​If there's a part of stand up that drives comics wild, it's the dreaded "Canceled Show." You get the booking. You set the date. You promote the event. You tell others you're busy that night. You're even writing a few jokes for that night based on the venue, city, or other comics on the show. Then you get the DM or call. It's over. The show isn't happening. You're now out a night of comedy, money, and networking. It's not fun, but its part of this insane comedy journey. So here's a few things to consider and do to recover from the cancelation. 

First Thought: No One Wanted This Outcome
You have to start from a place of empathy. No one wanted this to happen. If a booker set up a ticket link, created flyers, gave specific instructions in messages, etc. then everyone involved on the producing level wanted this to be a success. But clearly some external factors happened. The venue had complications. The weather created potential safety hazards. The ticket sales were low. There are numerous reasons why this occurred, and while you might be upset, unless this was your farewell show to stand up, you should simply tell the venue thank you for considering me and go back to the grind. 

What isn't acceptable is when comics snap back with aggressive comments. In the arts, whether it's comedy, music, film, or dance, things change. I recently had a contract for a movie production deal that completely fell through because the financial backers (ironically) backed out last minute. Everything was set up, from my title to my email to even the scripts I would work on. Then I got "the call" it was over. While devastated, I just said thank you for the potential opportunity and moved on. 
Life is full of disappointments, and if you treat every disappointment like the end of the world, not only will you feel awful over time, you'll lose any future opportunities with those watching. 

Second Thought: DON'T THINK "Can I Get Booked Elsewhere?"
I know this feels counterintuitive. But Paul, if my show got canceled, shouldn't I just find another show? Why wouldn't I reach out to comics and venues? You can do that, and it wouldn't be wrong. But take a step back and ask yourself if the Universe/God/Time/Space/The Earth is telling you something. The older I get, (I'm almost 50, folks) the more I begin to cherish canceled plans. Many of us can relate to this in our personal lives too. 

Nothing can feel better sometimes than a canceled meeting, a canceled blind date, a canceled party, a canceled trip. There's a sense of freedom and relief, right? Not always, but you know what I'm saying. Maybe the comedy gods are just giving you another opportunity to have an adventure. 
I've recently been reading a lot about medieval times (5th to 12th century) and the idea of seeing the world as a non-stop adventure is much more exciting than seeing it as just a series of ebbs and flows. Think of setbacks as part of your perilous journey to the destination of your desire. Be the knight. Be the wizard. Be the faire maiden. Be the witch. Create a narrative where your troubles can be overcome by an attitude of moving forward not dwelling in the sadness of a show that was never in your control.   

Third Thought: Fill The Newfound Time With Something Rewarding

I understand your plans were squashed and you're discouraged, but now is your opportunity to do something worthwhile instead of just filling your time with more comedy. Rudyard Kipling wrote in the poem "IF" this line:

"If you can fill the unforgiving minute
With sixty seconds’ worth of distance run
Yours is the Earth and everything that’s in it"

The truth is, your newfound time should be a way to do something you've been ignoring. Maybe it's to be more productive and fix something around the house or to workout or to buy something you need. 

Maybe you can work on a screenplay or sketch. Maybe you can go see a movie or catch up on a popular show. Maybe you can catch up with a friend or family member. Or maybe you can just sleep. There are so many ways to better yourself instead of filling the unforgiving minute with just another show telling the same jokes over and over again.

Be a human being, like the ones you want to entertain. 

Final Thoughts
Comedy is a cruel mistress. She ghosts you. She cancels dates. She costs a fortune at times. But if you have a set back, find a way to step up. Use each moment to better yourself and create a more productive version of you. Don't see the canceled show as a problem but instead as an opportunity to create a new path. 

​With all of that said, I write this because my Budweiser show at the Van Nuys Plant got canceled and it's very frustrating. But I'm very happy I'll get to fill the unforgiving minute with other activities. Because a wizard doesn't cry because the sunshine got carried out by rain, he just plans to grow more in his garden because the soil has been prepped.

