Dave Chappelle Criticizes Free Speech in America at Saudi Arabia Comedy Festival
Dave Chappelle Criticizes Free Speech in America at Saudi Arabia Comedy Festival
He made fun of trans people and trans people pushed back.
If you support trans people in Saudi Arabia the government throws you in jail.
What happened to this guy? Like seriously. He went away and then came with this fucking terminal brainrot and he just can't stop saying stupid shit
He got to live in the big house and learned how to stay there.
You can't make observational comedy about being a young and hungry comedian/writer when you've spent the last decade being wealthy and out-of-touch.
If he was still clever, he probably could've threaded the transphobia needle and either figured a way to make it right or made it so funny that enough people would enjoy it regardless. But now he's cranky and spoiled by success so he's just going to get angry, which is even less funny.
he had a chance to switch material towards kind of humor George Carlin started doing later in his career - discussing serious subject matter in somewhat jovial manner with continuous punching up. Instead he chose the worst kind of punching down and when you're a rich guy mocking the poor and struggling - yeah, that's just bad.
thx
Dude is a rich fuck who still bitches that other even richer fucks “stole” his money. And my poor ass is supposed to relate. He has been rich for most of his life but likes to pretend he’sa regular guy. He lives on another planet surrounded by bubbles of assistants and staff that kiss his ass
but he can't say offensive things for shits and giggles. so it is mathematically relatable.
"It’s easier to talk here than it is in America,"
Yeah, as long as you don't say anything about the imprisonments and murders without fair trial, religious intolerance, or make fun of the kings Mu'umu'u.
Also, he’s talking about the private consequences of his actions, not public ones. Let’s hear him criticize the state right now under Trump. Let’s hear him say “Charlie Kirk was not a good fellow” and see if they’re not calling for his execution that night. He’s not even talking about reality in the US. What a dipshit.
This guy is a clown and not the funny kind. He likes to pretend he’s still one of the little people from the streets, all he cares about is money.
Clown? He's a cheap whore. And i don't mean the sex worker kind. I actually respect those.
Who the F does a "Comedy Festival" in Saudi Arabia, of all places? What's next? North Korea? The USA?
The irony of a black man who has felt the impairment of his own freedoms so clearly and so often, now taking coins to make joke about the same to those who would themselves be his enslavers in a slightly different circumstance. Look at who does all the shittiest jobs in Saudi Arabia.
Facts, the usa is now one hundred percent policing language on governmental and societal level.
Also facts: im a bout to be called a nazi by a teenager, because they want to police my language.
Also facts: going to eat some spaghetti
Right now in America, they say that if you talk about Charlie Kirk, that you’ll get canceled,” Chappelle told an audience of 6,000, according to The New York Times. “I don’t know if that’s true, but I’m gonna find out.” He then added, “It’s easier to talk here than it is in America.”
Based and true. Nobody read the article.
Yes but if you say something wrong in saudi arabia, you get the fucking death penalty.
Makes it so easy to find the people who don't give a fuck about women when they suck the Saudi teats so openly
This was harsh. Extremely funny but also harsh
Not wrong though
Counterpoint: If America gave a fuck about women it
Unless you're saying supporting either nation implies a lack of support for women. Which would be an undoubtedly reasonable position.
they wouldn't have created the conditions for saudi arabia to be repressive in the first place.
Perhaps we can have a slightly more granular system than giving a fuck, yes/no, 1 or 0, black and white. May I suggest perhaps we count how many fucks a country has to give for women? On that scale, we would properly see that the US gives far, far more fucks about women than Saudi Arabia. I’ve been there. Do not casually equate the two.
I am intimately familiar with the ongoing hatred for women among Americans. Supreme Court rulings, legislative action, and modern campaigns for a return to lives of drudgery and involuntary childbearing are not even trying to sugarcoat the fact that we are considered lesser beings, despite being necessary for population growth.
Chappelle has always been tone-deaf about many things, he's just more obvious about it since he's older. Glad more and more people are noticing his hypocrisy
its was obvious when he became anti-trans, and when right wingers were flocking to his shows.
Jim Jefferies, Jimmy Carr, Kevin Hart, Pete Davidson... I was surprised to see these names on the lineup, what a bunch of sellouts.
This is from their contracts (found on https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-09-30/riyadh-comedy-festival-begins-with-pete-davidson-bill-burr/105833686):
from their contracts
Max whack
I invite you to stay there, Mr. Chappelle.
Bad title. He's criticizing the state of free speech in America citing the Jimmy Kimmel cancellation and people fired / cancelled over Charlie Kirk speech.
I don’t think anyone thought he was criticizing free speech. Yes, it’s a bad title, but it’s still hilarious to go to Saudi Arabia and pretend like they have more free speech rights
So what did he actually say?
