Fifty comedians walk into a repressive Gulf kingdom. That sounds like the beginning of a bad joke. But there is little funny about some of the best-known Western comics trekking to Saudi Arabia, collecting large paychecks and agreeing to censor themselves at the Riyadh Comedy Festival, which runs through Thursday.

The event in the Saudi capital is supposed to be another example of how the kingdom has become more open and tolerant under its modernizing monarch, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, known as MBS. Really, it’s just the latest in a string of attempts to divert attention from his country’s atrocious human rights record by hosting showy international events. It’s also a fresh reminder of how many people will pick a payday over principles. Advertisement

The regime this year has ca

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