October 30th I turn 44 years old. I started doing comedy at 33 years old, like Jesus. Here are 44 thoughts about stand up comedy ranging from the clearly hyperbolic to the insanely truthful. Enjoy!  

​1. You shouldn't pay people in exposure, unless that means the booker will show you their boobs. Since most bookers are men, I'll pass. 

2.  Flappers' real marketing strategy is hoping every movie at the AMC is sold out, and people have to walk down to their club. 

3.The greatest double standard in comedy is that women get shit for telling dirty jokes way more than men do. Mostly because men have a lower standard of being human than women do. 

4. Don't try to sleep with the waitress/waiter or bartender after the show. They're a bigger headcase than you most likely. And they probably do Improv.

5. Podcasts pay way more than newsletters, but my newsletters prove I can write and think about my thoughts. 

6. Republican crowds used to be fun, but now they are just racist. 

7. Liberal crowds were never fun, but at least they just walk out quietly. 

8. Kill Tony is the only comedy show where awfulness is expected and adored. Like an average eHarmony date. 

9. A comedy show should be 90 minutes long. Anything longer is just asking for a tired group of overstimulated patrons who won't return for five years.

10. Your host should be be better in ten minutes than your feature is in 25 minutes - because if the host bombs, it's over. If the feature bombs, no one cares. Because the host can come up and get a pop off a joke that gives the headliner a fresh start.  

11. Bookers should pay for travel instead of requiring comics to use credit card points to fly - the irony of getting into debt to fly to their low paying gig is mind boggling and makes me want to use the R word like it's 1999.

12. Swearing on stage is fucking fun, and clean comics know that and cry at night because they can't say shit. 

13. Telling jokes about God and religion is a one way ticket to hell for most of you heathens.

14. Comics with one trick, whether it's crowd work or comedy catch phrases, don't last long. "Get'er done!" anyone was the "So you two dating?" in 2005.

15. Your parents will never be proud to tell people you've done comedy for more than a year. After a year, they'll just pity you and keep you out of the will. 

16. If you're single and want to do road work, stay single. If you're in a relationship, break up. If you're married get divorced. And if you have kids, put them up or adoption. And if you're pregnant, and in Texas...just drive to California. (too dark? lol)  

17. Fat comics are funnier than skinny comics. It's science. 

18. A bucket mic is rigged - just go home if they ask you to put your name in the bucket. Or just put the bucket on your head and do a Homer Simpson voice saying, "Look at me, I'm the magical man..." so you'll never be allowed back. 

19. It's okay to punch comics who have assaulted women. In fact, Jesus would be proud.    

20. If the comic before you bombs, just walk on stage and say, "I'm sorry for the last comic, but I'm really upset at him too - he stole all my jokes!" 

21. The Comedy Store is clearly haunted by the ghost of bringers past and Pauley Shore's career. 

22. Male comics who try to sleep with lady comics are sad, sad, delusional incels. 

23. No one will ever read your script. Even people who read your script were doing 15 other things at once and will just write, "loved it!" in a text four weeks later.

24. Never ask your friends to come see your show in the rain. Most venues in your bringing days don't have good ceilings. 

25. If comedy doesn't work out, try going to the gym. Preferably early in the morning. You'll be too tired to stay up late and you'll feel too good during the day to write cynical jokes.

26. The greatest comedy special of all time is Bill Cosby Himself and it should never be enjoyed again by anyone. Except maybe the Amish who have no idea what horrors he's responsible for. 

27. The most awful sound in the world is dead silence in a 200 seat theater after a joke bombs. Don't ask me how I know this. 

28. Until you've driven over 10 hours in a day for a gig and driven home the next day, you're not a comic. You're just a normal person. 

29. The San Diego Comedy Scene sucks. Because audiences are made up of people not cool enough to go to weekend beach house parties. 

30. Never wear a funny shirt on stage, unless your persona is Hacky McHack.   

31. If you aren't listening to pro-wrestling podcasts about the 1980's and 1990's wrestling scene, you're depriving yourself of great marketing and performance ideas, as well as the cathartic experience of being so cracked out on coke you are willing to sell your family. 

