Some of the world’s best-known comedians – including American performers Dave Chappelle, Pete Davidson, Louis C.K., and Bill Burr – have been dubbed “sellouts” for taking part in a Saudi state-sponsored comedy festival in the wake of another journalist’s killing, and a reported rise in executions for non-lethal and drug-related crimes, along with long prison sentences imposed for social media posts.
The Riyadh Comedy Festival, hosted by Saudi Arabia’s government, is a new, lucrative gig for big-name comedians as the country expands its entertainment sector as part of “Saudi Vision 2030.” The initiative, brainchild of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, also includes the highly-controversial LIV Golf tournament and investments in the tech, gaming, and venture capital sectors.
The one that is disappointing to me out of the article is Bill Burr. I’ve listened to a lot of his stand up and his podcast off and on for years, frequently agreeing with the thrust of whatever point he was trying to make. I had hoped he was a better person than to put that reputation he seemed to care about on the line for a fat pay day.
I heard something recently that was along the lines of “who you really are, what you really value, and what you really stand for is defined by the things you are willing to give up to uphold those values and beliefs”.
I guess unfortunately Bill is like Chappelle has mostly been reveled to be in the last few years. Willing to agree to throw his supposed values in the trash if the payday is good enough. Just another mouthpiece for hire that I used to think was actually a pretty cool and principled dude back in the day.
Hell, I remember when Chappelle walked out on his show, while I missed that show I respected him for being willing to go that far for something he felt strongly about.
Unless Bill Burr takes a rather big shit on the royal family while he is out there, it’s a bit of a downer.
I doubt he will since there is a list of things you can’t talk about, including the royal family. And discarding that in a place like that is talking your own life in your hands.