Amid rising backlash from fellow comedians and human rights advocates, Bill Bar defended his appearance at the Riyadh Comedy Festival, calling it “one of the top three experiences I’ve had” and “mindblowing.”
“It was great to experience that part of the world and be part of the first comedy festival held in Saudi Arabia,” Barr said on a September 29 episode of his “Monday Morning Podcast.” “The Royals loved the show. Everyone was happy. The people who were doing the festival were excited.”
During the episode, Barr talks about arriving in Riyadh with anxiety due to negative portrayals in Western media. “I think you’re going to scream “Death to America,” and they’re going to want to cut my head off, like a machete,” Barr said. “Because this is what I ate about that part of the world.”
His biggest surprise came from the available restaurants and the audience itself. He is young, diverse and wants to be involved in stand-up comedy.
“Is that Starbucks next to Pizza Hut next to Burger King next to McDonald’s? They have chili peppers here!”
He continued: “I had to stop several times between shows. “It was exactly this amazing energy exchange. They know their reputation. So they were very friendly.”
Atsuko, a fellow comedian, Okaya, said she previously refused invitations to perform and shared excerpts from a contract banning political, religious and LGBTQ+ content. Bar has admitted these inherent restrictions, but claims it loosened after the artist was pushed back.
“The organizers told me, ‘If you want a good comedian, this won’t work,'” Barr explained. “For their trust, they said, ‘It’s okay, what do we have to do?” And they negotiated it for a bit. Don’t tease the royal family or religion. ”
According to Barr, he was able to perform most of his normal actions with just a small adjustment.
One nervous moment reminds him that he began making a joke about sex. Just watch the couple get up and leave.
“I remember, ‘Oh, fuck. Am I having trouble?” Barr recalled. “But they came back a few minutes later, and then security told me, “You’re fine. Everything is allowed here.”
But not everyone is sure.
On Monday, comedian David Kross released a scathing official statement bombing performer who agreed to take the stage in Riyadh.
“I’m tired of this whole whole and deeply disappointed,” Cross wrote. “The people I admire would… tolerate this totalitarian territory… What, fourth house? Boat? More sneakers?”
Cross claimed that he had picked out Bali, Dave Chapelle and Louis CK and confiscated the right to complain about US censorship and “cancellation culture.”
Other comics like Mark Maron and Shane Gillis have also publicly denounced the festival, along with calling part of the Saudi government’s long-running “whitewasing” campaign Human Rights Watch in an interview with CBS News.
The Riad Comedy Festival, which will be held until mid-October, is the latest initiative by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s Vision 2030 Initiative to modernize and diversify the Saudi Arabian economy through entertainment and tourism. In addition to Burr, the lineup includes Kevin Hart, Aziz Ansari, Whitney Cummings, Pete Davidson, Gabriel Iglesias and more. The festival’s relationship between Saudi Arabia’s controversial entertainment minister, Torki al-Sheikh, and the Kingdom’s broader human rights record, including the 2018 Journal Khashogi murder, continues to play a relationship with the 9/11 attacks, with the oppression of LGBTQ+ individuals and political opposition.
Despite criticism, Barr was not acquiesced in the episode.
“People are cool. The government is a problem,” Barr said. “Every time I travel, I learn the same thing. And the people I met there? They just wanted to laugh. And they fucked.”
