Re: [TV orNotTV] Digest for tvornottv@googlegroups.com - 3 updates in 2 topics

[Mark Smith]

The Saudi situation reminds me of South Africa similar attempts that tempted

with money to give up your soul. 

On Sun, Sep 28, 2025 at 10:17 PM <tvor...@googlegroups.com> wrote:

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• OT: Saudi royals pay big bucks for comics to perform - 2 Updates
• 'Access' Staffers Laid Off and It's Versant's Fault - 1 Update

OT: Saudi royals pay big bucks for comics to perform

Kevin M. <drunkba...@gmail.com>: Sep 28 02:49PM -0700 Pete Davidson and Bill Burr, among others. All being paid over $300k to attend a comedy festival in Saudi Arabia. Naturally, their free speech is restricted.   https://variety.com/2025/politics/global/marc-maron-human-rights-riyadh-comedy-festival-1236530044/?fbclid=IwdGRjcANGi2dleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHq9XCn-5tz1PrkXQX1TwrE9afhdZGDzCuDlTDax5mfHp41nfUs9kAwCnjvux_aem_ffRsmd1pFf2Q1ETsYAAhLw   People like Marc Maron are questioning the ethics of taking money from the same prince who not too long ago murdered a journalist.   Leah Remini has weighed in.   https://youtu.be/FDBqz1Va4Js?si=WPwgkooQELR6S6Pv     Kevin M. (RPCV)

Tom Wolper <two...@gmail.com>: Sep 28 07:45PM -0400 The Saudis are putting a ton of money into laundering their reputation, up to now through golf and soccer. I’ve seen some comics post their invitations to let their fans know they turned it down. I find it hard to believe anybody who performs there will have to pay a price back home.

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'Access' Staffers Laid Off and It's Versant's Fault

Mark Jeffries <spotl...@gmail.com>: Sep 28 10:24AM -0700 The syndicated by NBCU show biz tab tapes its two daily shows "Access Hollywood" and "Access Daily" in the same facility at Universal City as "E! News," which is being reduced to online only as a result of the Versant spinoff--mostly stage crew, but including some people who have been with "Access" since launch in 1996, including weekend director Rich Plotkin, who got his start in the strange early days of WSNS in Chicago doing shows like "Underground News" and "News of the Psychic World" (they're now owned by NBCU as a Telemundo affil):   https://www.thewrap.com/access-hollywood-hit-with-layoffs-tied-to-e-news-cancellation/

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[Tom Wolper]

There are similarities but it’s not the same thing. For years any time someone criticized the apartheid regime of South Africa, the government would talk about the communist leanings of African revolutionary movements and claim to be a bulwark against them. That was enough to shut up criticism from the West. Eventually a new grassroots campaign started around non-governmental actions like boycotts and disinvestment. South Africa became a pariah. It was fairly late in the process when Sun City opened and the owner tried to get entertainers to come with big paychecks. The point is that South Africa was already recognized as a pariah state.

Saudi Arabia isn’t a pariah state. Reasonable people can sit in a room and debate whether they should be and whatever they decide won’t come to anything in the real world. Nobody is breaking a boycott by performing there.

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[Doug Eastick]

just for reference.... here's the Little Steven group diddy protesting apartheid.     a pretty long video for the times of MTV.

https://youtu.be/9fR2r8Qlyyk?si=s46WSaP2QU8WcLHl

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[Tom Wolper]

I post this for the last two paragraphs.

https://www.npr.org/2025/09/27/nx-s1-5555462/saudi-comedy-festival-chappelle-hart-maron

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