Song of the Day 10/1: The Guess Who, “Laughing”

Thanks to the Saudis, comedy is no longer a laughing matter. The country’s latest attempt to appear less odious is the currently running Riyadh Comedy festival, featuring a bunch of A-list American comedians, including Bill Burr, Dave Chappelle, Kevin Hart and Louis CK, who were paid as much as $1 million for their performances.

If the Saudis’ goal was to drive a wedge into the comedy community, they’ve succeeded. On his website, David Cross of “Arrested Development” blistered comics who were taking part. “I am disgusted, and deeply disappointed in this whole gross thing. That people I admire, with unarguable talent, would condone this totalitarian fiefdom for … what, a fourth house? A boat? More sneakers?”

Human Rights Watch researcher Joey Shea pointed out, “This whitewashing comes amid significant increase in repression, including a crackdown on free speech, which many of these comedians defend but people in Saudi Arabia are completely denied.” As if to prove his point, comedians who initially agreed to appear but then talked about the country’s human rights record have been dropped from the bill.

I suppose it’s not surprising, given how today’s comedians spend much of their time punching down rather than up, but it shows that laughter isn’t always innocent. The Guess Who wrote a hit song about it. Their 1969 single, the follow-up to “These Eyes,” topped the charts in Canada and reached No. 10 in the U.S. This performance on a CBC special is live, not lip-synched. You can tell that Jim Kale is actually playing his bass, and Burton Cummings’ outro differs from the recorded version.