Affected by his controversial participation in the Humor Festival of the Comedy Riad Festival, in Saudi Arabia, the humorist came out of silence to justify his presence in this event that takes place in Riyadh until October 9.
When asked in the real -time program with Bill Maher, Louis CK said that acting in Saudi Arabia as a humorist could, according to him, to have good to develop the country’s mentalities.
“They also shared me with the idea of going to this festival. I hesitated to act there after listening to what everyone said. There is something good and bad in all this. But for me, I think it is in good sense. This is my decision,” he said.
“There is a lesbian and Jewish woman, who made a show there. He received an ovation standing there. Unexpected things can happen,” he added in reference to Jessica Kirson, an actress who since then apologized to have participated in the event.
“People have been acting in Saudi Arabia for years. The actors go to the Arab countries to make shows. Recently a film festival was held, which testifies to a certain opening,” said Louis CK
A festival produced by the Saudi government
From the announcement of its launch last July, this Saudi festival, where Dave Chappelle, Bill Burr, Kevin Hart, Pete Davidson, Whitney Cumming, Aziz Ansari, Hannibal Burress, Jim Jim Jefferies, Jim Jimfferies, Jim Koy, Tom Segura or Jeff Ross in the world of the world in the world of humor,
Some accuse these comedians of lacking ethics by accepting playing in a country known for their many human rights violations (repression of women, LGBT+people, censorship of journalists …), against a large sum (375,000 dollars per person, according to The Guardian).
A point of view shared by Human Rights Watch. According to the NGO, the Riyad Comedy Festival is an attempt by the Saudi government to look the other way for the “context of growing repression” in the country “, particularly against freedom of expression, which many of these comedians defend, but whose Saudi are completely private.”
Especially since the celebration of the festival coincides with the seventh anniversary of the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, killed while he goes to the Saudi consulate in Istanbul, Türkiye.
According to The Guardian, this festival is produced in part by Sela Company, a company specialized in events, owned by the Sovereign Saudi Fund, but also by the general authority of the entertainment of the kingdom. The latter is chaired by Turki al-Sheikh, a real advisor accused of human rights violations, in particular the arrest of people who criticize him on social networks.
Restrictive Programming and Contracts
Shortly before the launch of the Riyad Comedy Festival, the world of humor also pointed out another incident. Originally announced in the poster of the event, the humorist Tim Dillon disappeared from the program after a joke considered by the organizers.
“They have slaves, then? They pay me enough for my eyes to close,” he said in a podcast.
Therefore, this withdrawal raises a question about the freedom of which the humorists benefit in the choice of issues that will be addressed on stage during the festival. During his interview, Louis CK revealed that he had been asked not to live on the government, or in religion, two issues in which he ensures that he had, in any case, “not joke” in stock.
For her part, the Japanese actress -Taïwanese -American Atsuko Okatsuka, who refused to participate in the festival, presented in the social networks a contract that the organizers would have sent him.
In this case, it is specified that it is prohibited for participants to carry out a sketch that mentions “a content that can be considered degrading, defamatory or that can throw public discreditation, contempt, scandal, shame or ridiculous in the kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the Saudi Royal Family or any religion.”
The BBC, which investigated the Riyad Comedy Festival, however, has not been able to confirm the existence of said contract. In the act, some comedians like Bill Burr said they could speak without restriction of issues such as sex, women, trans people or homosexuality.
Source: BFM TV
