With Saudi Arabia's Riyadh Comedy Festival kicking off this weekend, Atsuko Okatsuka has revealed some of the event's strict terms.
Dionysus @leminal.space - 3mon
Oh the wee cwown pwince doesn't want to get his feelings hurt?
Good on her for standing up and passing on being some cunt's jester.
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Waffle @infosec.pub - 3mon
Based
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Akt0 @reddthat.com - 3mon
Good for her, I will check her, and the others mentioned, out. If anyone else is interested in a list of abstained, the article lists:
Atsuko Okatsuka
Leslie Liao
Mike Birbiglia
Shane Gillis
The article also goes on to mention some of those who are billed for the event:
... the Riyadh Comedy Festival has grown to include Kevin Hart, Aziz Ansari, Hannibal Buress, Bill Burr, Dave Chappelle, Louis C.K., Whitney Cummings, Pete Davidson, Zarna Garg, Gabriel Iglesias, Jim Jefferies, Jo Koy, Bobby Lee, Jeff Ross, Andrew Santino, Tom Segura, Chris Tucker and more.
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barooboodoo @lemmy.zip - 3mon
Mike Birbiglia
Thanks the lord, love me some Birbiglia. I'm really bummed Burr, Hannibal, Aziz, and some others are on that list 😞
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renrenPDX @lemmy.dbzer0.com - 3mon
Wow, how have I not seen or heard anything about this until yesterday? The event started 9/26 and lasts through 10/9.
I really hope every single one of them enjoys the backlash their gonna get back home. Ah what do I know, they won't care. I'm sure their purse strings are about to bust apart once they get paid.
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renrenPDX @lemmy.dbzer0.com - 3mon
The participant list is greater than what I've seen listed here and other posts. Wikipedia lists them but here they are as of 9/28.
Participants:
Aziz Ansari
Hannibal Buress
Bill Burr
Jimmy Carr
Dave Chappelle
Louis C.K.
Whitney Cummings
Pete Davidson
Christ Distefano
Omid Djalili
Zarna Garg
Kevin Hart (edit/spelling)
Gabriel Iglesias
Jim Jefferies
Jimeoin
Maz Jobrani
Jessica Kirson
Jo Koy
Bobby Lee
Sebastian Maniscalco
Sam Morril
Mark Normand
Nimesh Patel
Russell Peters
Jeff Ross
Andrew Santino
Andrew Schulz
Tom Segura
Jack Whitehall
Ali Siddiq
Ben Hart
Aries Spears
Mo Amer
Wayne Brady
The short list of who have declined shows as: Shane Gillis, Stavros Halkias, and Atsuko Okatsuka. Tim Dillon was intending to participate but was removed due to previously made jokes.
Marc Maron, Shane Gillis, Gianmarco Soresi, and Zack Woods have criticized the event and the performers.
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expr @programming.dev - 3mon
Do we think any of these people are going to just ignore the rules anyway?
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renrenPDX @lemmy.dbzer0.com - 3mon
It would be neat if they did, but what are the chances? They still would have to get back home.
Remember, this is being organized by MBS. He's the one responsible for making Jamal Khashoggi, the Saudi journalist and Washington Post columnist who was critical of MBS disappear by dismemberment in 2018.
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expr @programming.dev - 3mon
Hmm that's a fair point, I suppose you couldn't feasibly ignore the rules and make it out alive.
3
AllNewTypeFace @leminal.space - 3mon
I wonder how many participants will fall back to the “My dog has no nose” joke or similar.
squirrel in ghazi
Comedian Atsuko Okatsuka Reveals Riyadh Fest’s “Censorship Rules” After Turning Down Gig
https://deadline.com/2025/09/atsuko-okatsuka-reveals-riyadh-comedy-fest-censorship-rules-1236557912/Oh the wee cwown pwince doesn't want to get his feelings hurt?
Good on her for standing up and passing on being some cunt's jester.
Based
Good for her, I will check her, and the others mentioned, out. If anyone else is interested in a list of abstained, the article lists:
Atsuko Okatsuka
Leslie Liao
Mike Birbiglia
Shane Gillis
The article also goes on to mention some of those who are billed for the event:
Thanks the lord, love me some Birbiglia. I'm really bummed Burr, Hannibal, Aziz, and some others are on that list 😞
Wow, how have I not seen or heard anything about this until yesterday? The event started 9/26 and lasts through 10/9.
I really hope every single one of them enjoys the backlash their gonna get back home. Ah what do I know, they won't care. I'm sure their purse strings are about to bust apart once they get paid.
The participant list is greater than what I've seen listed here and other posts. Wikipedia lists them but here they are as of 9/28.
Participants:
Aziz Ansari
Hannibal Buress
Bill Burr
Jimmy Carr
Dave Chappelle
Louis C.K.
Whitney Cummings
Pete Davidson
Christ Distefano
Omid Djalili
Zarna Garg
Kevin Hart (edit/spelling)
Gabriel Iglesias
Jim Jefferies
Jimeoin
Maz Jobrani
Jessica Kirson
Jo Koy
Bobby Lee
Sebastian Maniscalco
Sam Morril
Mark Normand
Nimesh Patel
Russell Peters
Jeff Ross
Andrew Santino
Andrew Schulz
Tom Segura
Jack Whitehall
Ali Siddiq
Ben Hart
Aries Spears
Mo Amer
Wayne Brady
The short list of who have declined shows as: Shane Gillis, Stavros Halkias, and Atsuko Okatsuka. Tim Dillon was intending to participate but was removed due to previously made jokes.
Marc Maron, Shane Gillis, Gianmarco Soresi, and Zack Woods have criticized the event and the performers.
Do we think any of these people are going to just ignore the rules anyway?
It would be neat if they did, but what are the chances? They still would have to get back home.
Remember, this is being organized by MBS. He's the one responsible for making Jamal Khashoggi, the Saudi journalist and Washington Post columnist who was critical of MBS disappear by dismemberment in 2018.
Hmm that's a fair point, I suppose you couldn't feasibly ignore the rules and make it out alive.
I wonder how many participants will fall back to the “My dog has no nose” joke or similar.
No nose? How does he smell?
I knew I liked her.