Bill Burr Defends Appearance at Saudi Arabia Comedy Festival: "They're Just Like Us"

"Burr explained how a warm-up gig in Bahrain helped him gauge what would be acceptable for his set at the Saudi festival, whose lineup also features Dave Chappelle, Louis C.K., Aziz Ansari, and Pete Davidson. "Standup is new to this part of the world, so they always have fucking restrictions and shit when you go over there," he stated. "So the first time you do a new country in the Middle East, it's fucking hilarious. You go on stage and you're sitting there going like, 'Am I going to get arrested?'""

"According to Burr, security guards at the Bahrain show reassured him that all his material was "fine here" and would also be acceptable in Saudi Arabia. He then went to a bar where he was "observing all the people" and their interactions, only to realize, "These guys, they're just like us... I don't speak the language, but I get it.""

""I literally think I'm going to land, you know, and everybody's going to be screaming, 'Death to America,' and they're going to have like fucking machetes and want to like chop my head off, right?" he recalled. "'Cause this is what I've been fed about that part of the world. I thought this place was going to be really tense. And I'm thinking, 'Is that a Starbucks next to a Pete's Coffee next to a Burger King next to a McDonald's... They got a fucking Chili's over here.'""

A warm-up gig in Bahrain was used to test what material would be acceptable for performances in Saudi Arabia. Standup comedy is relatively new in the region, prompting initial restrictions on content. Security at the Bahrain show reassured that most material would be allowed in Saudi Arabia. Observations of local social life, including bars and fast-food chains, led to recognition of cultural similarities despite language differences. Arrival in Saudi Arabia initially triggered anxiety about hostility, which relaxed upon seeing familiar amenities. Initial festival restrictions were negotiated down to avoid jokes about religion and not to make fun of the royals.

Read at Consequence