Saudi Arabia comedy festival no laughing matter

[Alma]

You said the only reason people would have an issue with Saudi Arabia is because they're anti-trump. "That's it. That's all." No. There are valid reasons for anyone to have an issue with Saudi Arabia. The Saudis are not our friends. They were not our friends before Trump. And they will not be our friends after Trump. But you go on being you and ignore the very things you write, because your points are never right.

what I’m suggesting is, if there had been a comedy festival in 2014, and these same comedians participated, it wouldn’t have been as big of a deal. If it was a deal at all. And it wouldn’t be a thread on here.

 

[Alma]

The saudis call us their bench. And we are.

Their bench?

 

[Tom Paine’s Bones]

Confused me too.

Does bltch autocorrect to bench?

 

[DanOregon]

Many, many sportspeople have made lots and lots of money off of China.

There hasn't been any fainting over it.

Let's be clear: To the extent that anyone would be fainting over Saudi Arabia - be it this comedy festival or LIV - it's because of Trump. That's it. That's all. He shrugged off a horrific murder - which he should not have done - and the Saudis like him. And that's not a bad reason! But that's the reason. It's absolutely not about 9/11.

We have college kids cosplaying as Islamic freedom fighters on campuses, and your garden variety celebrities loves them some that. China has committed every kind of espionage imaginable against this country, and it's a shrug emoji.

Whether we are talking about China or Saudi Arabia, the elites will always say they are using the "open door" in a way encourage greater human rights - a carrot if you will. China was awarded the Olympics, Hollywood routinely caves to Chinese censorship/editorial discretion in order to get their movies in Chinese theaters, and then you have the Saudi laugh fest. But there is always a big financial benefit to these things.
It's not like John Denver going over there and doing a free show.

 

[Webster]

what I’m suggesting is, if there had been a comedy festival in 2014, and these same comedians participated, it wouldn’t have been as big of a deal. If it was a deal at all. And it wouldn’t be a thread on here.

Not even remotely true.

 

[Webster]

What is it that Chappelle thinks he can’t say about Charlie Kirk? I’d really love to know. Kirk has become this blank canvas for who a percentage of the population feel able to paint their anger, grievances and resentment on.

 

[Alma]

Whether we are talking about China or Saudi Arabia, the elites will always say they are using the "open door" in a way encourage greater human rights - a carrot if you will. China was awarded the Olympics, Hollywood routinely caves to Chinese censorship/editorial discretion in order to get their movies in Chinese theaters, and then you have the Saudi laugh fest. But there is always a big financial benefit to these things.
It's not like John Denver going over there and doing a free show.

Agreed. My point is, no one on the left - OK maybe Richard Gere - really cares that Hollywood routinely caved to China, a totalitarian government, or that we sent waves of students there over the years for cultural enrichment, or that China rigorously conducted industrial espionage on the US and stole our intellectual property.

Nor did the left care, for years, if bin Laden’s extended family members went to US colleges that also educated the young adults of rich, terrorist-funding nations. To be clear: there was no compelling moral or developmental need to educate young adults from those countries in our colleges. American colleges made a boatload of money off of them. (Indeed the number of international students at our universities has sunk, and it’s driving at least some major budget issues)

That’s been happening for years to a shrug.

I find LIV golfers and these comedians naked cash grabs personally kind of desultory. But then I’ve had poor opinion of many nations across the world. The left didn’t really have a problem with Saudi Arabia until Trump shrugged off the murder of a journalist. Which, was wrong! But it’s hardly the first horrible thing that country has done.

And, last I checked, Cena’s groveling, which should have made him a laughingstock in America, didn’t prevent him from getting the lead role on a major HBO TV show. And that’s because the left doesn’t really care about any of it - unless, Trump.

 

[Here me roar]

what I’m suggesting is, if there had been a comedy festival in 2014, and these same comedians participated, it wouldn’t have been as big of a deal. If it was a deal at all. And it wouldn’t be a thread on here.

Given the fact they funded 9/11 which happened in 2001, I'm not just suggesting it, I'm telling you you're wrong. The Saudis are not our friends and have not been our friends for a long long time. They have done nothing but get their hands bloodier since.

 

[User 4332]

Some of us lefties have been pissed off about America's relationship with Saudi Arabia since 15 Saudi nationals and four men from three other countries attacked the United States 24 years ago.

 

[Tom Paine’s Bones]

Saudi Arabia is terrible, but they are moving in the right direction.

And in the region, they’re as good a friend as we’re going to find.

Plus, you know, the oil.

And that’s a big part of the difference between Saudi Arabia and China.

The left hates fossil fuels. Biden was going to make the Saudis pariahs. But then reality kicked in.

Reality never kicks in for the far left.

They continue to demonize oil, so it’s easy to continue to hate Saudi Arabia.

But they want their iphones and other consumer goods that come from China, so they’ll never be serious about cutting off China.

 

[DanielSimpsonDay]

Wonder if comedians in Saudi get to use profanity before we do?

 

[Meat Slapping Sound]

I didn't really think this was going to be a left vs. right conversation, but some people have a talent for making it so.

