Amy Poehler is taking some heat for the latest guest on her new podcast.
Good Hang with Amy Poehler features low-key interviews with the comedian’s good friends, but the presence of Aziz Ansari has been anything but that. Her Park and Recreation co-star is making headlines for the wrong reasons. He recently performed at Saudi Arabia’s Riyadh Comedy Festival, which ran from September 26 to October 9.
Among the other celebrities performing at the event were Wayne Brady, Dave Chappelle, Louis C.K. and Kevin Hart.
Aziz Ansari is accused of taking “blood money” to perform in Saudi Arabia
The comedy festival was the first of its kind in Saudi Arabia, and many fans hope it’s the last. The event faced considerable scrutiny due to the country’s human rights record and the censorship rules imposed on performers.
In turn, many people expressed their displeasure on social media about Amy inviting Aziz on her show. “Hard pass. Aziz and his blood money can kick rocks,” one fan responded after Amy posted a photo of her and the comedian on her podcast’s Instagram page. Meanwhile, another person said, “Love her podcast, but I will be skipping this one # RiyadhComedyFestival.”
Amy has voiced some strong opinions on her podcast before, calling out the Oscars last month for sidelining comedians in her estimation.
Aziz did say he would donate some of his earnings from the festival to “causes that support free press and human rights.” One of those causes is Human Rights Watch. Aziz adds that he felt this festival could help push things forward and initiate a dialogue, while promoting greater openness. He says that coming from a Muslim background, he thought it was something he should be a part of.
Aziz grew up in South Carolina, but his parents were born in the state of Tamil Nadu in Southern India. His new movie Good Fortune premieres in US theatres on Friday. It will be his directorial feature debut.
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