The Riyadh Comedy Festival sparked outrage and confusion across the comedy world. How did some of America’s biggest comedians — from Bill Burr to Dave Chappelle — end up performing for the Saudi government amid ongoing human rights controversies? In this conversation, W. Kamau Bell joins to unpack what the festival reveals about Western comedy’s moral blind spots and the obsession with “getting the bag” no matter the cost.
Bell explains why so many stand-up comics, even those with massive success, still carry the mindset of the struggling performer — always chasing the next gig, no matter who’s paying. He describes the industry’s long history of “hell gigs” and shady promoters, and how that culture makes moral compromise feel normal. But as he points out, once you reach a certain level of fame, the excuses start to wear thin.
This discussion isn’t just about one festival. It’s about how Western entertainers rationalize working for repressive regimes, and what it says about our broader cultural values. Why do audiences let it slide when their favorite comics take blood money? And what does it mean for comedy’s role as a form of truth-telling when the biggest names avoid uncomfortable truths altogether?
For the full conversation, visit Luke’s Substack: https://lthomas.substack.com/
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Chapters:
00:00 The Saudi Comedy Festival Debate
01:00 Kamau Bell Reacts to the Lineup
02:10 Why Comics Take Shady Gigs
03:20 The Culture of “Hell Gigs”
04:15 Comedy and Moral Compromise
05:00 Who Advises These Big Comics?
06:00 Bill Burr’s Defense Explained
07:10 Bag Culture and the Comic Mindset
08:00 The Price of Artistic Integrity
09:00 What This Means for Western Comedy