 

[Inky_Wretch]

I didn't really think this was going to be a left vs. right conversation, but some people have a talent for making it so.

Well, he's getting overshadowed on the other thread so he needed to stake a new claim.

 

[dixiehack]

As thorough a takedown as any.

To give these guys some credit, the price tag on their dignity is pretty damn high. Last week, comedian Tim Dilloncomplained on his podcast that he was fired from the festival after organizers heard his jokes about Saudi slave labor: “They heard what you said about them having slaves," Dillon recalled his manager saying. “They didn't like that.” Before his unceremonious sacking, Dillon claimed he was going to be paid $375,000 for one show, while comedians in a “higher bracket” stood to make around $1.6 million. “They’re paying me enough money to look the other way,” he said without an ounce of shame. “Do you understand?”

So it’s not that these celebrities aren’t aware of what’s going on in Saudi Arabia; they just don’t give a ****.

Comedy’s Favorite Truth-Tellers are Playing Jester for the Saudi Prince

 

[terrier]

Wasn't stunned by that. Shane is making plenty right now between his shows and the Netflix deal.

Wonder if Shane's fan base is dumping Netflix like Musk is demanding they do...over a show that was cancelled two years ago.

 

[jr/shotglass]

Confused me too.

Does bltch autocorrect to bench?

Hell yes, *****.

 

[DanOregon]

We see the movies, TV shows, concerts etc. But there is an unreported "industry" among celebrities who will play private parties, attend events, make appearances all for a sizeable and undisclosed fee we never hear about. It must be great for Michael Buffer to get $50k for one night hanging out at some guy's date and say "Are You Ready to RUMBLLLLLLLLEEEE!!!!!" on demand (that's actually happened) but also kind of humiliating.
Think about all of the "cool" rockers who play gigs for corporations who are everything the band's lyrics rail against. Elton John played at Rush Limbaugh's wedding (And donated the fee to LGBTQ causes), but still - having to pose for photos like your buds?
I don't begrudge bands like Pilot who sold the rights to "It's Magic" to Ozempic, hell they probably never thought they'd see another payday, and I'm sure it's helped bump their touring fees - if they still tour.
And I'm sure none of these celebrities care about what I think of them selling out anyway. We all have a price.

And as a tangent to "Cancel Culture" - it is directly related to a celebrity's "brand" - a guy like Bill Cosby "America's Dad" turns out to be predator? He ruins his brand. Behave in a way that the public feels is "off-brand" from the public image - you aren't "cancelled" - you just aren't marketable anymore.

 

[dixiehack]

Elton John played at Rush Limbaugh's wedding (And donated the fee to LGBTQ causes), but still

Christie Hynde went after Rush for using “My City Was Gone” as his radio intro and forced him to donate the royalties to PETA.

 

[Tom Paine’s Bones]

Christie Hynde went after Rush for using “My City Was Gone” as his radio intro and forced him to donate the royalties to PETA.

Link?

 

[Tom Paine’s Bones]

Christie Hynde went after Rush for using “My City Was Gone” as his radio intro and forced him to donate the royalties to PETA.

Rush doesn't receive royalties, Hynde does, which she chose to donate.

Now, when I came to New York and started the program nationally, that changed a lot of things. Like EMI and Chrissie Hynde had never heard of me in Sacramento and they had no idea I was using it, but when it shows up on 500 or 600 radio stations and I’m playing more than10 or 15 seconds of it (which is more than fair usage), then they want a piece.

But in my case they didn’t want a piece; they didn’t want me to use it. So EMI got hold of us and said, “You can’t use it anymore! We will accept no amount of money. There’s nothing you can pay us. You just gotta cease and desist,” and the regular listeners of this program will remember that we went through a two or three week period here with different theme songs. We had to dump it. Then one day Chrissie Hynde appeared with Scott Shannon on the morning show at WPLJ, which was our FM counterpart to WABC in New York. She appeared there as a guest and Scott Shannon told her what had happened.

She was no fan of mine. You know, Chrissie is a big feminist and animal rights wacko and all that, but she had no clue that the song had been denied usage and she’s telling Scott Shannon that her parents love my show. So in the end, we played tape of that ’cause the EMI people had told us that Chrissie wanted no part of me using the song. Well, here she is saying she didn’t care. She told Scott Shannon of PLJ that she didn’t care and her parents were fans so we got that tape, that audio; we played it for the EMI people, and the song came back to the program. We pay an annual fee — which is fair, proper — for usage.

It’s been that way for… Gosh, this has to be 15 years ago when all this happened. But, like everything else to do with this program, there was not part of a grand strategy. It wasn’t part of a long, well-conceived marketing plan that had various steps that had to be implemented at various times. It was all just spontaneously put together based on the fact that I was able (for the first time in my broadcast career) to do a radio program the way I wanted to do it, the way I thought would work without being told I can’t do that or shouldn’t do that or whatever. It’s just it’s all worked. So I’m just one who followed my instinct at every step of the way.

https://www.rushlimbaugh.com/daily/2011/05/13/origins_of_the_eib_theme_song/