32. If a booker has a list of do's and dont's that is longer than a few lines, just politely decline the gig. No reason to have a person tell you that Big Bird joke was too phallic. 

33. Don't worry about becoming a working headliner for another 15 years. The current ones are only 60 and won't get out until they're 75 because they still think girls find them cute. 

34. The best bookers in LA were Dave McNary and Jan Smith at The Ice House. Both are dead now. So is LA comedy. 

35. You should drive a 15 year old clunker to gigs. It might make the booker feel sorry for you and give you an extra $25. Nobody gives a bonus to a feature or host driving a Tesla. 

36. I performed better sober. Choose sugarless caffeine over booze every time. Your heart might stop a few times on Celsius, but your liver will shut down completely on Jack Daniels.     

37. Joe Rogan and Theo Von aren't real. In ten years years they'll be just another victim of the Mandela Effect. 

38. The hot girls in the second row don't want to have sex with you. You just made them laugh, like you were paid to do. They came to the show because their tall boyfriends aren't funny and you're warming them up to have sex with them later. 

39. There is obvious bias in booking women in comedy. The truth: Once a booker or headliner doesn't
think they can sleep with a woman, they forget about them. These men also have tiny dicks and bad breath. 

40. No one over 55 should start a comedy career and believe they'll become famous. Just enjoy the ambience of it all and maybe you'll meet a famous comic and they'll say good set, even though we all know they never saw the set. 

41. Be "optimistically cynical" if you want to survive in this business. That means, believe you will succeed knowing full well no one like you ever has. Now that's a deeply wonderfully disturbing thought. 

42. Most comedians get a good ten years before they become sad shadows of their once relevant self. So start your clock once you're asked to headline anything worth posting about. Which means I'm about a year away from becoming an rodeo act at the county fair.

43. Whitney Cummings will never learn your name. But she will always cash checks from governments who chop up journalists.

​44. Never ask to go up early in the lineup. You aren't that important and the next show isn't that big of a deal. Because if it was, you would have canceled the earlier gig.     

​​The great irony of stand up comedy is that if done correctly the comic looks at a problem and discusses it from every possible angle, yet at the same time mocks every angle, dwindling every micro and macro issue in society down to its most based form. Suddenly, through the prism of tragedy 9/11 becomes a punchline and dating a girl without a job turns into "bitches be shopping." Then what eventually happens is the comic reduces an important ideal like LGBTQ+ rights and deeply held religious beliefs into a laughable group of people. We've seen this with Dave Chappelle's "Alphabet People" bit as well as Ricky Gervais's takedown of religion. This of course makes for great comedic writing and performance from master wordsmiths, but also can be weaponized to diminish and devalue the inherent value of a group of people or platform. And with this new rise of right wing manosphere comedy, the rise of politically incorrect comedy might feel like a freedom of speech victory, but it may very well be generating a lack of empathy that will have much longer lasting effects. 

Everything is Allowed to Be Made Fun Of
First off, let me say I have a libertarian view of the arts. If someone wants to make awful jokes on stage that creates a visceral reaction, by all means go for broke! But don't be mad when people call you out or won't book you because of it. If your best jokes are about how women are awful and Hitler was onto something (ironically, hopefully) then you can't be surprised when your own over usage of the 1st Amendment is the shovel that buries you.      

I'm not mad that certain comics have built a career out of mocking marginalized groups. I'm more sad and disappointed in the people who decided that was worthy of their hard earned money. If the offensive jokes about gay people, the trans community, women, and others didn't get laughs, then the comics would have moved onto other bits. 

Here's a joke: What do you call a racist or sexist who never gets paid gigs five years in? An open micer.      

So on one level, you have to understand that the awful comics we all know are awful with awful jokes are successful not because of the jokes or point of view but because people agree with the point of view enough to enjoy hearing jokes about the things they want to mock as well. 

