Saudi Arabia: Where Free Speech Is Bought, Not Earned
Al-Monitor breathlessly reports on stand-up comics embracing 'geriatric sex' jokes at the Riyadh Comedy Festival, funded by the Saudi government. The piece notes foreign comedians face 'backlash' at home for participating, acknowledging the kingdom's 'fierce criticism over its human rights record.' This conveniently positions Saudi Arabia as a misunderstood nation simply trying to 'revamp its
image' and economy. It’s hard to laugh, however, when you remember that this 'image revamp' includes the 2018 assassination of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, a fact often sanitized or omitted from such cultural puff pieces. (Source: Al-Monitor) The media-approved narrative sidesteps the uncomfortable truth: Saudi Arabia’s 'soft power' initiatives, like this festival, are simply state-sponsored
propaganda. They spend billions on sports, entertainment, and Western consultants, all while maintaining one of the world's most draconian regimes. The comedians aren't 'defending free speech'; they're performing for a government that jails dissidents and restricts basic liberties, implicitly rubber-stamping the regime's attempts to whitewash its crimes. One might wonder if the jokes about dirty
stuff are less offensive than the dirty money that paid for the stage. These are not signs of newfound liberal expression; they are merely PR stunts.