Louis CK justifies decision to appear at Riyadh comedy festival as 'an excellent chance'

Louis CK has defended his choice to perform at the Riyadh comedy festival following fellow comedians questioned major stars participating as glossing over a government responsible for rights violations.

Mixed Reactions from Performers

During an appearance on Real Time With Bill Maher, CK, who is co-headlining the event with UK comic his counterpart, said other comedians 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 lineup at the Riyadh comedy festival, which concludes on 9 October.

“There’s a woman who’s openly gay and of Jewish faith, who did a show there, and she received enthusiastic applause,” CK remarked, mentioning Jessica Kirson, who has apologized for performing at the event.

Surprising Outcomes

“Clearly, developments going on that’s unexpected in the situation,” CK added. “Artists have been performing in the kingdom for years. Stand-up artists have been going and entertaining in the region. There was a film festival there lately, it’s kind of opened up. But I previously declined offers to Arab countries.”

He explained he was told there would be just a couple of limits on what he could talk about: “Their religion and the authorities.”

“I don’t have jokes about those topics,” he added. “Previously, when I received invitations from such locations, there would be a long list, and I’d just say, ‘I'll pass.’ But when I heard the opening, I thought, that’s awfully interesting. It seems like a positive step. And I just feel humor is an effective means to engage and initiate dialogue.”

Moral Concerns Raised

Many performers have raised doubts about the ethics of performing comedy at a festival funded by the Saudi Arabian government, which is known for rights issues and restrictions, and its oppression of reporters, females and LGBTQ rights.

The festival’s producers involve a live events company under the state investment fund; and the kingdom’s General Entertainment Authority, which is chaired by a royal adviser dogged by allegations of human rights violations.

Human Rights Watch argued the event was an effort by the Saudi government to cover up its actions “during significant increase in repression including a crackdown on free speech, which several performers champion but locals are not allowed”.

Scathing Criticism

Performers such as Marc Maron, Atsuko Okatsuka and David Cross have been scathing of performers who have spoken out about cancel culture and restrictions in the past for agreeing to take part in the festival, with one comic publishing a blistering statement that singled out CK by name.

“Clearly you guys don’t give a shit about what the rest of us think, but how can we take any of you seriously from now on?” he stated. “Your complaints 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 addressed the criticism on the program.

“I was conflicted about it as well,” he said. “I deliberated about going once I heard the feedback. There’s some good in it, possible drawbacks. But in my view, I think it leans towards taking part. That’s my decision, and I understand my motives, because I've reflected deeply.”

He continued: “I'm passionate about comedy, and I love comedians. So, the reality that opportunities are expanding and beginning to grow, I wanna see it, I wanna be part of it. I feel that’s a positive thing.”

Apologies and Justifications

Kirson, who performed at the event on 29 September, told media that she had asked for a assurance that she could discuss her sexuality on stage, saying she “hoped that it might assist LGBTQ+ people in the country feel seen and valued … to my knowledge, I am the first openly gay comic to address it on in Saudi Arabia”.

But she added: “At the same time, I sincerely apologize for taking part under the auspices of the Saudi government.” She said sorry to fans who were disappointed by “a misstep that had consequences I didn’t fully consider” and said she would give her payment to a rights group.

Another headliner, who appeared in Riyadh on 26 September, supported his choice to participate, describing it as “an incredible opportunity”.

“It was fantastic to explore the region and to participate in the first comedy festival in Saudi Arabia,” Burr said on his podcast. “Officials enjoyed the performance. The response was positive. The people that were doing the festival were thrilled. Fellow performers I've spoken with are saying, ‘Dude, you can feel [the audience] were eager. They want to see real standup comedy.’ … I believe it’s going to lead to many benefits.”