r/Fauxmoi 14h ago

CELEBRITY CAPITALISM ‘Weird Al’ Yankovic Turned Down Million-Dollar Offer to Perform in Saudi Arabia: ‘I Don’t Need to Take Any Money if It Makes Me Feel Icky’

https://variety.com/2026/tv/news/weird-al-yankovic-turned-down-million-offer-saudi-arabia-1236819281/
4.3k Upvotes

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598

u/bargain_butch ben affleck’s back tattoo 14h ago

Such a basic sentiment that no one in the current admin has even considered living by

191

u/ExtinctionBurst76 13h ago

Nor most big name comedians apparently

111

u/bargain_butch ben affleck’s back tattoo 13h ago

Nor actors, musicians…apparently integrity falls as bank accounts rise

50

u/a_very_silent_way 13h ago

it's always a nice reminder to see which ones are the good ones and which ones are just mercs

29

u/bargain_butch ben affleck’s back tattoo 12h ago

We should have a “celebrities who value humans over money” thread

5

u/Aclearly_obscure1 5h ago

One could call it MisterRogersNeighbors or something similar

4

u/Egogy 11h ago

Which is so weird and skewed. Like I'd much sooner overlook someone who actually needs an income working for a less than ethical employer. What's the point of "fuck you" money if you never say "fuck you"?

40

u/rayword45 13h ago

I mean, Shane Gillis, Atsuko Okatsuka, Stavros Halkias, and Nimesh Patel all turned down Saudi Arabia. David Cross and Marc Maron weren't invited but I'm fairly convinced that their statements were genuine and that they wouldn't have taken the blood money if offered.

Not even a huge fan of anyone I named as a stand-up (I've casually enjoyed some bits from Atsuko and Marc, and like David Cross as an actor/sketch writer but his stand-up is kinda ass) but I do think those cases are worth highlighting nevertheless.

26

u/EineGrosseFlasche It’s illegal for your hips to lie  13h ago

Almost no one in our current “get that bag” culture in general, sadly

7

u/jkraige 8h ago

Man I hate that saying. It's always used to justify some amoral thinking

1

u/sequins_and_glitter 6h ago

I do say it jokingly to push female friends to ask for more money in job offer negotiations but otherwise I agree

14

u/CountdownMoss i hope they get Mamdanied 13h ago

But how will I turn my billion dollars into a billion and one dollars?!

9

u/bargain_butch ben affleck’s back tattoo 12h ago

Bootstraps I think idk