“Right now in America, they say that if you talk about Charlie Kirk, that you’ll get canceled,” Chappelle told an audience of 6,000, according to The New York Times. “I don’t know if that’s true, but I’m gonna find out.” He then added, “It’s easier to talk here than it is in America.”
Well, that sounds... accurate. Doesn't excuse the other things he's said, but... yea.
Edit: I stand by the first part of my comment. I was not paying enough attention to the second half ("it's easier to talk here..."). That part, not so much.
Did you see the contract he signed? “Easier to talk here” is just factually incorrect.
If you're looking for a factually correct comic, Carlin's dead.
Say what you will about repression of free speech in Saudi Arabia (and there is a lot that can be said), at least with a contract you know where the line is. The royal family knows they're not proponents of free speech.
America is in that awkward teenage phase of not knowing who they are right now, leaving a lot of ambiguity around free speech.
I appreciate Saudi Arabia's clarity. Even if they are objectively wrong. America just seems self-righteously confused, if such a state even exists.
Did he actually say anything about Kirk or did he chicken out?
I heard it'll cost you an arm and a leg to find out.
Is it accurate? Did he criticize the Saudi government?
I wonder how that went over. It’s obviously criticizing America, but really at the expense of SA by saying their free speech is shit. (Which if you think about it violates the terms of the contract someone else posted in this thread.)
Depends on his intonation. It can come across as complimentary depending on which word he emphasized.
He referenced the Charlie Kirk situation. He didn't say anything about Charlie Kirk. He's nothing more than a rightwing propagandist these days.
Well that’s the same thing Kimmel did, and they (un)fired him
Die a hero, or live long enough to see yourself become the villain.
It's so true yet so sad
hes becoming a degenerate villian.
That's not what free speech is. The government has never attacked Chapelle for his speech.
His bigoted shit just isn't funny to GenZ and they don't mind telling him.
It's our right to Freedom of Association he has an issue with.
I’ll bet ya a whole dollar that he doesn’t know who Jamal Khashoggi was.
A whole dollar? That'll buy groceries for a week!
I’m in a war ravaged urban center. It’s all I have! Please take pity on my wallet!
he will probably joke, sounds like KELLOGS cereal since it sounds similar.
I used to love chapel. Now not so much. He drank the Joe Rogan kool-aid
Excessive income causes brain damage
Aw man Bill Burr went too? Goddammit.
Daily reminder that Burr was never a progressive or ally to leftism, or even humanity broadly.
We just all really loved when he directed his performance against the people who deserve it the most, so that's what we choose to remember.
Couldn't have said it better
hes an opportunists like many comedians apparently. he was doing something very popular at the moment, aka the Luigi situation, and then immediately crawled back to whatever cave he came out of, not a peep after he made that statement.
Daily reminder anyone who makes appeal to collective moralism while denigrating a specific individual is almost invariably an intolerable cunt.
Also Bill Burr is a Legend
I was shocked as well. But I have to admit, to a certain extent Bill Burr has a point. Not everyone in that country is part of the Royal family and part of the oppression. And creating a doorway by introducing Western influences most especially Western comedy could conceivably bridge a gap there. However anybody criticizing the United States for attacks on freedom of speech while praising a place like Saudi Arabia needs to go fuck a horse.
If he did it for free, his words might have weight. Might.
Burr and Chapelle and Krusty the Clown are all there because they drove a dumptruckof money to their house. Their not made of stone.
The crown are making big adult playgrounds for rich people so they can divest themselves of the financial road-to-nowhere that is oil. There's no morality in this, their people will still be deeply oppressed and no amount of witticisms will change that.
I don't even really judge Burr too harshly here, but the excuse is paper thin. I'd rather he just not give one and make a joke about how many millions he can't make cussing out hecklers in Tucson.
I don't disagree entirely and I'm sure they got a fat check out of it but you're not going to shit talk SA in SA without getting your head cut off
Billy Burka argument is total bullshit. They've accepted blood money for whitewashing and the whole world begged them to reject it and speak up instead. Close the gap of my ass bro. The only gap that needs closing is his holed brain to understand that this dictorship is fully enabled by his American government against the will of Saudi citizens. Go perform for Putin and Kim Un next.
I don't want to repeat myself. Read my comment to understand because you sound clueless how this shit works:
I mean ... a TV host just got fired/scathed/re-hired for talking about the fallout of a murder at a political rally.
So ... maybe the USA is not doing well with free speech.
It's not, and criticizing it is fair, but... from Saudi Arabia? The Trump admin is basically modelling themselves off their shit at this point. If he really felt this way in general, he wouldn't have performed at this show in the first place. Criticizing the way free speech is handled in one country while in another country known for chopping up journalists is tone-deaf and comes off as self-serving.
