Why RiyadhGate Spells Bigger Problem for Trump-Era Comics
Bill Burr, Jimmy Kimmel and more struggle with Strange New Respect syndrome
Clown nose on … or off? It’s a question many comics are asking themselves today.
This isn’t Cancel Culture redux. It’s the Strange New Respect comedians are receiving across the cultural landscape. And it comes with serious strings attached.
Just ask Bill Burr, one of many comics hounded by fans and fellow stand-ups for performing at the recent Riyadh Comedy Festival in Saudi Arabia. The hard-charging Burr is part of a rebellious stand-up class, the truth tellers who thumb their noses at the woke mob … and thrive.
Why would he cash in on a gig funded by a suffocating regime?
Fellow participants, including Aziz Ansari, have faced similar heat. The host of “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” pressed Ansari on his inclusion in the festival.
Burr remains defiant about his critics, calling them “sanctimonious c****.” Jessica Kirson, an openly lesbian performer, took a different approach. She belatedly returned the money she made from participating in the event.
Saudi Arabia’s record on gay rights is less than stellar.
RELATED: KIMMEL PRETENDS TO CARE ABOUT FREE SPEECH
Others who took the money and yukked it up? Dave Chappelle, Andrew Schulz, Jo Koy, Mark Normand, Louis C.K., Kevin Hart, Whitney Cummings, Jim Jefferies, Sebastian Maniscalco, Tom Segura and Jeff Ross.
Marc Maron, who seems to always find fault with fellow comics, and David Cross skewered their peers for performing at the festival. Suddenly, picking up a fat paycheck isn’t as simple as it once was.
What’s a comic to do? More importantly, why are we suddenly holding comedians to a higher standard?
Welcome to The Trump Effect
The Left and Legacy Media outlets, but we repeat ourselves, boost any comedian who pummels the president. Recall the media meltdown when CBS decided it didn’t want to keep losing a reported $40 million a year and canceled TDS sufferer Stephen Colbert’s “Late Show.”
That seemed modest compared to the hair-on-fire coverage of Jimmy Kimmel’s brief suspension. Did Kimmel mislead about Charlie Kirk’s assassin because he thought the comments were funny, or was he just desperate to score a partisan point at all costs?
Conversely, recall how the press hounded Jimmy Fallon for his affable “Tonight Show” interview with then-candidate Trump in 2016. He’s been a reliable Trump critic ever since, giving a four-year pass to the Biden/Harris administration.
Media outlets also regurgitate every anti-conservative sketch “Saturday Night Live” offers in a given week.
Amy Poehler’s U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi refused to answer any questions and got some backup from Tina Fey’s Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem.
See more: https://t.co/cqbUmFd0sa pic.twitter.com/g8t4YXhr4Y
— TheWrap (@TheWrap) October 12, 2025
Tina Fey and Amy Poehler Reunite on ‘SNL’ as Kristi Noem & Pam Bondi https://t.co/t6JOesHCAQ pic.twitter.com/b7RwEsHMEB
— TMZ (@TMZ) October 12, 2025
Amy Poehler, Tina Fey reunite in ‘SNL’ cold open to mock Pam Bondi, Kristi Noem https://t.co/pZesIVSbWO
— USA TODAY (@USATODAY) October 12, 2025
That reward system is one reason why comedians shifted aggressively to the Left following the 2016 presidential campaign. That coverage turned monologue jokes into cultural markers, suggesting their importance outstripped any temporary laughs.
The 2024 presidential election results only heightened this atmosphere, but with a surprise twist.
Pundits gave comics like Joe Rogan, Tim Dillon, Tony Hinchcliffe and Andrew Schulz partial credit for Trump’s electoral victory. The podcasters hosted either Trump or future Vice President J.D. Vance, offering mostly softball queries in the process.
That gave Team Trump access to a young, male demographic that voted MAGA in larger-than-expected numbers. Voila, the Podcast Election was born.
The Legacy Media tried to turn Hinchcliffe’s Puerto Rico comments at the end of the 2024 presidential campaign into a new “Grab ’em by the you-know-what” moment for Trump. That effort didn’t acknowledge that the cultural winds were no longer at their back.
Still, any given Rogan riff now takes on greater political importance. If he questions Trumpian policies, Legacy Media reporters rush to their laptops to spread the news. To be fair, conservative pundits did the same every time Rogan called out President Joe Biden’s cognitive decline.
Comedians are left scrambling to balance traditional yuks with profound political statements. Some hope the right quip or gag can impact the political debate. Others seemingly relish their upgraded status.
And, as is too often the case, the laughs are left behind. Does anyone think Burr barking, “Free Luigi” is remotely funny? Why is the term “clapter” on everyone’s lips?
Clown nose on … or off?
That phrase once applied mostly to “Daily Show” host Jon Stewart. The faux news anchor bounced from court jester to serious journalist, whichever served his partisan interests.
Question his facts or line of reasoning? Hey, I’m just a comedian (clown nose on). Even Bill Maher, one of the best satirists on the scene, falls back on that defense when cornered.
Some comics appear increasingly uncomfortable with the New Normal. Burr is clearly miffed at having to defend himself for taking a comedy gig, and he bristled when a journalist pressed him on his politically charged comments earlier this year.
Kirson didn’t take the gig, expecting to give back the money later.
Theo Von, following a disturbing on-stage meltdown, told fans he had no desire to kill himself. Rogan engages more directly with political headlines now, occasionally contradicting himself in the process.
Other comics relish the Strange New Respect.
Where would Colbert and Kimmel be without a fawning press and fans waiting for their next, wildly predictable Trump gag? Media outlets all but acknowledged that Colbert’s first Emmy win last month was a consolation prize for losing his job.
‘The Late Show with Stephen Colbert’ wins the #Emmy for Outstanding Talk Series. The crowd chants his name as he takes the stage as a winner for the first time since 2014. pic.twitter.com/b7zqiaGW1b
— New York Magazine (@NYMag) September 15, 2025
Others, like Von, Burr, Rogan and Kirson, are navigating the shifting cultural winds with care. Here’s betting others are doing the same, but silently.
There’s a real danger in this cultural transition, at least to a comic’s credentials. Political satire is a noble art and boasts a grand tradition. Think Lenny Bruce, George Carlin, Bill Hicks and Dick Gregory.
The best of the best never leave laughs behind. They also do their homework, so the jokes ring true. That’s a critical component of political humor.
Propagandists like Colbert and Kimmel often fail that test. Miserably.
Kimmel just told his audience that Antifa doesn’t exist, while Colbert said Democrats don’t want to spend our money on health care for illegal immigrants. That’s neither funny nor accurate.
These political comics may savor their larger profiles in the Trump era. If they keep mistaking talking points for punch lines, they’ll face increasingly smaller crowds. And that’s not funny at all.
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