Polite Conversations

Join me for an in depth look at some of the excuses that were made by the comedians who went to perform at the Riyadh Comedy Festival.Was this festival an indication of progress in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia or was it put on to create the illusion of progress?Comedian Andy Kindler (from Bob’s Burgers) joins me to discuss.[The extended episode is available via the Premium tiers on patreon.com/nicemangos]Subscribe today to support the show or you can purchase the episode individually too! ———Featured Clips from: Chris Tucker, NBC News, Bill Maher, Louis CK, Tim Dillon, Aziz Ansari, Whitney Cummings, Bill Burr & Joe RoganLinks:A Saudi journalist tweeted against the government – and was executed for ‘high treason’: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/jun/18/saudi-arabia-turki-al-jasser-executedProducer/Animator receives prison sentence for Netflix Comedy series https://www.nytimes.com/2024/07/04/world/middleeast/netflix-masameer-saudi-arabia-prison.htmlArchived version of NYT article: https://archive.ph/QqSR8Saudi cartoonist sentenced to 23 years https://apnews.com/article/saudi-arabia-cartoonist-sentenced-crackdown-0fbb4a3d9532a363ea6f014bdab53876Human Rights Watch: Riyadh Comedy Festival Whitewashes Abuses https://www.hrw.org/news/2025/09/23/saudi-arabia-riyadh-comedy-festival-whitewashes-abusesHuman Rights Watch ‘Cannot Accept’ Donations From Aziz Ansari and Other Comedians Who Performed at Riyadh Comedy Festival https://variety.com/2025/tv/news/human-rights-watch-refuses-aziz-ansari-riyadh-donation-1236544862/Tim Dillon Fired from Riyadh Comedy Festival https://www.billboard.com/pro/tim-dillon-fired-riyadh-comedy-festival-saudi-slavery/Dave Chapelle says its easier to talk in Saudi Arabia than the US https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/culture-news/dave-chappelle-saudi-arabia-free-speech-1235439890/82% of Jewish Israelis Back Forcibly Expelling Gazans https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/2025-05-28/ty-article-magazine/.premium/yes-to-transfer-82-of-jewish-israelis-back-expelling-gazans/00000197-12a4-df22-a9d7-9ef6af930000

Join me for an in depth look at some of the excuses that were made by the comedians who went to perform at the Riyadh Comedy Festival.Was this festival an indication of progress in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia or was it put on to create the illusion of progress?Comedian Andy Kindler (from Bob’s Burgers) joins me to discuss in pt 2[The extended episode is available via the Premium tiers on patreon.com/nicemangos]Subscribe today to support the show or you can purchase the episode individually too! ———Featured Clips from: Chris Tucker, NBC News, Bill Maher, Louis CK, Tim Dillon, Aziz Ansari, Whitney Cummings, Bill Burr & Joe RoganLinks:A Saudi journalist tweeted against the government – and was executed for ‘high treason’: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/jun/18/saudi-arabia-turki-al-jasser-executedProducer/Animator receives prison sentence for Netflix Comedy series https://www.nytimes.com/2024/07/04/world/middleeast/netflix-masameer-saudi-arabia-prison.htmlArchived version of NYT article: https://archive.ph/QqSR8Saudi cartoonist sentenced to 23 years https://apnews.com/article/saudi-arabia-cartoonist-sentenced-crackdown-0fbb4a3d9532a363ea6f014bdab53876Human Rights Watch: Riyadh Comedy Festival Whitewashes Abuses https://www.hrw.org/news/2025/09/23/saudi-arabia-riyadh-comedy-festival-whitewashes-abusesHuman Rights Watch ‘Cannot Accept’ Donations From Aziz Ansari and Other Comedians Who Performed at Riyadh Comedy Festival https://variety.com/2025/tv/news/human-rights-watch-refuses-aziz-ansari-riyadh-donation-1236544862/Tim Dillon Fired from Riyadh Comedy Festival https://www.billboard.com/pro/tim-dillon-fired-riyadh-comedy-festival-saudi-slavery/Dave Chapelle says its easier to talk in Saudi Arabia than the US https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/culture-news/dave-chappelle-saudi-arabia-free-speech-1235439890/82% of Jewish Israelis Back Forcibly Expelling Gazans https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/2025-05-28/ty-article-magazine/.premium/yes-to-transfer-82-of-jewish-israelis-back-expelling-gazans/00000197-12a4-df22-a9d7-9ef6af930000

