{"id":38296,"date":"2025-09-26T04:13:10","date_gmt":"2025-09-26T04:13:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/38296\/"},"modified":"2025-09-26T04:13:10","modified_gmt":"2025-09-26T04:13:10","slug":"marc-maron-shane-gillis-zach-woods-slam-riyadh-comedy-festival","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/38296\/","title":{"rendered":"Marc Maron, Shane Gillis & Zach Woods Slam Riyadh Comedy Festival"},"content":{"rendered":"

\n\tAs Saudi Arabia\u2019s star-studded debut comedy festival prepares to kick off this weekend, Marc Maron<\/a> is one of several comedians to call out the event.<\/p>\n

\n\tThe WTF podcast host recently put his comedian peers on blast for participating in the Riyadh Comedy Festival<\/a> as he joked about Saudi officials\u2019 roles in 9\/11 and the 2018 assassination of journalist Jamal Khashoggi.<\/p>\n

\n\t\u201cI mean, how do you even promote that? \u2018From the folks that brought you 9\/11. Two weeks of laughter in the desert, don\u2019t miss it!’\u201d he said in a video<\/a> from a recent stand-up bit. \u201cI mean, the same guy that\u2019s gonna pay them is the same guy that paid that guy to bone-saw Jamal Khashoggi and put him in a fucking suitcase. But don\u2019t let that stop the yucks, it\u2019s gonna be a good time!\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\tMaron continued, \u201cFull disclosure: I was not asked to perform at the Riyadh Comedy Festival, so it\u2019s kind of easy for me to take the high road on this one. Easy to maintain your integrity when no one\u2019s offering to buy it out.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\tFellow comedian Shane Gillis<\/a> also said on his Secret Podcast<\/a> that he turned down a \u201csignificant bag\u201d for an appearance at the festival, even after they doubled their offer. \u201cI took a principled stand. You don\u2019t 9\/11 your friends,\u201d he said. <\/p>\n

\n\tZach Woods<\/a> also joked on Instagram<\/a> about \u201cthat special time of year\u201d marking the comedy festival, as he filmed a sarcastic promo, calling attention to Saudi minister of entertainment, Turki Al-Sheikh\u2019s human rights abuses.<\/p>\n

\n\t\u201cNow there\u2019s a lot drips, killjoys and dweebazoids who say, \u2018They shouldn\u2019t do comedy over there because they\u2019re whitewashing a regime that, just in June, killed a journalist, and killed Jamal Khashoggi, and played a big role in 9\/11.\u2019 Shut up! Name one comedian who hasn\u2019t whored themself out to a dictator,\u201d said Woods.<\/p>\n

\n\tSince Deadline exclusively announced the initial lineup<\/a> in July, 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.<\/p>\n