Some of the world's biggest comedians have convened in Saudi Arabia for the Riyadh Comedy Festival — but not everyone is laughing.
Participation by big names in the comedy world, including Dave Chappelle, Louis C.K., Pete Davidson, Kevin Hart and Russell Peters, has drawn scrutiny from other comics and human rights groups, given the host nation's record of human rights abuses.
The Riyadh Comedy Festival, put on by the country's General Entertainment Authority, bills itself as the "world's largest comedy festival," playing host to over 50 standup "legends" from Sept. 26 to Oct. 9.
"From the folks that brought you 9/11, two weeks of laughter in the desert — don't miss it!" comedian Marc Maron joked about the festival in a standup bit posted to Instagram , noting that he wasn't asked to participate.
In a satirical social media video, comedian and actor Zach Woods called those who took a stand against the festival "drips, killjoys and dweebazoids."
"Name one comedian who hasn't whored themselves out to a dictator," Woods joked .
Comics Shane Gillis , Mike Birbiglia and Stavros Halkias also said they declined offers to perform in Riyadh.
Comedians 'shouldn't
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