[Aired originally Aug 13 2025 via patreon.com/nicemangos]If you’d like to access extended episodes and unlock miniseries early please consider subscribing via patreon.com/nicemangos and supporting this small show!Finnish expert on far-right extremism Sami Eerola [https://bsky.app/profile/eerolasami.bsky.social] joins me for a conversation about the far-right in Finland. We discuss the sharp swing from Sanna Marin’s progressive govt to the most rightwing government Finland has had since the 1930’s, neo-nazi groups & festivals like ‘white boy summer’, the various racism related scandals coming from far right govt officials and more.Links:Find Sami’s Finnish language newsletter here  https://laitaoikeistonviikko.substack.com/The Finnish government attempts to overcome the overt racism of its ministerhttps://www.lemonde.fr/en/international/article/2023/08/20/the-finnish-government-attempts-to-overcome-the-overt-racism-of-its-ministers_6099989_4.htmlFar-right Finnish leader Riikka Purra sorry in racist posts uproarhttps://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-66166795Finland economy minister resigns over Nazi commentshttps://www.dw.com/en/finland-economy-minister-resigns-over-nazi-comments/a-66084409Many Finns Party ministers have pointed to replacement theoryhttps://www.helsinkitimes.fi/finland/finland-news/politics/23836-many-finns-party-ministers-have-pointed-to-replacement-theory.htmlChet Hanks says Social Justice Warriors can kick rocks https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MgN1Lc5USOITom Hanks’ son shares anti-vaccine videos, claims there’s more evidence for UFOs than for COVID shot safetyhttps://www.news10.com/news/tom-hanks-son-shares-anti-vaccine-videos-claims-theres-more-evidence-for-ufos-than-for-covid-shot-safety/White Boy Summer: Investigating the Finnish Far Right https://youtu.be/3CXRZKihkUw?si=3ehv9c99jiEr-EEMThe Palestine Laboratory pt 1 https://youtu.be/1GvkFwpzDhI?si=ljpWs3vOjiUJQcYyPt 2 https://youtu.be/5pPQydBGwQY?si=Mc-9moAZWMOylkU2

[This is Part 2 of a 2 Part episode]Find Pt 1 here: Public release: https://open.spotify.com/episode/1ZBEPd76w5QBkc0ZiBaypd?si=LoZ5DP9FQI6Y-nkvj7W8swExtended Patreon version: https://www.patreon.com/posts/ep-102-pt-1-sam-143732568?utm_medium=clipboard_copy&utm_source=copyLink&utm_campaign=postshare_creator&utm_content=join_linkFin the extended version of pt 2 here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/144454350——I spoke to a former friend of Sam Harris’ who fell out with Sam and others in the heterodox-sphere after Oct 7th, and their insistence on defending Israel no matter what. My guest for this episode is filmmaker Jay Shapiro who made a documentary featuring Sam Harris and Maajid Nawaz in 2018. He has also collaborated with Sam and his wife, Annaka on other projects. Jay Shapiro has a book coming out in May, ‘Insufficient Rewards: How we Traded Integrity for Comfort and Outsourced Morality to History’.Links:Find more of Jay’s work here: https://whatjaythinks.comMy patreon post breaking down Sam’s ‘preemptive nuking’ takes - Sam Harris Nuke Freak: https://www.patreon.com/posts/sam-harris-nuke-136580589?utm_medium=clipboard_copy&utm_source=copyLink&utm_campaign=postshare_creator&utm_content=join_linkYasmine justifying h8 crimes https://x.com/nicemangos/status/980853645519605761?s=61&t=w7q_ejvwZ_gCFj9WV50LqwIn the extended version we also discuss: Betar’s horrid tweet https://bsky.app/profile/nicemangos.bsky.social/post/3m6fwfptcxc2oSarah Hurwitz takes: https://bsky.app/profile/dropsitenews.com/post/3m67zwqvttc23https://www.reddit.com/r/JewsOfConscience/s/uBUyT68DfGIf you enjoy the show pls consider supporting it via patreon.com/nicemangos and/or by leaving a podcast review. 