Responsibility of the Comedian 
While every comic has the right to fail on their own, they have to take responsibility for their career's failure or fruit of their success. A comic who knows they're creating and profiting off a racist or misogynistic worldview should try to explain in other platforms that these are jokes and not really beliefs.

Anthony Jeselnik has gone out of his way to explain his brand of humor is a persona and not really how he views his family or the world. 

Jimmy Carr in his stand up is crass and unafraid to make everyone a punchline, yet in podcasts is insightful and brightly optimistic.

This doesn't excuse some of the jokes that cross into clearly problematic territory, but it does at least allow for their fans to realize their brand of shock humor isn't a way to argue with others about serious issues. 

Humor can provide insight into our biases and shortcomings. Jon Stewart does this every week on his show, and George Carlin was the master of this in his standup. Even Jim Gaffigan's bit about how people who make fun of people who eat at McDonalds are just snobs who have their own version of McDonalds. That bit has stuck with me for over fifteen years now, creating space for me to not judge others when I think their life choices are dumb. Well, so are mine too. And so are yours. 

But comics do have to think about the ramifications of how their jokes might create a new cultural ethos. You can't tell me that that Gaffigan didn't change the way we think about Hot Pockets, or how Richard Pryor made us view the silliness of how white people cuss. While I don't think those bits were at problematic, they did create a new perspective for many. Just as many would argue Joe Rogan's Austin Comedy scene has created a place for the worst of human behaviors to be celebrated. 

I have argued Tony Hinchcliffe's Kill Tony has created an entire open mic scene dedicated to poorly structured shock comedy, void of nuance or true wit. Just a bombastic group of sexually frustrated young men thinking they are being philosophers and truth tellers while using the R word and N word for comedic effect. Tony and his comedy cohorts (judges) sit back and laugh at the disturbing trend not because they think it's that funny, but because they can't believe they're making money off such awfulness. Considering Tony's first comedy special had none of that trademark humor, I have to think Tony shifted gears when he saw the potential money in being as ass. Kill Tony used to be a show where the freaks were ironically showcased, whereas today the same types of disturbed young men are not just showcased but platformed hard to monetary glory. 

Destruction of Empathy 
Sadly, what I think all of this shock and un-PC humor has done is create a lack of empathy amongst comics and fans. Comics now look or the joke in every situation. Yet, if there is no self censorship we become monsters.

Here's the irony of comedy: By laughing at people in positions of power we because less afraid of them. But by laughing at groups marginalized by society, we become bullies. Same approach but different targets. When comics see a tragedy or a mistreatment and go straight to the joke, they might be displaying a razor sharp awareness and wit, but they are also demonstrating a lack of empathy and sympathy to what's happening. Many comics think they are social police officers, taking down the ills of society. But what happens when their brand of stand up IS the ill of society? That seems to be the current state of this Austin based comedy brand. 

It's why the top comics were able to justify going to the Riyadh Comedy Festival. They are losing touch with their moral center. It also has a lot to do with the monetization aspect of stand up. Comics used to make money doing stand up so they could be in movies and TV. Now, they've forgone those platforms for podcasts and YouTube clips. They can make their own money now, without having Hollywood sanitize their brand or put them into a box they don't want. So instead of making mainstream entertainment with a basic core message of acceptance or growth (like Adam Sandler), they create podcasts and stand up designed to take down the groups that their fans want knocked down a peg.     

Say what you want about Eddie Murphy and Jim Carrey but after their comedy career's skyrocketed, they took on acting and left stand up behind, eventually becoming the stars of major family films. Who knows where their stand up would have gone had they not started collaborating with Hollywood folks - my argument is Hollywood saved them from massive cancel culture the way Andrew Dice Clay and others lost their ability to make more money because their comedy was so divisive and offensive. 

This constant feeding the machine by modern comics only generates more hyperbolic racist, sexist, homophobic, and gender mocking content that gets fed into the algorithm and lives there forever. Every man I know between 25-45 gets the same comedy content in their feed, and you have to actively choose content that is the opposite to stop getting Red Pill crap. To combat the rubbish fed to me, I listen to a lot of Jim Cornette's wrestling podcast, Rory Sutherland's marketing hacks, and talking dog content like Hammy and Olivia. I'm not being fed junk all day. So unless a comics' destructive hot take goes viral and people talk about it on Facebook and Threads, I won't see it. 

