Comedian Ari Shaffir was notably absent from the Riyadh Comedy Festival, and when asked about it on the podcast Drawn Together, he didn’t hold back when discussing both the event and the comedians who chose to attend.
Shaffir explained that he wasn’t around when the festival happened and only started hearing about it after returning from a trip.
“I was gone when it happened,” he said. “I was catching whiffs of it when I got back.”
As he learned more about the event, he said his first reaction was confusion.
“I don’t understand, but it’s just a comedy festival in Saudi Arabia, like for people,” Shaffir recalled thinking at the time.
However, once someone explained that the festival was essentially being put on for the government, his opinion changed quickly.
“What? No way,” he said.
Host McCaughan then asked whether there was any amount of money that could have convinced him to perform at the festival. While Shaffir didn’t completely rule out the possibility, he suggested it would take a significant sum.
“I’m not going to say there’s no amount of money,” he said. “At some point you start going, I could do some good with this.”
When the conversation shifted to the comedians who attended, Shaffir said his judgment largely depended on who they were and how they presented themselves publicly.
“Certain people, like I don’t give a f*** about politics, never been that guy,” he said. “If that’s who you are, then I guess go.”
But he drew a distinction between those comedians and people who regularly speak about politics, morality, or social issues.
“If you’ve ever had like a hierarchy or something like that,” Shaffir said, “F*** off.”
Despite criticizing what he saw as hypocrisy, Shaffir admitted he also found it amusing.
“I love when people are hypocrites,” he said. “It makes me laugh so much.”
He continued by describing how entertaining it was to learn who had actually attended the festival.
“So I do like that they all went,” Shaffir said. “It was funny finding out later and I was like, who? No way.”
He recalled repeatedly being surprised by the names he heard.
“This person?” he said. “And they’d be like, yes, that person. Like, what? No way.”
While Shaffir did not specifically name any comedians during the conversation, Bill Burr‘s reported appearance at the Riyadh Comedy Festival attracted attention because of his reputation as a comic who frequently challenges political and cultural institutions. Over the years, Burr has cultivated an image of independence and skepticism toward authority, leading some fans to view his participation in the event as surprising.
