Whitney Cummings has spoken out in defense of her participation in the Riyadh Comedy Festival, an event that has generated considerable controversy within the comedy world due to its association with the Saudi Arabian government. During an episode of her podcast “Good for You,” Cummings described the opposition faced by comedians attending the festival as a form of “racism,” asserting that many comedians inadvertently accept funding from Saudi Arabia through their collaborations with Live Nation for stand-up shows.
Cummings stated, “I suppose I’m a bit unconventional. I don’t subscribe to the belief that every government and its citizens share the same viewpoints… Do you genuinely believe that the citizens of Saudi Arabia and its government are in alignment? So you also think that the Chinese populace and their governing bodies are identical? That’s just racism. It took me a moment to understand this because when people claim, ‘You’re acting unethically,’ I initially thought, ‘Oh, these must be principled individuals, I should listen to them.’ Then you realize, ‘Oh no, you’re just racist.’ These are also the same individuals who claim, ‘Trump is not my president! I am nothing like my president.’ But that doesn’t apply to other nations?”
“When you have a moment, search for ‘Saudi Arabia Live Nation’ to learn the fact that any comedian who has collaborated with Live Nation has received Saudi funding,” she asserted. “Look it up! Just so you’re aware of the discussion… or attended an event through Live Nation, interacted with actors managed by William Morris Agency—they’re all included. Feel free to voice your opinions to them, too.”
Cummings is referencing The Public Investment Fund, Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund, which acquired a significant stake in Live Nation Entertainment back in 2020. At that time, the Public Investment Fund reported a 5.7% ownership in Live Nation, which amounted to approximately 12.3 million shares valued at around $500 million. In November of the previous year, that stake was sold off.
Variety has reached out to Live Nation for their perspective on this matter.
Cummings joined a host of prominent comedians at the Saudi comedy festival, which took place from September 26 to October 9. Other notable acts included Bill Burr, Dave Chappelle, Louis C.K., Kevin Hart, Pete Davidson, and Andrew Schulz, among others. This lineup was met with backlash on social media from fellow comedians like Marc Maron, David Cross, and Zach Woods. David Cross notably criticized Bill Burr in a response to the festival, expressing his disgust and disappointment over the entire situation.
Burr has defended his decision to perform at the festival in several interviews, recently stating during an episode of the “Conan O’Brien Needs a Friend” podcast: “I couldn’t care less what all these phony people are saying… It was necessary. It felt right afterward. I connected with the audience in Saudi Arabia, they were genuinely funny. What more can I say? I had a great time.”
Aziz Ansari mentioned earlier this month his intention to donate a portion of his earnings from the Riyadh Comedy Festival to “organizations that advocate for free press and human rights,” specifically naming Reporters Without Borders and Human Rights Watch, both of which have been critical of the festival and the Saudi regime. However, a spokesperson for Human Rights Watch subsequently informed Variety that the organization “cannot accept” donations from Ansari and the other comedians.
Louis C.K. also appeared on “Real Time With Bill Maher” after his performance at the Riyadh Comedy Festival, expressing that attending the event felt like “a valuable opportunity,” adding, “I believe comedy is an excellent medium for initiating dialogue.”
You can watch Whitney Cummings’ latest episode of the “Good For You” podcast below.