Final Thoughts
It's a fine line between artistic expression, commerce, and self-censorship. Comics have to make money to survive, yet it seems the more alt-right they go, the more they make. It eventually become a loop where each group feeds into each other - which feels like it sadly has already become that. 
This of course builds a world were mockery is celebrated and empathy is laughed at. On one level I understand that empathy feels exhausting as we are demanded to feel empathy towards our co-workers and clients at work. It's built into the company culture and customer service. At work we can't offend anyone or we'll be fired. And if the customer complains about the tiniest thing we have to pretend it really is a hug problem. "I'm so sorry the wifi went down for a minute - here's a free coffee coupon for life." 

So the type of comedy that mocks the sensitivities of others feels like a positive outlet until it creates people unable to see comedy as a cathartic release and not an actual moral philosophy. 

What I can say, is most of this type of humor has come through before and eventually fades away. Andrew Dice Clay filled Madison Square Garden telling awful anti-women jokes and within a few years was a washed up comic, begging clubs for drop in spots. At some point people will wake up, or at least get bored by the same types of jokes Kill Tony and Joe Rogan push on people.

​And that's all we can hope. Because until comedy fans correct themselves and their spending habits, then this brand of empathy reducing stand up won't have to sit down for a while.         

About a month ago I was scrolling on YouTube, watching various Jubilee videos when I saw they had a Community Post requesting "liberal Christians" to interview for a show pitting different Christian viewpoints against each other. For those not familiar with Jubilee, it's a wildly popular company that makes viral YouTube content in the debate space. Their show Surrounded (which I was on) puts one famous person against 20 less famous people in a speed date format to debate various topics. Mine was 1 Conservative Christian v. 20 Liberal Christians. I decided on a whim to submit and was selected to be on this episode. Here's a few thoughts on the episode, my experience, and my weird viral moment on TikTok and Threads. 

Understanding the Format
For those of you interested in being on a popular YouTube or TV show, just know that there's a lot of behind the scenes "formatting" to help "produce" a show. On the show, the producers select who will go first and "win" the race to the chair. So when five or more people race to the center, like pro wrestling, we know the outcome. Which was disappointing because I was doing box squats for a month to get ready to pop up and debate. 

The filming takes place in a very warm abandoned warehouse studio, with large air fans blowing right before they call "action!" So if people look sweaty or uncomfortable, they are also hot as heck. 
We didn't know we would be debating Allie Beth Stuckey, a MAGA podcaster and author of "Toxic Empathy." So preparing for the debate was nearly impossible. In fact, they didn't send the topics to us until 9:30PM the night before. We filmed on a Saturday, meaning who's checking their email on Friday after 7PM? So any prep was out the door. 

While I'm pretty knowledgeable in right wing Christian talking points (LBGTQ+ bad, Abortion bad, Immigration bad, Empathy bad, etc.) there was still no way to completely know the best examples to use to debate, so I had to rely on my own studies and hope the right words came out. Talk about walking by faith. 

But once Allie showed up and we settled in, the shoot was super smooth with there being four claims she made and I waited until her claim "Empathy can lead to sin" came up. I really am bored by the political issues and would rather discuss more philosophical ideals. So when the claim was made, I raised my hand and was selected to kick off Claim #3.

The Actual Debate
I learned two things while watching previous debaters: 

1. Regardless of how well it's going, the other debaters are going to throw up red flags so the clock stops and they can get their turn.

2. The format is more about quick talking points than deep dive discussion.

I wasn't sure if the show would be three hours and cut down to 90 minutes or it it would be 90 minutes and 99% of the show makes the episode. Turns out we film 100 minutes and 99 minutes got in. Outside of cutting some friendly banter up front, the main points are showcased. 

