Aziz Ansari shed light on his decision to participate in the Riyadh Comedy Festival in a new interview, in which he called the controversy a “complicated issue.”
During an appearance on “Jimmy Kimmel Live!,” the comedian spoke out about the Saudi Arabia-based festival — which sparked backlash due to the country’s reputation for suppressing free speech — and explained that he “put a lot of thought into” his decision to participate.
Per Ansari, his “Muslim background” influenced his decision to accept the gig, especially after speaking with a relative who once lived in Saudi Arabia.
He recalled his aunt telling him: “’There’s people over there that don’t agree with the stuff that the government’s doing, and to ascribe the worst behavior of the government onto those people, that’s not fair. Just like there’s people in America that don’t agree with the things the government is doing.’”
Host Jimmy Kimmel countered this point by noting that “the government over there” had previously “murdered a journalist,” highlighting why there’s been such outcry over the celebrity presence at the festival.
Still, Ansari doubled down on his decision, as he explained he was there “to do a show for the people.”
The “Parks and Recreation” alum cited the advice his wife, Serena Skov Campbell, gave him: “‘Whenever there’s repressive societies like this, they try to keep things out, whether it’s rock-and-roll music or blue jeans, because it makes people curious about outside ideas, outside values.’”
He continued: “And this is a very young country, like half the country is under the age of 25, and things can really change. And to me, a comedy festival felt like something that’s pushing things to be more open and to push a dialogue. You kind of have to make a choice of whether you’re going to isolate or engage. And for me, especially being me and looking the way I do, and being from a Muslim background, it felt like something I should be a part of. And I hope it pushes things in a positive direction.”
Despite defending his decision to perform at the fest, Ansari said he shared “the concerns that people have brought up, and it’s all valid.”
Ansari appeared to put his money where his mouth was, as he told the “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” audience that he planned to donate a portion of his fee to organizations that support free press and human rights issues.
“It’s a complicated issue,” he concluded, “but I felt like it’s something that pushing things in the right direction, I hope.”
Ansari isn’t the first comedian to double down on their decision to perform at the festival. Bill Burr stood by his decision to accept the gig, calling the festival a “super positive thing” during a live taping of “Conan O’Brien Needs a Friend.”
“What was so great about it was the people there, you could feel it like they needed it,” Burr noted. “They wanted it and they wanted you to push, and that’s what the comics did.”
In contrast, gay comedian Jessica Kirson apologized for her participation at the event, sharing that the decision “has weighed heavily on my heart ever since.”