"I'm starting to think we expect too much from our clowns"
this quote is the best thing that i have to offer.
Americas protection of free speech is tenuous now that's for sure. But surely there's a difference between being cancelled and being murdered and chopped into pieces. Right?
he hated that he was called out for being a transphobic person, thats the real reason. now that hes in a country that hates lgbtq+ he feels welcomed.
Based on some of his accounts of his experiences I get why he might have a chip on his shoulder. Callinh the police on a black man for no reason just to harass them is practically attempted murder in the US and is an unacceptable step up from online comments.
That being said, saying a country like Saudi Arabia where the state will throw you in jail for speech with no due process is the same is a complete lack of awareness.
Funny how all other countries are lacking the range of having different opinions about things among the different groups of people. Saudi Arabia hates lgbtq+? With such a view, does that mean the USA love guns more than school children?
does that mean the USA love guns more than school children?
Yes. I say this as an American. If America actually cared about children we would have been able to do something after Sandy Hook. America contains people that aren't stupid about guns just as I'm sure SA contains people that don't like slavery. But the good ones aren't in charge.
I don't understand how for the last ten years this guy has been allowed to just associate with other comics like he's not a fucking pariah.
Because comics are whores
We assume the personas we see on the screen are a representation of the people they really are. If we really saw the truth behind our media we would feel hollow and sad and empty and realize how little substance there actually is in the world, so on some level we choose to believe what we already know to be untrue, because we prefer it this way.
You can't kayfabe away the actual association. They chose to appear on screen with the guy. That's not in-character, that is a professional decision.
Or are you saying, "Chappelle is just pretending to be a heel, actually he hates autocrats and loves trans people?"
"Everybody out there that's watching, everybody that's watching this world? This world is bullshit. You shouldn’t model your life about what you think that we think is cool and what we’re wearing and what we’re saying and everything." - Fiona Apple.
Comics had give through a lot of cancellations and were starting to pull together. So, when Chappelle started being anti-trans, the comedy community was already primed to fight back.
Also, Chappelle seems like a generous comedian in bringing people up. So, he probably has deep roots in the comedy community.
“Right now in America, they say that if you talk about Charlie Kirk, that you’ll get canceled,” Chappelle told an audience of 6,000, according to The New York Times. “I don’t know if that’s true, but I’m gonna find out.” He then added, “It’s easier to talk here than it is in America.”
I love your comedy Dave, but the sell-out you’ve become invalidates your position as a truth-teller right when America needs you the most. You built your career on raw talent and hard work without bowing to your masters at Comedy Central, and you don’t need to do this either. If you ever manage to un-sew your lips from the royal prince’s gold-shitting anus, please come back to us.
Isn't he the piece of shit that was enjoying that someone that interrupted his show because of the shit he was saying, got heavily beaten up by security?
Dear Dave Chepple, Billy Burka, and the rest of hypocrite moralless indignified sellouts:
You have looted blood money from the taxes of oppressed unrepresented beheaded people in a dictatorship. The executioner asked you to dance to distract the world and cover up the blood of slaughtered protestors and humanright activists for him while he beheads them. And you gladly obliged.
So just answer my questions with your freedom of speech Dave.
You know you were not paid by the "6000" attendees. The tickets cost from $13 to $80 for the whole week with each day featuring more than 1 comic.
So how did you alone get paid $1.6millions Dave? What's the name of this organizing company? Where did they get this money from which they gave to dance Dave? Why is this Muslim Arabic country overpaying international celebeities to perform there? Not humanright washing... no.. no.
What happened to the Saudi citizens who complained about their wealth in billions of dollars going to overpaid LIV athletes, boxing athletes, soccer, esports kids, Hiphop concerts, and now you Dave?
Riiiiight, man I used to like him
Bill Burr is the only one that really got to me. I loved that guy. But I just can't see him the same way anymore
Same for me. He seemed so... Honest. He walked that line between left and right, not siding. It made me think, "this is a genuine guy". Fuck me, I guess. Truly affected me more than most things lately. I realise that makes me sound cold, given recent events, but it did. Again, fuck me, I guess.
He's dead to me now.
I've watched his ignorance and complete separation from humanity occur in lock-step with his increasing privilege and earnings.
He must have been really hurting for money.
meanwhile....
Tim Dillon Just Got Fired from Riyadh Comedy Festival
https://www.cracked.com/article_48429_tim-dillon-just-got-fired-from-riyadh-comedy-festival.html
Never heard of this guy, but from his quotes in the article he doesn't seem funny at all?
Well I'm sure he found some way to blame it on trans people.
He's right. Everyone here is angry that KSA is a fascist regime, and the most important speech in the world is being able to make Winnie the Pooh references.