To be honest, I thought I would be debating a male. So having to argue with a woman is always a bit different. Anyone who has debated knows this to be true. This goes for women and men, as we know the general rules of society that keep us feeling safe. So I knew that some of my snark would need to be dialed down, which was probably best since these clips do go viral. 

Our actual discussion went for 5 minutes, which was pretty impressive, since many people were voted out by the three minute mark or earlier. One poor Mormon girl was voted out before she could sit down. At one point I realized I was going to be able to state many of my arguments in defense of empathy, and that's when my school teacher/preacher persona got to take over. While being a comedian doesn't necessarily make one a better debater, being quick witted does help. 

I'll let you be the judge on how I did, but the online response did help me realize a few things about myself and the content game in general. One thing I forgot is my wagging finger goes wild when I'm cooking.

Going Viral for 15 Minutes 
So far the YouTube episode has over 1 million views, which shows people are hungry for some type of civil debate, because the episode is much more low key than previous videos. But what was super weird to me was how MY TIKTOK clip went viral. 

I don't have a real TikTok account. I just have a tiny burner account to watch clips and see things that make the news. I had 50 followers with most just being bots from a handful of clips I post so if I do comment on something it doesn't look like a bot. I used to have 1500 followers but got rid of that account when my algorithm failed me. 

I took a clip about how Jesus used empathy and it gathered 230K views, 30K likes, over 500 comments, and over 3,000 saves. It was reposted by many people as well. On Threads I had one clip get 2K likes, 450 comments, 147 reposts, and 75 shares. And another clip had 300+ likes, 76 comments, and 20 reposts. I felt like a pretty girl on IG with a new Gucci bag.  

I also went from 50 TikTok followers to now 470 followers. That's 400 organic followers in less than a day. I've been posting comedy clips since 2015 and nothing like this every happened before. It turns out people were less interested in my comedy and more interested in me pointing my finger of empathy at a MAGA Trad Wife. 

With this new found success, I posted a follow up clip and I'm sorry to say, your boy isn't the viral sensation he hoped he was. Back to normal numbers, and back to reality. Which is fine. I'm not even sure I could switch gears into some type of Christian ethos content machine at this stage in life, even if I did pull off back to back 200K view content. 

Final Thoughts 
Overall, I enjoyed my time meeting the people I met and having an opportunity to discuss empathy with a person who so has so much animosity toward it. Why? Maybe because it would force her to think about others in uncomfortable ways. Maybe her definition of sympathy (aka pity) creates a position of power. Or maybe because her male religious mentors like Charlie Kirk and Douglas Wilson have been so much against empathy for the reasons mentioned earlier. 

What I really learned is that even with another credit, my life hasn't changed. It's not like I'm now the authority on liberal Christianity. I jokingly told my brother I could start The Empathy Project - only to find out there are multiple organizations with the same name. I also ironically found out that I went more viral with a burner TikTok than when I had a 1500 follower account I was actively using. I also learned more women seemed interested in me when I mentioned Jubilee than Dry Bar Comedy. And I learned that no matter my points or Allie's points, the comment section creates its own beast. 
I'm reminded of the last scene in The Coen Brother's Burn After Reading:

CIA Superior: What did we learn, Palmer?
CIA Officer: I don't know, sir.
CIA Superior: I don't fuckin' know either. I guess we learned not to do it again.
CIA Officer: Yes, sir.
CIA Superior: I'm fucked if I know what we did.
CIA Officer: Yes, sir, it's, uh, hard to say.
CIA Superior: Jesus fucking Christ.

I hate ending on a swear - but that banter is literally how I feel right now. 

Below is the full episode. I kick off Claim #3. Enjoy! 

​Maybe the most controversial issue in stand up today is the participation of the top headliners in the world going to the Riyadh Comedy Festival, put on by the Saudi Arabian government to participate in a 2030 campaign to increase tourism. They are of course a nation and government that mistreats women, the LGBTQ+ community, and has been known to have low tolerance in dealing with critics of leaders and critics of religious figures. Many attribute Saudi Arabia for funding 9/11, and of course there are other countless examples of government funded terrorism over the decades. Christopher Hitchens laid out their crimes, as he pointed to Saudi-funded charities, such as the Muslim World League, that spent billions promoting terrorist ideology and which were later linked to terrorist financing, particularly before 9/11.

