The Riyadh Comedy Festival

The Riyadh Comedy Festival is an event held in the capital of Saudi Arabia, which brought comedians and controversy from around the world. Notable performers were Bill Burr, Dave Chappelle, Louis C.K., Pete Davidson, Kevin Hart, Bobby Lee, Sam Morril, Tom Segura, and more. Several other comedians were offered and either publicly or privately declined for a variety of ethical or moral reasons. There was an online outcry by fans of comedy that were shocked that so many of their favorite comedians accepted the performance. So, why did Saudi Arabia put on a comedy festival? And what will the fallout be for the comedians and comedy fans? We spoke with two Tallahassee comedians, Ryan Mawson and John Strickland, to gage these reactions.