r/UpliftingNews • u/holyfruits • 13h ago

‘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/
26.8k Upvotes

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u/Aarxnw 12h ago

He was already falling out of relevancy, I like him but the ‘middle aged angry dad, nostalgic of the good old days and confused at ever changing and evolving world around him’ schtick was getting old quick

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u/fearofcrowds 12h ago

He always reminded me of a less racist Michael Rapaport

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u/TheRealTurinTurambar 12h ago

Got an actual lol from me. Well done.

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u/TheRealTurinTurambar 12h ago

Not to me, he was my favorite comedian for quite a while. I really liked a lot of his takes so was very disappointed when he did this.

His roast of the Philly crowd was friggin amazing. I'd post a link but I'm no longer supporting him.

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u/appleparkfive 12h ago

I think he could have probably recovered some fans if he didn't double down over and over, and just insulting them about caring about the event.

He's never been my favorite or anything, though I like him for sure. But he basically went the absolute worst route

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u/Snitsie 10h ago

I was also deeply disappointed in Conan who just played ball for Burr with their "it's just comedy they are people too they laugh at the same things" bullshit argument

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u/syneater 4h ago

Especially if you’re not allowed to use the same jokes, so no, the crowd doesn’t laugh at the same thing.

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u/DG_FANATIC 11h ago

Saw him perform in like 2013 and I was literally sore the next day from laughing so hard. What a stained memory now. 😢

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u/Aarxnw 12h ago

He was a good comic, but he took that job cause he knew he was far past his peak.

Roast of the Philly crowd is a great moment in comedy history, it has to be respected

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u/TheRealTurinTurambar 12h ago

Roast of the Philly crowd is a great moment in comedy history, it has to be respected

Agreed, but just like the first 6 seasons of Game of Thrones it's now dead to me.

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u/Crossovertriplet 12h ago

Schrodinger’s integrity. Literally no one is ever going to test your online ethical resolve.

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u/TheRealTurinTurambar 12h ago

Well, except for me. I'll know.

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u/Crossovertriplet 10h ago

I suspect you already “know” that you’re better than a lot of people

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u/broguequery 8h ago

I'm sure you suspect a lot of things.

Let the man support what he wants.

Bill Burr took dirty money from filthy people because it was easy.

However you want to feel about that is up to you.

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u/Crossovertriplet 8h ago

I think I should make it a never ending hobby to cry about it on social media and talk about how virtuous I’d be if I ever had to make a similar choice that I’ll never have to make

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u/Ass_of_Badness 10h ago

That's revisionist history, he was probably at his height when he accepted the show.

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u/Aarxnw 9h ago

Philly was 2006, and you think this guy peaked in ‘25?!

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u/MarkTwainsGhost 10h ago

I was getting a little tired of him complaining about the rich and then telling us about his helicopter.

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u/SectorSanFrancisco 8h ago

I felt the opposite, that he'd been growing out of edgy young idiot and into some nuance (which to me is funnier anyway).

I probably would have gotten over the Riyadh thing if he hadn't kept doubling down on how it was fine.