saudi royal family of human rights abuses and corruption.

Because of such occurrences, many of the comedians performing at the Riyadh Comedy Festival faced public backlash for taking part in the event. Additionally, the nonprofit watchdog group Human Rights Watch urged those participating to call for the release of detained Saudi activists, including Waleed Abu al-Khair and Manahel al-Otaibi.

Comics who attended the festival — including Bill Burr, Louis C.K., Aziz Ansari, Pete Davidson, and others — were reportedly paid extremely handsomely. Some publicly defended their involvement, with Burr saying that the people there are “just like us” on a recent episode of his podcast.

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Dave Chappelle Says It's Easier To Talk Freely In Saudi Arabia Than America
TV & Streaming

Dave Chappelle Says It’s Easier To Talk Freely In Saudi Arabia Than America

by jummy84
written by jummy84

“It’s easier to talk here than it is in America,” Dave Chappelle told an audience in Saudi Arabia on Saturday.

Chappelle was in the kingdom as part of the Riyadh Comedy Festival. His decision — and that of other comics — has become controversial, given Saudi role in 9/11 and the 2018 assassination of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, as well as other human rights abuses and anti LGBTQ+ policies.

“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!’” an astounded Marc Maron said in a video from a recent stand-up bit. “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 fucking suitcase. But don’t let that stop the yucks, it’s gonna be a good time!”

Others have objected on free speech grounds, especially after comedian Atsuko Okatsuka revealed what she said were strict contract terms that would have had her “adhere to censorship rules” about the kinds of jokes she could make. Those criticisms were set in even higher relief during the recent standoff between Jimmy Kimmel and ABC.

Chappelle’s quip onstage at the festival was likely a rejoinder to such complaints.

“Right now in America, they say that if you talk about Charlie Kirk, that you’ll get canceled,” the comedian said, according to the New York Times. “I don’t know if that’s true, but I’m gonna find out.”

Since Deadline exclusively revealed the initial lineup in July, the Riyadh Comedy Festival has announced Kevin Hart, Aziz Ansari, Hannibal Buress, Bill Burr, Dave Chappelle, Louis C.K., Whitney Cummings, Pete Davidson, Zarna Garg, Gabriel Iglesias, Jim Jefferies, Jo Koy, Bobby Lee, Jeff Ross, Andrew Santino, Tom Segura, Chris Tucker and more as participants. It runs through October 10.

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Bill Burr Defends Appearance at Saudi Arabia Comedy Festival: "They're Just Like Us"
Music

Bill Burr Defends Appearance at Saudi Arabia Comedy Festival: “They’re Just Like Us”

by jummy84
written by jummy84

Bill Burr has defended his decision to perform at the controversial Riyadh Comedy Festival in Saudi Arabia. On the latest episode of his podcast, the comedian gushed about his “great” experience in the Middle East, concluding that the people there are “just like us.”

Burr explained how a warm-up gig in Bahrain helped him gauge what would be acceptable for his set at the Saudi festival, whose lineup also features Dave Chappelle, Louis C.K., Aziz Ansari, and Pete Davidson.

“Standup is new to this part of the world, so they always have fucking restrictions and shit when you go over there,” he stated. “So the first time you do a new country in the Middle East, it’s fucking hilarious. You go on stage and you’re sitting there going like, ‘Am I going to get arrested?’”

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According to Burr, security guards at the Bahrain show reassured him that all his material was “fine here” and would also be acceptable in Saudi Arabia. He then went to a bar where he was “observing all the people” and their interactions, only to realize, “These guys, they’re just like us… I don’t speak the language, but I get it.”

When he flew into Saudi Arabia, Burr felt a renewed nervousness, but relaxed after seeing that they had the same fast food restaurants.

“I literally think I’m going to land, you know, and everybody’s going to be screaming, ‘Death to America,’ and they’re going to have like fucking machetes and want to like chop my head off, right?” he recalled. “‘Cause this is what I’ve been fed about that part of the world. I thought this place was going to be really tense. And I’m thinking, ‘Is that a Starbucks next to a Pete’s Coffee next to a Burger King next to a McDonald’s… They got a fucking Chili’s over here.’”

Burr then addressed the initial restrictions for the festival, which were eventually negotiated down to avoiding jokes about religion and not making fun of the royals.

“When they first went to set it up over there, the rules on what they had about what you could and couldn’t say in Saudi Arabia, [organizers were told], ‘If you want some good comedians, this isn’t going to work,’” he said. “And, to their credit, they said, ‘Alright, what do we got to do?’ And they just negotiated it all the way down to just a couple things.”

Even with those rules in mind, Burr was hesitant to do his bit about going to a gym with “a bunch of gay guys there.” Once the crowd started laughing, however, he decided to push the envelope.

“I’m checking out the diplomats as I’m doing this stuff, and they’re all fucking laughing,” he said. “All of a sudden, I start getting in the zone. Ol’ Billy’s feeling loose up there. My brain just goes, ‘Gay gym.’ And then the other part of my brain says, ‘Don’t do that.’ And then I said, ‘Fuck it. I’m going to do it.’ So I started doing the joke and it fucking murdered. They all loved it. And at that point, I was just like, ‘Ah, fuck it. I’m just doing my act.’ So I did my act. Did the whole thing.”

Unsurprisingly, Burr came away from the experience with a sense of optimism. “It was great to experience that part of the world and to be a part of the first comedy festival over there in Saudi Arabia. I think it’s going to lead to a lot of positive things,” he concluded. “The royals loved the show. Everyone was happy. The people who were doing the festival were thrilled… The comedians that I’ve been talking to were just saying, ‘Dude, you can feel [the audience] wanted it. They want to see real stand-up comedy.’ It was a mind-blowing experience. Definitely top three experiences I’ve had.”

Burr’s defense comes as fellow comedians David Cross, Marc Maron, and Shane Gillis have spoken out against Saudi Arabia’s latest effort to whitewash its reputation for human rights abuses and restrictions on free speech.

In an open letter, Cross wrote, “I am disgusted, and deeply disappointed in this whole gross thing… We can never again take seriously anything these comedians complain about (unless it’s complaining that we don’t support enough torture and mass executions of journalists and LGBTQ peace activists here in the states, or that we don’t terrorize enough Americans by flying planes into our buildings).”

Maron posted a social media clip captioned, “Selling out in Riyadh,” in which he referenced Saudi Arabia’s alleged role in 9/11 and the assassination of dissident Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi.

Gillis claimed he turned down a “significant bag” to perform at the festival to take “a principled stand,” even after the offer was doubled.

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