Jimmy Kimmel grilled Aziz Ansari about his choice to perform at Saudi Arabia’s state-sponsored Riyadh Comedy Festival despite that country’s government doing “a lot of horrible, horrible things.”
Ansari was in the hot seat for his first late-night TV appearance since his #MeToo scandal broke in 2018, as Kimmel prodded him about the festival, which also included Dave Chappelle, Bill Burr, Louis C.K., Pete Davidson, and more American performers.
“People are questioning why you would go over there and take their money to perform in front of these people,” Kimmel said. “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.” He added, “I’m curious as to why you decided to do that.”
Ansari, who was on the show to promote his feature directorial debut Good Fortune, stood behind the choice. “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,” he said. “Just like there’s people in America that don’t agree with the things the government is doing.”
But Kimmel balked at the comparison. “I know we’re doing horrible things over here,” the host said, but “they murdered a journalist,” he pointed out, indicating the brutal murder of Jamal Khashoggi. “These are not good people over there.”
Kimmel’s point has been made by other comedians who called out their peers for accepting large payouts to appear at Riyadh, particularly as Saudi officials were allegedly involved in the 2001 New York terrorist attacks. Maron also called out the comedians set for the show, brutally quipping, “How do you even promote that? ‘From the folks who brought you 9/11?’ 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—ing suitcase. ‘But don’t let that stop the yucks, it’s gonna be a good time!’”
Added David Cross, “I am disgusted and deeply disappointed in this whole gross thing. That people I admire… would condone this totalitarian fiefdom for… what, a fourth house? A boat? More sneakers?” He told the comics performing, “All of your b—hing about ‘cancel culture’ and ‘freedom of speech’ and all that s–t? Done. You don’t get to talk about it ever again.”
Chappelle, unapologetic as usual, headlined the event, using his set to argue that it’s “easier to talk here than it is in America.” He even used Kimmel as an example, as the host had just been suspended by ABC for criticizing MAGA’s reaction to the murder of conservative podcaster Charlie Kirk. “Right now in America, they say that if you talk about Charlie Kirk, that you’ll get canceled,” he said at the festival, per The New York Times.
Bill Burr and Pete Davidson also defended their decision to take part in the festival, with Burr citing the “incredible experience” and Davidson, whose father was killed in the 9/11 attacks, declaring that the amount of money he was offered sealed the deal. While most comedians have not disclosed what they were offered, the reported range of payment for one stand-up set has been between $375,000 and $1.6 million.
Ansari offered a more reflective response than the rest, despite Kimmel’s skepticism.
“Whenever there’s repressive societies like this, they try to keep things out,” he said. “It makes people curious about outside ideas, outside values. 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.”
He concluded, “For me, especially being me and looking the way I do and being from a Muslim background, it felt like something I should be a part of. And I hope it pushes things in a positive direction.”
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