Can comedians ethically perform standup for a despotic regime without endorsing it? Recently the Riyadh Comedy Festival invited furor when some comics schlepped to Saudi Arabia to perform–at great expense–while others declined in protest of supporting human rights abuses. Turner Sparks and Michael Ira Kaplan join to discuss.
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The Ethics of Performing for Dictators
Yukking it up in Riyadh
Oct 16, 2025

The Political Orphanage
Politics minus bile plus jokes. Avowed independent and comedian Andrew Heaton interviews authors and thought leaders about policy and big thinky stuff. A refuge from Red Team vs. Blue Team slapfights.
Politics minus bile plus jokes. Avowed independent and comedian Andrew Heaton interviews authors and thought leaders about policy and big thinky stuff. A refuge from Red Team vs. Blue Team slapfights. Listen on
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