I spoke to a former friend of Sam Harris’ who fell out with Sam and others in the heterodox-sphere after Oct 7th, and their insistence on defending Israel no matter what. My guest for this episode is filmmaker Jay Shapiro who made a documentary featuring Sam Harris and Maajid Nawaz in 2018. He has also collaborated with Sam and his wife, Annaka on other projects.Jay Shapiro has a book coming out in May, ‘Insufficient Rewards: How we Traded Integrity for Comfort and Outsourced Morality to History’.Links:This is the Documentary we reference in the episode https://www.imdb.com/title/tt8257128/Find more of Jay’s work here: https://whatjaythinks.comHere’s the conversation with Coleman Hughes that came up on my feed: https://youtu.be/SIouIY1TGr4?si=cwYpNdt3wWCt7uwfSarah Haider promoting eugenics conference: https://bsky.app/profile/nicemangos.bsky.social/post/3ljzlffucx227Read more about the Ex Mus to TradFash pipeline in my multi-part series here (you can purchase it via patreon or become a subscriber and unlock all exclusive posts - Pt 1: https://www.patreon.com/posts/106445369?utm_campaign=postshare_creator&utm_content=android_sharePt 2: https://www.patreon.com/posts/106501752?utm_campaign=postshare_creator&utm_content=android_sharePt 3: https://www.patreon.com/posts/106529773?utm_campaign=postshare_creator&utm_content=android_shareIf you enjoy the show and would like to support it pls consider subscribing via patreon.com/nicemangos (& unlock extended episodes!)

Find the extended version of the episode here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/143081308?pr=true&forSale=trueIf you enjoy the show please consider subscribing via patreon.com/nicemangos

[This is a Reupload of a previous Twitter Space.]Recent stories discussed in the intro: https://abcnews.go.com/US/border-patrol-agents-fire-allegedly-disrupting-childrens-halloween/story?id=126900354https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/man-nazi-uniform-assaulted-georgia-student-was-denied-entry-bar-offici-rcna239893This Space was recorded on Oct 27th 2023, with friends of the show Jack Graham of the IDSG podcast and Linguist Dr. Caitlin Green.Join us for a chat about Heterodox Horror Stories![This is a live event on a broken hellsite, so pls excuse the sound quality not being to usual podcast standards.]We discuss Bill Maher, Steven Crowder, Yale professors Nicholas & Erika Christakis & their calls for students to ‘look away’ from ‘offensive Halloween costumes’, U of Oregon Professor Nancy Shurtz who wore blackface at a party that students attended ….all this and more.Enjoy!——If you enjoy the show pls consider supporting via patreon.com/nicemangos

‘Hexes, Heroes & Hypocrisy’Join me for the final pt of this Charlie Kirk series, where I go through his abhorrent views, the extreme free speech hypocrisies from certain free speech warriors… & the bizarre beliefs in witches/curses cropping up on the right. We also discuss the normalization of extreme racism in western societies.Support via patreon.com/nicemangos & unlock extended eps—Links:Taxpayers shelled out $2.6 million in security costs for Charlie Kirk’s memorial https://www.msn.com/en-ca/news/other/taxpayers-shelled-out-26-million-in-security-costs-for-charlie-kirk-s-memorial/ar-AA1OTR6AUS strips visas from six foreigners over Charlie Kirk remarks https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/oct/15/us-visas-charlie-kirk-reactionKirk fan Hit and Run https://youtu.be/KdcRHDMChIk?si=nmeQeifiU7lX4DxeXavier Conley Ilhan Omar CNN clip https://www.instagram.com/reel/DO_Op1KDWX1/?igsh=ZHNrc3ZlaWN4Z3Z3New Atheists & Great Replacement fearmongering https://www.patreon.com/posts/112243637https://onlys.ky/the-great-replacement-how-new-atheists-legitimized-and-spread-a-white-nationalist-conspiracy-theory/Unhinged transphobe threatens to shoot up LGBTQ+ bar to become a “martyr for Charlie Kirk” https://www.lgbtqnation.com/2025/09/unhinged-transphobe-threatens-to-shoot-up-lgbtq-bar-to-become-a-for-charlie-kirk/Man charged w killing 3 at waterfront North Carolina bar is decorated Marine vet & Purple Heart recipient https://www.cbsnews.com/news/nigel-edge-north-carolina-bar-shooting-suspect-marine-veteran/Mormon church shooting suspect had Trump sign outside home https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/sep/29/mormon-church-shooting-trump-signRe: Sam Harris & Black brain surgeons: https://x.com/nicemangos/status/1511339657396690944?s=61&t=w7q_ejvwZ_gCFj9WV50LqwPolite Conversations Race ‘Science’ episodes:Pt 1 https://spotify.link/otjmpUOgOXbPt 2 https://spotify.link/7l3SgcUgOXbPt 3 https://spotify.link/Jqw8rqWgOXb