In September, 50 of the world’s biggest comedians performed at the “Riyadh comedy festival,” hosted by the Saudi Arabian regime. Harsh criticism followed from fellow comedians, fans, and human rights groups, who accused the country of “comedy washing.” However, several of the comedians performing have since withdrawn.
In the Netflix special “Unstoppable,” which was released on Friday, Dave Chappelle said it was “easier to talk there than in the United States,” and said that “trans jokes went down very well in Saudi Arabia.”
Jimmy Carr addressed the criticism when he guested on "The Louis Theroux Podcast" this week.
"I think we have to let go of the idea that the Middle East is going to become Western Europe. The Middle East is a completely different place," said Carr, adding that he performs where the audience is.
