Comedians face backlash after performing in Saudi Arabia | 7.30

Key Concepts

• Comedy Festivals: Edinburgh Fringe, Melbourne Comedy Festival, Riyadh Comedy Festival.
• Human Rights Concerns: Saudi Arabia's record, murder of Jamal Khashoggi.
• Comedian Backlash: Criticism for performing in Saudi Arabia, ethical considerations.
• Donations and Advocacy: Aziz Ansari's donation to advocacy groups, Human Rights Watch refusal.
• Content Restrictions: Performing in countries with government or religious censorship.
• Saudi Arabia's Global Engagement: Business, sports, and cultural industries.
• Saudi Vision 2030: Efforts to attract youth and foreign investment.
• Gaming Industry Investment: Saudi Arabia's acquisition of Electronic Arts, esports development.
• Cultural Influence in Gaming: Introduction of Saudi-themed characters and endorsements.
• "Flash Points": Instances where Saudi Arabia's engagement highlights its domestic practices.

Comedy Festivals and Ethical Dilemmas

The video discusses the global landscape of comedy festivals, highlighting established events like the Edinburgh Fringe and the Melbourne Comedy Festival, which is noted as the largest in the world. It then pivots to the recent hosting of a comedy festival in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. This event brought significant attention and controversy due to Saudi Arabia's widely criticized human rights record.

Key Points:

• Riyadh Comedy Festival: Hosted major international comedians, sparking debate.
• Comedian Backlash: Performers faced severe criticism for appearing in Saudi Arabia, with the general sentiment being "how dare you go to that place and make those oppressed people laugh."
• Bill Burr's Response: American comedian Bill Burr defended his participation, acknowledging Saudi Arabia as a "pretty brutal regime" that has committed "horrible, horrible things," but questioning the premise of the criticism.
• Aziz Ansari's Action: Comedian Aziz Ansari announced he would donate a portion of his fee to advocacy groups, stating it felt like something he "should be a part of" and hoping it would "push things in a positive direction." However, Human Rights Watch ultimately refused his donation.

Content Compromises and International Norms

The transcript explores the challenges comedians face when performing in countries with strict censorship laws, drawing parallels between the Riyadh situation and past experiences.

Key Points:

• Sashi Pereira's Experience: Comedian Sashi Pereira, a former refugee lawyer, has performed overseas in countries where comics agree to avoid sensitive topics like government or religion. She recounted her experience performing in Sri Lanka before the government changed, where content had to be submitted to a public performance board, with specific topics like the government being prohibited.
• Moral Stance vs. Global Trade: Pereira questions why comedians are singled out for taking a moral stance when countries and large businesses engage with Saudi Arabia. She argues that if there were widespread sanctions and no one was doing business with the kingdom, the situation would be different. However, the reality is that "we as a country trade with them. There are business, big businesses that trade with them, big sports players who trade with them."

Saudi Arabia's Strategic Investments and Global Image

Andrew Liieber from the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace explains Saudi Arabia's strategic efforts to counter its pariah image and demonstrate it is not isolated.

Key Points:

• Countering Isolation: Saudi Arabia is actively spending to "demonstrate like oh you think you can make us a prior well like look at the number of people who are like not willing to who seem quite fine with coming and and and being a part of this here in Saudi Arabia."
• Targeting Youth: This message is particularly aimed at the nearly two-thirds of Saudi Arabia's population under 30, with efforts focused on making the country attractive for young Saudis to "stay, want to build their careers, want to invest and hopefully attract foreign investment as well."

Infiltration of the Gaming Industry

The video details Saudi Arabia's significant investments in the gaming sector, aiming to establish Riyadh as a global gaming hub.

Key Points:

• Industry Acquisitions: Saudi Arabia is acquiring "big chunks of entire industries like gaming."
• Electronic Arts Deal: The Saudi Public Investment Fund is leading a "$55 billion acquisition" of Electronic Arts, described as "one of the largest players in the business." Edmund Tran, managing editor of This Week in Video Games, notes Saudi involvement with "just about every major publisher and developer you can think of in games."
• Esports Ambitions: The kingdom is heavily investing in esports with the goal of making Riyadh a "global gaming center."
• Fan Concerns: This expansion has raised concerns for esports fans outside the region regarding traveling to Riyadh for tournaments.

Cultural Influence in Video Games

Subtle signs of Saudi influence are beginning to appear in video games following their investments.

Key Points:

• Fatal Fury Character: After a Saudi takeover of the company behind the fighting game Fatal Fury, a new character was introduced.
• Cristiano Ronaldo's Inclusion: Superstar Cristiano Ronaldo, now a prominent figure in Saudi soccer and tourism, was included in a game. Tran describes his inclusion as "very shoehorned in" and a "very concerted effort to promote Saudi cultural interests," with "no natural link there."

Inevitable "Flash Points"

Despite significant spending, Andrew Liieber argues that Saudi Arabia cannot entirely buy its way out of scrutiny.

Key Points:

• Global Discourse: Saudi Arabia's engagement in industries with high cultural resonance beyond its borders inevitably leads to citizens in other countries discussing these activities.
• Shining a Spotlight: Liieber concludes that as Saudi Arabia moves into these spaces, there will continue to be "flash points where people shine a spotlight on practices inside the country. And I don't think there is an amount of spending that's going to make that entirely go away."

Conclusion

The video highlights the complex interplay between global cultural industries, economic investment, and human rights concerns, particularly in the context of Saudi Arabia's increasing international engagement. While the kingdom is strategically investing in sectors like comedy and gaming to enhance its global image and attract investment, particularly from its youth, these efforts are met with scrutiny and ethical debates. Comedians and cultural figures performing or investing in Saudi Arabia face backlash, raising questions about complicity and the effectiveness of economic engagement in driving social change. The narrative suggests that despite substantial financial outlays, Saudi Arabia's human rights record will continue to be a point of contention, creating unavoidable "flash points" that draw international attention.