{"id":199290,"date":"2025-10-03T10:42:03","date_gmt":"2025-10-03T10:42:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/199290\/"},"modified":"2025-10-03T10:42:03","modified_gmt":"2025-10-03T10:42:03","slug":"dave-chappelle-says-its-easier-to-talk-freely-in-saudi-arabia-than-america","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/199290\/","title":{"rendered":"Dave Chappelle Says It’s Easier To Talk Freely In Saudi Arabia Than America"},"content":{"rendered":"

\n\t\u201cIt\u2019s easier to talk here than it is in America,\u201d Dave Chappelle<\/a> told an audience in Saudi Arabia<\/a> on Saturday.<\/p>\n

\n\tChappelle was in the kingdom as part of the Riyadh Comedy Festival<\/a>. His decision \u2014 and that of other comics \u2014 has become controversial<\/a>, given Saudi role in 9\/11 and the 2018 assassination of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, as well as other human rights abuses and anti LGBTQ+ policies.<\/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 an astounded Marc Maron<\/a> said in a\u00a0video<\/a>\u00a0from 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\tOthers have objected on free speech grounds, especially after comedian\u00a0Atsuko Okatsuka<\/a>\u00a0revealed\u00a0what she said were strict contract terms<\/a> that would have had her \u201cadhere to censorship rules\u201d about the kinds of jokes she could make. Those criticisms were set in even higher relief during the recent standoff <\/a>between Jimmy Kimmel and ABC.<\/p>\n

\n\tChappelle\u2019s quip onstage at the festival was likely a rejoinder to such complaints.<\/p>\n

\n\t\u201cRight now in America, they say that if you talk about Charlie Kirk, that you\u2019ll get canceled,\u201d the comedian said, according to the New York Times. \u201cI don\u2019t know if that\u2019s true, but I\u2019m gonna find out.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\tSince Deadline exclusively\u00a0revealed the initial lineup<\/a>\u00a0in July, the Riyadh Comedy Festival has announced 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 as participants. It runs through October 10.<\/p>\n