April 12, 2022

This is unusual in that Saudi Arabia has state-run television and they carefully censor everything. It's very rare to see any political satire there, and some of are saying that this is the first instance they've seen of it to do with American politics.

Source: India Express

Making a political commentary laden with sarcasm, a state-run television channel in Saudi Arabia mocked the US government in a skit. The parody sketch, which takes a jibe at US President Joe Biden and Vice-President Kamala Harris, is now breaking the internet, leaving many surprised online.

A recent piece aired on the Saudi television show, Studio 22, caught everyone’s attention as they portrayed the two American leaders in the backdrop of the recent Russia-Ukraine conflict. The skit aired by the Middle East Broadcasting Center (MBC) had Khaled Al-Faraj imitating Biden, who seems to be confused and sleepy while talking to the press. While another male actor in drag is seen imitating Harris.
...
Political satires are not new to American television and many likened the skit to that often seen on Saturday Night Live (SNL) or the commentary filled with sarcasm on late-night talk shows. However, many were surprised to see Saudi airing such a mimicry about its political ally. Although not everyone was impressed by the skit and many said it was “anything but funny”.

Can you help us out?

For nearly 20 years we have been exposing Washington lies and untangling media deceit, but now Facebook is drowning us in an ocean of right wing lies. Please give a one-time or recurring donation, or buy a year's subscription for an ad-free experience. Thank you.

Discussion

We welcome relevant, respectful comments. Any comments that are sexist or in any other way deemed hateful by our staff will be deleted and constitute grounds for a ban from posting on the site. Please refer to our Terms of Service for information on our posting policy.
Mastodon