Comedian โคAtsuko Okatsuka Alleges Censorship at Saudi Arabia‘s Riyadh Comedy festival
LOS ANGELES – Comedian Atsuko okatsuka revealedโฃ alleged “censorship rules” imposedโ on performers at โthe inaugural Riyadh Comedy Festival in Saudi Arabia,โข sparking renewed debate overโ the ethics ofโ accepting financial backing from the โSaudiโ Arabian government.Okatsuka โขshared a screenshot of an alleged โofferโ on Threads, detailing restrictions on material that could be perceived as critical of the Kingdom, its leadership, or its religious practices.
The festival, which kicked off Friday andโ runs thru October 9, features aโค lineup of prominent American comedians โขincluding Dave Chappelle, Kevin Hart, Bill Burr, Russell Peters, Gabriel Iglesias, โand Pete Davidson.Okatsuka’s post alleges that โคparticipation โin the festival requires adherence โขto โstrict content guidelines, a claim echoed by fellow comedian Marc Maron, who has publicly criticized the โขevent. The controversy highlights aโ growing โขtension โขwithin theโ comedy world regarding โขartistic freedom versus lucrative opportunities in countriesโ with questionable human rights records.
Accordingโ to a screenshot shared by Okatsuka, the “Content Restrictions” โคstipulated that artists “shall not prepare or perform anyโข material that may beโฃ consideredโค to degrade, defame, or bring โฃinto public disreputeโฆA) The Kingdom of Saudi ArabiaโฆB) the Saudi royal familyโฆand; C) Any religionโฆ” Okatsuka noted in her post that the funding for the festival originates with the Crown Prince, โฃwho she alleges “actively executes โฃjournalists, ppl [sic] with nonlethal drug offenses, bloggers, etc without due process.”
Marc Maron recently addressedโ the festival during โขa performance, โคreferencing โคallegations of โsaudi involvement in the 9/11 attacks and the 2018 assassination of journalist โJamal โKhashoggi. “I mean, how โคdo you โคeven promote โthat? You know,โฃ like, ‘From theโข folks that brought you 9/11. Two โฃweeks of laughter in the desert, don’t missโข it!'” Maron said, adding, “The same guy that’s gonna pay them is the same guy that paid that guy to bone saw Jamal Khashoggiโ and put him in a fucking suitcase. But don’tโค let that stop the yucks, it’s gonna be a good time!”โฃ
The Riyadh Comedy โฃFestival marks Saudi Arabia’s continued โคefforts to diversify โขits entertainment offerings as part of its “Vision โ2030” plan, but the event is now facing โคscrutiny over โthe conditions placedโ on performers and the source ofโค its funding.