That comedians are able to go to somewhere they have the freedom to joke about America is more freedom for relevant/funny material. You can have enough comedy material without resorting to joking about the comedy club owner's dismemberment murder accusations, and guess what, if you did, you'd be thrown out (or worse) of "land of the free" clubs too.
Uncle Dave
The state of comedy is so sad.
agreed, most of them became right wing, or far right.
They are chasing money for sure, but that doesn't make their jokes right wing.
I'd like to hear some far right jokes because I bet they aren't funny. Any examples?
Who?
"The comedian was one of more than 50 performers participating in the event, which has come under fire for being held in a country which has been accused of human rights violations and an oppressive regime."
My brother in christ, this is USA. America is currently committing human rights violations and is the definition of an oppressive regime. USA is not the world police anymore and they need to stop pretending like they are.
I'm curious about the rage. Comedians get money to go to a place where they can speak free for an hour without any risk of even accidentally saying something terrible about their host because they don't know them at all. Seems more a sad testament to America being officially dead. Dave Chappelle still is human trash to be clear, though. Also not being pro-middle-east-comedians, just...thought experiment of sorts.
can speak free for an hour
Well they couldn't do that, they could only say stuff that wouldn't upset Saudi Arabia.
I don't think most of them have any specifically anti Saudi Arabian jokes, though. The type of money they're throwing around would certainly make me consider.
Even the bit about it being easier to talk there is kinda true if you're anti Trump or critical of Kirk. Super hypocritical, but still...
Fair point.
This is Saudi Arabia we're talking about. If you think that's a place where you can "speak free", you're an idiot or a fascist (probably both). These people are comparing people calling them an asshole on Twitter to a regime that literally murders people that say things they don't like (RIP Jamal Khashoggi).
Fuck, every one of these comedians literally got a list of things they couldn't talk about in their big money contracts. One of them got fired before the show because he mentioned Saudi Arabia's slavery on a podcast (in the context of, they're paying him enough to ignore it).
I'll say it again; if it's so free there, let's see one of these comedians drop a bonesaw joke.
The dominant worldview, as reinforced by American culture, is that everything (even our values) can be measured in dollars. All we can do is withhold our financial support from these performers.
I don't think we should be suprised that America produces people without moral conviction. This is the nation that made Saudi Arabia wealthy by helping it develop its oil reserves followed by oil purchases from the kingdom for decades.
especially a country that has a hate/love relationship with the US.
Promise I'm not trying to be one of those "but there are alternative opinions" trolls here. Speech isn't free there, but they can freely talk about things they can no longer talk about in America without being abducted under cover of night and sent to a concentration camp and then randomly dumped in an arbitrary African nation without any paper trail, was the point. Probably a small bit of, "work and money are increasingly hard to find for many, why judge," was also a factor.
In the grand universe of rage, it seems a waste of time to direct it at easily-ignorable comedians when there's active Nazi evil to hate and pursue. If anything, ignoring the comedians would literally be their end instead of giving them any attention or clicks.
I suppose people wouldn't know to do that without the aforementioned rage-attention though, and best to hate-silence all the evil we can everywhere.
Thanks for humoring me, I think the thought experiment was a dumb one, overall, and there's enough rage to go around for all the Evil things.
He made his entire career stereotyping black people. Should have seen that one coming. I mean who was his audience even? Mostly white rednecks?
That guy would literally be a perfect clown for the confederates or something. He hates his own race and it's very obvious. Republicans in general tend to be very self hating. If they are black they hate black people, if they are gay, they hate gay people, if they are atheists, they hate atheists, of they are religious they hate religious people. If they are rich they hate Rick people. If they are poor they hate poor people. If they are men they hate men. If they are women they hate women.
The good thing is that they completely lack any wisdom or intelligence and it takes them 1000x the effort to do anything as a simple progressive person could do. They would have no power if they didn't have trillions of dollars of propaganda and bot farms supporting them. They would never get anything done without spending a billion dollars to do it. That's why all the Republican states are dirt poor and have really high crime rates and full of people who can't even think through even simple thought experiments.
.....
K, very insightful and deep. Noted.
So I use to live in Riyadh and worked for a defense company. I left during covid and seen a lot of hate filled shit there. The people in general, were very nice but I'm an American and male.
My wife is not an American or Saudian. She would be harrassed and even hit by the locals. They looked down on her unless I was around.
At work, I would routine run into non-Americans/Saudians. Holy shit did they treat them bad. From forcing them to do degrading stuff or just belittle them in public.
Those were just the "normal" people. The royal family members were on a completely different level. Everyone used encrpyted chat services and if you posted about anything illegal, expect the Matowa (secret police) to visit your ass.
Fuck all those going there and speaking all rosey for blood money.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Committee_for_the_Promotion_of_Virtue_and_the_Prevention_of_Vice_(Saudi_Arabia)