Often, people will quickly point to the United States being guilty of similar crimes, and while we can all agree the US isn't perfect, the major difference is that the US doesn't have a government funded comedy festival. If Canada, a government that funds the Just For Laughs festival, was guilty of such atrocities, then the anti-sentiment would be headed that way. But the only thing Canada is guilty of is making delicious pancake syrup.   

I would even be critical of comics who support Donald Trump. Oh wait, I already have gone on the record criticizing Joe Rogan and Tony Hinchcliffe. So if anything, my disgust is just maintaining my comedic integrity.

But if you need more data, Human Rights Watch sees the organizers of the festival as a world problem as well.     

"The Saudi government is using the Riyadh Comedy Festival … to deflect attention from its brutal repression of free speech and other pervasive human rights violations," said Human Rights Watch in a statement this week. "Participating comedians, to avoid contributing to laundering the Saudi government's reputation, should use the comedy festival to publicly urge Saudi authorities to free unjustly detained Saudi dissidents, journalists, and human rights activists."

So here's a few take-a-ways and thoughts on the latest civil war in stand up comedy.   

Comics Are Divided - As Expected
The list of headliners participating range from Bill Burr, Whitney Cummings, and Kevin Hart to a slew of famous British and Arab comics. It's a Who's Who of talent. Some noted comics declined the offer, but most of the bigger names agreed with little to no reservations. Upon hearing about the festival, David Cross, a veteran comic and TV/movie star wrote a blog calling out the hypocrisy.  

David Cross wrote, "We can never again take seriously anything these comedians complain about (unless it’s complaining that we don’t support enough torture and mass executions of journalists and LGBQT peace activists here in the states, or that we don’t terrorize enough Americans by flying planes into our buildings). I mean that’s it; you have a funny bit about how you don’t like Yankee Candles or airport lounges? Okay great, but you’re cool with murder and/or the public caning of women who were raped, and by having the audacity to be raped, were guilty of “engaging in adultery”? Got any bits on that?" 

Marc Maron took a move "jokey" approach. "From the folks that brought you 9/11. Two weeks of laughter in the desert, don't miss it!'" joked Maron. "The same guy that's gonna pay them is the same guy that paid that guy to bone-saw Jamal Khashoggi and put him in a f***ing suitcase. But don't let that stop the yucks, it's gonna be a good time!"

I would say that Maron and Cross's stance falls more in line with George Carlin and Bill Hicks. Whereas I would argue the comics who decided the paycheck was worth it fall more in line with the late Gallagher and other cash grab big names. One side has the integrity of Carlin and the other of a man who used roller skates and watermelons to get laughs.      

Participating Comics Are Defending Themselves Ferociously
The one comic that has taken the criticism personally is Bill Burr. On the Conan O'Brien podcast, he went off on his critics.  

The AV Club writes, [Burr] noted he got “the most amount of shit” from other comedians, who he described as “sanctimonious cunts … who don’t really sincerely give a shit.” He said, “If you actually give a fuck about those people and how they’re living over there, there’s gonna have to be these types of things to pull them in. And I will tell you, the Cheesecake Factory in Riyadh, it’s incredible. It’s right next to Pizza Hut and KFC, and if you want a pair of Timberlands, it’s across the street next to the Marriott, catty-corner to the fucking Hilton.”

I suppose Burr will be hocking Cheesecake Factory as a date night idea soon. If anything, he might have found five new sponsors for his podcast. "When I'm looking the other way at human rights, I'm usually stuffing my face with stuffed crust pizza and shoveling pumpkin cheesecake down my throat, which I still have, unlike the journalists and artists who criticized the Saudi Arabian government!"   

