Earlier this month, comedians, including Dave Chappelle, Kevin Hart, Pete Davidson, and Bill Burr, flew to Saudi Arabia to perform at the inaugural Riyadh Comedy Festival. The organizers claimed it was the largest comedy festival in the world, with over 50 international comedians performing stand-up, sketch, and improv. It was put on and paid for by the Saudi government as a part of their effort to increase investment in their local economy — and also to improve their global image.

The Saudi regime’s human rights record is why other performers such as Marc Maron, David Cross, and Atsuko Okatsuka have strongly criticized the comedians who attended. They have accused their peers of helping to “put a fun face on their [Saudi Arabia’s] crimes against humanity.”

The critics also see hypocrisy; many of the comedians who attended the festival have a history of complaining about not being able to freely express themselves in their standup in the US. While on stage in Riyadh, Chapelle joked, “It’s easier to talk here than it is in America.”

But as

© Vox