The Riyadh Comedy Festival has been the talk of the town among the comedian fanbase, as it’s quite the controversial show to attend, being allegedly sponsored by the country’s royal family. Now, everyone knows why performing comedy in Saudi Arabia is seen as a contentious issue, with its history of human rights violations and oppressive regime and all. Yet, fan-favorite Bill Burr and a handful of other popular comedians are scheduled to perform there this month and into the next. However, one man has taken a stance: comedian Shane Gillis.
The Netflix series Tires star wasn’t the hero everyone expected, but the one they were glad to have after many comedian fans realized their favorite stand-up celebrity would be selling out to the Saudi Arabian royals. On the Secret Podcast, Shane Gillis said he took a “principled stand” against the offer to perform at the festival. Even when the event’s officials doubled how much they’d pay, he still refused, saying that “You don’t 9/11 your friends.” Considering that comedian Pete Davidson, the son of a firefighter killed during the 9/11 attack, Gillis’s statement hits pretty hard on those choosing to perform.
“It’s good to know some folks had the moral compass strong enough to resist the greed,” remarks a Redditor, who, along with thousands of others, shared their disdain and disappointment for Bill Burr selling out for Saudi Arabian royals. Even if politics or country controversies aside, Bill Burr was looked up to by many for speaking out against billionaire culture. But now that the ‘big money’ is going into his bank, he’s okay with it, which many fans find odd, seeing how Bill Burr is already one of the most successful comedians of the decade.
And as for Shane Gillis’s “9/11” comment, even though many are praising him for standing for what’s right, even that isn’t the main issue when it comes to refusing a payout from Saudi Arabian officials. As one Redditor puts it, the country is a dictatorship that does not support free speech. “Western comedians going over there to make all the royals laugh is tone deaf considering the government jails Saudis that tweet anything remotely negative about the country/culture,” they explain.
On top of that, the fact that the comedians would be paid directly from the royals’ pockets would mean the payout to whitewash the country’s oppressive government is blood money. That said, Shane Gillis has doubtless won the respect of thousands of people and could very well build his fanbase from it. Even in a free country where corruption currently abounds, taking the moral high ground isn’t easy.
