Polite Conversations

PREMIUM BONUS: Riyadh Comedy Festival (Pt 1)

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 Rogan Links: 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-executed [https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/jun/18/saudi-arabia-turki-al-jasser-executed] Producer/Animator receives prison sentence for Netflix Comedy series https://www.nytimes.com/2024/07/04/world/middleeast/netflix-masameer-saudi-arabia-prison.html [https://www.nytimes.com/2024/07/04/world/middleeast/netflix-masameer-saudi-arabia-prison.html] Archived version of NYT article: https://archive.ph/QqSR8 [https://archive.ph/QqSR8] Saudi cartoonist sentenced to 23 years https://apnews.com/article/saudi-arabia-cartoonist-sentenced-crackdown-0fbb4a3d9532a363ea6f014bdab53876 [https://apnews.com/article/saudi-arabia-cartoonist-sentenced-crackdown-0fbb4a3d9532a363ea6f014bdab53876] Human Rights Watch: Riyadh Comedy Festival Whitewashes Abuses https://www.hrw.org/news/2025/09/23/saudi-arabia-riyadh-comedy-festival-whitewashes-abuses [https://www.hrw.org/news/2025/09/23/saudi-arabia-riyadh-comedy-festival-whitewashes-abuses] Human 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/ [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/ [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/ [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 [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] ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.

UNLOCKED: Global Far Right 6 - Finland (FULL)

[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 [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 minister https://www.lemonde.fr/en/international/article/2023/08/20/the-finnish-government-attempts-to-overcome-the-overt-racism-of-its-ministers_6099989_4.html [https://www.lemonde.fr/en/international/article/2023/08/20/the-finnish-government-attempts-to-overcome-the-overt-racism-of-its-ministers_6099989_4.html] Far-right Finnish leader Riikka Purra sorry in racist posts uproar https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-66166795 [https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-66166795] Finland economy minister resigns over Nazi comments https://www.dw.com/en/finland-economy-minister-resigns-over-nazi-comments/a-66084409 [https://www.dw.com/en/finland-economy-minister-resigns-over-nazi-comments/a-66084409] Many Finns Party ministers have pointed to replacement theory https://www.helsinkitimes.fi/finland/finland-news/politics/23836-many-finns-party-ministers-have-pointed-to-replacement-theory.html [https://www.helsinkitimes.fi/finland/finland-news/politics/23836-many-finns-party-ministers-have-pointed-to-replacement-theory.html] Chet Hanks says Social Justice Warriors can kick rocks https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MgN1Lc5USOI [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MgN1Lc5USOI] Tom Hanks’ son shares anti-vaccine videos, claims there’s more evidence for UFOs than for COVID shot safety https://www.news10.com/news/tom-hanks-son-shares-anti-vaccine-videos-claims-theres-more-evidence-for-ufos-than-for-covid-shot-safety/ [https://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-EEM [https://youtu.be/3CXRZKihkUw?si=3ehv9c99jiEr-EEM] The Palestine Laboratory pt 1 https://youtu.be/1GvkFwpzDhI?si=ljpWs3vOjiUJQcYy [https://youtu.be/1GvkFwpzDhI?si=ljpWs3vOjiUJQcYy] Pt 2 https://youtu.be/5pPQydBGwQY?si=Mc-9moAZWMOylkU2 [https://youtu.be/5pPQydBGwQY?si=Mc-9moAZWMOylkU2] ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.

Ep 102 (Pt 2) - ‘Unfriending Sam Harris ft. Jay Shapiro

[This is Part 2 of a 2 Part episode] Find Pt 1 here:  Public release: https://open.spotify.com/episode/1ZBEPd76w5QBkc0ZiBaypd?si=LoZ5DP9FQI6Y-nkvj7W8sw [https://open.spotify.com/episode/1ZBEPd76w5QBkc0ZiBaypd?si=LoZ5DP9FQI6Y-nkvj7W8sw] Extended 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_link [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_link] Fin the extended version of pt 2 here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/144454350 [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.com [https://whatjaythinks.com/] My 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_link [https://www.patreon.com/posts/sam-harris-nuke-136580589?utm_medium=clipboard_copy&utm_source=copyLink&utm_campaign=postshare_creator&utm_content=join_link] Yasmine justifying h8 crimes https://x.com/nicemangos/status/980853645519605761?s=61&t=w7q_ejvwZ_gCFj9WV50Lqw [https://x.com/nicemangos/status/980853645519605761?s=61&t=w7q_ejvwZ_gCFj9WV50Lqw] In the extended version we also discuss: Betar’s horrid tweet https://bsky.app/profile/nicemangos.bsky.social/post/3m6fwfptcxc2o [https://bsky.app/profile/nicemangos.bsky.social/post/3m6fwfptcxc2o] Sarah Hurwitz takes: https://bsky.app/profile/dropsitenews.com/post/3m67zwqvttc23 [https://bsky.app/profile/dropsitenews.com/post/3m67zwqvttc23] https://www.reddit.com/r/JewsOfConscience/s/uBUyT68DfG [https://www.reddit.com/r/JewsOfConscience/s/uBUyT68DfG] If you enjoy the show pls consider supporting it via patreon.com/nicemangos and/or by leaving a podcast review.  ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.

Ep 102 (pt 1) - ’Unfriending Sam Harris’ ft. Jay Shapiro

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/ [https://www.imdb.com/title/tt8257128/] Find more of Jay’s work here: https://whatjaythinks.com [https://whatjaythinks.com/] Here’s the conversation with Coleman Hughes that came up on my feed: https://youtu.be/SIouIY1TGr4?si=cwYpNdt3wWCt7uwf [https://youtu.be/SIouIY1TGr4?si=cwYpNdt3wWCt7uwf] Sarah Haider promoting eugenics conference: https://bsky.app/profile/nicemangos.bsky.social/post/3ljzlffucx227 [https://bsky.app/profile/nicemangos.bsky.social/post/3ljvcnahl2c2a] Read 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_share [https://www.patreon.com/posts/106445369?utm_campaign=postshare_creator&utm_content=android_share] Pt 2: https://www.patreon.com/posts/106501752?utm_campaign=postshare_creator&utm_content=android_share [https://www.patreon.com/posts/106501752?utm_campaign=postshare_creator&utm_content=android_share] Pt 3: https://www.patreon.com/posts/106529773?utm_campaign=postshare_creator&utm_content=android_share [https://www.patreon.com/posts/106529773?utm_campaign=postshare_creator&utm_content=android_share] If you enjoy the show and would like to support it pls consider subscribing via patreon.com/nicemangos (& unlock extended episodes!) ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.

Ep 100 - Ask Me Anything (Patreon AMA)

Find the extended version of the episode here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/143081308?pr=true&forSale=true [https://www.patreon.com/posts/143081308?pr=true&forSale=true] If you enjoy the show please consider subscribing via patreon.com/nicemangos ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.