"Honestly, I thought it would be funny. The instant I heard about the Riyadh Comedy Festival, I pleaded with the editor of this magazine to send me. Despite a series of legal reforms over the past decade, Saudi Arabia remains one of the most conservative Muslim societies in the world, while Louis C.K. is famous for his foul mouth and his record of masturbating in front of a succession of unimpressed women. A match made in heaven!"
"My boss suggested that I take a male chaperone, which would allow me to move more freely in a place that remains deeply segregated by sex. Sadly, my husband declined to use his precious vacation allowance on the trip, and my 80-year-old father would rather stay home in England and watch cricket. And so my long-suffering editor, Dante, stepped up instead."
A journalist traveled to Riyadh to attend the Riyadh Comedy Festival featuring international comedians, including Louis C.K. Despite recent legal reforms, Saudi Arabia remains highly conservative, creating tension between provocative performers and local social norms. A male chaperone was suggested to navigate gender segregation; the journalist's husband declined, so the editor Dante accompanied the trip. Both journalist and editor had openly and sometimes enthusiastically committed actions that are technically capital offenses under Saudi law, underscoring personal risk. The editor urged lodging at the Ritz-Carlton, referencing the 2017 detentions there, and noted the surreal mix of luxury, coercion, and cultural exchange as dozens of mostly American comedians agreed to play.
Read at The Atlantic
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