Saudi Arabia is not a place anyone associates with humor, nor wrestling, movies, or golf for that matter. That's the point. The Riyadh Comedy Festival is part of a massive, decade-long endeavor by the nation to promote itself as more than a repressive, barren oil producer, the ultimate image makeover. To do so, it dumped cash on any A-list comedian willing to vouch for them. As a consequence, we are witnessing a schism in the entertainment biz, and, thankfully, it has absolutely nothing to do with left and right politics. This is all about cold, hard cash. Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman is bankrolling the biggest comedy extravaganza ever. Not everyone is laughing. Any comedy fan hoping for a Bill Hicks-esque rant will be sorely disappointed.

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