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The government-backed Riyadh Comedy Festival took place this month in Saudi Arabia. And much like with the sportswashing accusations being levied at numerous athletes, a lot of people are upset with American comedians taking what these critics consider to be “blood money” to make Saudi Arabia look like a fantastic place to visit.
Whitney Cummings was one of the stand-up comics who took the Saudi money and performed at the festival. And just like with Bill Burr, Dave Chappelle, Aziz Ansari, and others, she is getting a lot of blowback for it.
This week she shared her defense for performing at the Riyadh Comedy Festival, and it’s a doozy.
“I guess I’m this weirdo,” ,” she said on her Good for You podcast. “I don’t operate under, you know, the idea that every government and their people are the same. Like, you think that the people of Saudi Arabia and the Saudi government all share… okay, so you also believe that the Chinese government and the Chinese people are exactly the same?
“It’s just racism. I think it took me a second, because when people are going like, ‘You’re doing something unethical,’ I’m like, ‘Oh, these must be ethical people, let me listen.’ And then you’re like, ‘Oh no, you’re just racist.’
“But these are also by the way the same people that would go, like, you know, ‘Trump’s not my President. I’m nothing like our government, but other countries are.’ Just because you don’t believe in comedy, it doesn’t mean other people don’t.
People are like, ‘Uh, you sell out.’ I love when a nepo baby tells comics who grew up poor that they’re sellouts. People whose dads have points on huge television shows are like, ‘I have a backup plan. Trust fund. You’re a sellout for making money.’
“Comics have been doing rants about it. By the way, any comic who has ever worked with Live Nation, which is all of them, has taken Saudi money, but keep with your little rants,” she continued. “Uh, a comic tried to imply that it was hypocritical that I went because I, you know, I did a special about sexual harassment and stuff like that. It was like kind of during the Me Too movement. Um, and it’s, you know, it might be a compelling argument if it wasn’t someone who was just bummed that they weren’t invited, you know, because he also believes he also deserves 72 virgins. Maybe it’s that. Maybe it’s that. As always, thank you for listening.
“When you get a sec, google ‘Saudi Arabia Live Nation’ so you can be informed on the fact that anyone who has worked with Live Nation, every stand-up comic, has taken Saudi money. Or bought a ticket through Live Nation, went to a Live Nation event, all the actors who are represented by William Morris Agency, which is all of them. If you want to send them notes too.”
So, basically, Whitney Cummings is a big believer in that it is okay to support and promote things that are unethical or immoral as long as everyone else is doing it? Good to know.
By the way, Shane Gillis, Marc Maron, and Zach Woods were some of the comedians who thought taking Saudi money to work there was a bad idea.
As for some of the other comedians who performed over there, Bill Burr went a slightly different route in defending himself, calling those who are angry about him performing at the Riyadh Comedy Festival “sanctimonious c—-.” Dave Chappelle’s defense was that it’s easier to talk in Saudi Arabia than America because of “cancel culture.” While, Aziz Ansari said he performed in Saudi Arabia because of advice from his aunt who used to live there and because “a comedy festival felt like something that’s pushing things to be more open and to push a dialogue.”
Apparently, as “The Million Dollar Man” Ted DiBiase always liked to say, “Everybody’s got a price.”