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The stand-up comic has justified his choice to take the stage at the humor event in Saudi Arabia after fellow comedians questioned major stars participating as glossing over a government guilty of rights violations.

Varied Responses from Performers

Speaking on a talk show, the comedian, who is sharing top billing the festival with UK comic his counterpart, stated fellow performers had been “quite taken aback” by the response from audiences in the Saudi capital.

Dave Chappelle, Bill Burr, Kevin Hart, Pete Davidson, Whitney Cummings, Aziz Ansari, Hannibal Burress, Jim Jefferies, Jo Koy, Tom Segura and Jeff Ross are part of the roster at the Saudi event, which concludes on October 9th.

“There’s a woman who’s openly gay and of Jewish faith, who did a show there, and she got a standing ovation,” CK said, mentioning another comic, who has expressed “sincere regret” for appearing at the event.

Unexpected Developments

“Clearly, developments going on that’s unexpected in this thing,” the comedian continued. “Artists have been performing in Saudi Arabia for years. Comedians have been traveling and entertaining in the region. A cinema event took place there recently, it’s kind of opened up. But I’ve always said no to Arab countries.”

He explained he was informed there would be only two restrictions on what he could talk about: “Their religion and the authorities.”

“I don’t have jokes about those two things,” he noted. “It used to be, when I got offers from places like that, there would be a long list, and I’d respond, ‘I'll pass.’ But learning about it’s opening, I thought, that’s awfully interesting. That just feels like a good opportunity. And I believe comedy is an effective means to engage and start talking.”

Ethical Questions Raised

Many performers have questioned the ethics of performing comedy at a festival directly paid for by the Saudi Arabian government, which is known for rights issues and restrictions, and its suppression of journalists, females and LGBTQ rights.

Event organizers involve a entertainment firm owned by the state investment fund; and the kingdom’s General Entertainment Authority, which is chaired by a advisor facing allegations of abuses.

Human Rights Watch argued the festival was an effort by the Saudi government to whitewash its actions “amid significant increase in repression including a clampdown on free speech, which many of these comedians defend but people in Saudi Arabia are completely denied”.

Harsh Feedback

Comedians including well-known names have been highly critical of performers who have complained about cancel culture and censorship in the previous for participating in the festival, with one comic posting a blistering statement that singled out CK by name.

“Evidently, participants show no concern about what the rest of us think, but how can any of us respect you from now on?” Cross stated. “All of your bitching about ‘public shaming’ and ‘freedom of speech’ and similar issues? Over. You don’t get to talk about it ever again. By now we’ve all seen the agreement you had to agree to.”

The comedian acknowledged the backlash on the program.

“I had mixed feelings about it too,” he admitted. “I struggled about going once I heard the feedback. Potential benefits in it, maybe some bad. But for me, I think it leans towards going. My choice, and I understand my motives, because I've reflected deeply.”

He continued: “I love standup comedy, and I love comedians. So, the fact that that’s opening up and beginning to grow, I want to witness it, I wanna be part of it. I think that’s a positive thing.”

Regrets and Defenses

The lesbian comic, who appeared at the Riyadh festival on 29 September, explained to media that she had requested a assurance that she could talk about being a lesbian on during her set, saying she “believed that this could help LGBTQ+ people in the country gain visibility and respected … as far as I know, I am the pioneer to talk about it on stage”.

But she added: “However, I deeply regret taking part supported by the authorities.” She apologised to fans who were let down by “a poor decision that had repercussions I overlooked” and announced she would donate her fee to a rights group.

Burr, who appeared in the capital on September 26, defended his choice to take part, describing it as “a mind-blowing experience”.

“It was fantastic to experience the region and to be a part of the inaugural humor event in Saudi Arabia,” he commented on his podcast. “Officials enjoyed the performance. Everyone was happy. The people that were doing the event were thrilled. Fellow performers I've spoken with are remarking, ‘Man, you can feel [crowd] wanted it. They want to see authentic humor.’ … I believe it’s going to lead to many benefits.”