Louis CK went on Bill Maher's show to argue it's a gateway to opening western ideals to the people there. “When I’m talking to the other comedians who have been there, they’ve been really surprised by what’s going on. There’s a woman who’s a lesbian and Jewish, who did a show there, and she got a standing ovation. So, there’s stuff going on that’s unexpected in this thing,” he said. “People have been playing Saudi Arabia for years. Comedians have been going and playing Arab countries. There was a film festival there recently, it’s kind of opened up. But I’ve always said no to Arab countries.”

Louis CK took a less aggressive approach in defense of participating because he probably knows he's selling his soul, so the pushback is justified and expected. Burr, on the other hand, is feeling the cancel culture crowd and like a child, doesn't like his choices being criticized or judged. This is new territory for the Boston comic and he's transferring his own self loathing onto the comics that he doesn't have to work with anyways. Burr already said if he loses gigs, he'll just stay home for a while. Must be nice. 

The Aftermath Will Show No Change 
While I find their participation discouraging, it's not surprising. Comics are not really the moral center of the Western zeitgeist. While Jon Stewart and John Oliver have a moral ethos, they aren't stand ups anymore. They might have declined the offers, but they aren't in the same category to be offered this gig. 

But nothing will change. Burr and Maron will still work together at The Comedy Store and Improv. Bookers won't take away their spots. Fans are basically unaware this is even an issue. The job was on the comics to self-regulate their participation in events like these. 

If Burr and Louis CK were really about opening borders and creating new avenues for western ideals and free speech, then they should have done the gig for free. I expect Bobby Lee to take the money and run. But the comics who spent the last 30 years trying to take down the establishment, only to support one of worst ones should have either declined the blood money or donated it up front to a cause that is the victim of the Saudi Arabian leadership. Whether that was an LGBTQ+ group or women's group, would the festival organizers be okay knowing that? 

Lesbian and Jewish American comedian Jessica Kirson later stated she regretted participating and gave the money to a human rights group after being criticized. Clearly, her moral IQ wasn't high enough to see the problem early on, and after getting pushback from her tribe decided to retreat. Fine, better late than never, but the damage is done. 

These Participating Comics Are Useful Idiots 
During the Cold War, Vladimir Lenin would call famous celebrities and politicians who supported Russia "useful idiots," a term to describe those who were used as pawns to prop up evil regimes.  

South Carolina professor Mark Herring defined it best: "Whatever the provenance, useful idiot is now short speak for anyone oblivious to the harmful effects of a given cause, political or otherwise. Useful idiots are not what one would call stupid; they are highly intelligent and aware of the circumstances. The problem appears to be that they attribute to a given cause its positive effects only while turning a blind eye to its derogatory ones. The most benighted of useful idiots will even argue against any accusations that what they have supported may not, in fact, be wrong at all."

The above definition describes the current attitudes of Burr, Louis CK, and the others who have claimed they're just trying to make others laugh. When in fact, that's not why they're there. They are there to make money. When Burr celebrates the popping up of fast food in the country as a positive, you know he's stretching, grasping for straws to hold some moral high ground. Yet, he's grabbed nothing. He's just a useful idiot on this issue. 

Final Thoughts 
I wasn't asked to join the festival. Obviously. So many will say, "If they offered you hundreds of thousands of dollars, you'd jump on a plane tomorrow." If you think that, you clearly haven't been reading my work the last few years.

I've said no to many gigs and to booking comics because they were known for being predators. I've stayed away from supporting clubs and venues that support bringer shows. I've maintained my integrity by leaving Flappers after ownership wanted me to participate in shady business practices. I've left numerous jobs after the company proved to be unethical and toxic.

I've probably hurt my career and finances due to numerous moral choices I've made. But I sleep well at night knowing that once my ignorance was crushed and I saw the truth, I left. 

This stems in areas of my personal life as well. I've had to cut off family members and relationships due to terrible behavior. All we have his our reputation. In the words of Roy Kent to Ted Lasso after benching Jamie Tartt, "Took balls, what you did," to which Ted Lasso replies, "That's all we got is balls, Roy. It's all we got."

​So to sum it up, the comics who participated just didn't have the balls to say no. Most useful idiots don't.