The Bonfire w/ Big Jay Oakerson & Robert Kelly

Episode: "Sharia Law"
Date: November 25, 2025
Featuring: Big Jay Oakerson, Robert Kelly, Donnell Rawlings, Christine, Bobby Lee (brief segment)
Theme:
A riotous debate on the mega-money Saudi Arabia comedy gigs, luxury travel perks, and the cultural clash of Western comedians performing in countries with strict Sharia laws. Jay, Bobby, Donnell, and crew unpack the lure of Saudi cash, the oddities of luxury hotels in authoritarian states, and riff extensively on how Sharia law might work in their own homes—all with their trademark irreverent, no-filter humor.

Main Episode Theme

The show centers on a comedic (and deeply unfiltered) exploration of the recent trend of American comedians taking high-paying gigs in Saudi Arabia, the ethical and practical contradictions involved, and a broader digression into what strict Sharia law would look like if adopted in their own lives. This provides a platform for the cast to poke fun at luxury travel, religious strictures, gender roles, and the selling out of Western values for big paydays.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Saudi Arabia Comedy Gigs: The Money vs. Morality Debate

• The episode opens with Jay and Bobby mocking fellow comics (like Tim Dillon, Bill Burr, and Whitney Cummings) for taking six-figure paydays to perform in Saudi Arabia despite the country’s human rights record (01:03).
• Bobby relays a conversation with comedian Andrew Santino, who admits:

  “Yeah, I’m taking the money. It’s a lot of money.” (01:40, Bobby Lee)

• The group openly jokes about "what it would cost to turn their back on America," laughing about burning US flags for the right price (01:46).

Notable Quote:
“They all have to...burn a flag. You know that, right?” – Bobby Lee (01:44)

2. Travel Perks & Comedic Sell-Out Thresholds

• Donnell Rawlings and Aaron Berg discuss the minimum they would accept for a Saudi gig:
  • Donnell: “Ten grand, I would have to do it.” (02:47)
  • Jay chimes, “Aaron Berg said we go for five grand and nice accommodations.” (02:49)
• The conversation devolves into riffing about first-class luxury, with Emirates first-class “studio suites” (the mini-apartments on long-haul flights) and whether the elite comics get them (03:18-04:29).
• Bobby asks if Jay would take an in-flight shower at 37,000 feet; Jay, Christine, and the gang debate the merits and weirdness of using airplane amenities (04:43-05:55).

Notable Exchange:
“Would you shower in the air?” – Bobby Lee (04:54)
“No.” – Jay Oakerson (04:58)

3. Hotels & Cultural Weirdness in Saudi Arabia

• The cast jokes about gold toilets, ridiculous swords on the wall, “Saddam Hussein” luxury, and high ceilings—luxury that feels out-of-touch to them (08:17–09:53).
• Jokes on not being able to find your room due to “Sally numbers” (ways of writing numbers in Arabic), and whether women in Saudi Arabia are “smoking hot” beneath the hijab (09:44–10:14).

4. Comedy Festivals, JFL Connections, and Brainwashing Jokes

• Jay speculates that Bruce (of Just for Laughs fame) might be the one organizing these Saudi gigs, possibly to “brainwash” comedians (11:04–11:34).
• The crew brainstorms a Hollywood-thriller version of all these comedians returning to the US as “Manchurian Candidates” sent to assassinate Trump (11:39–12:14).

Notable Joke:
“Manchurian comedians—all try to kill Trump at different times.” – Jay Oakerson (11:51)

5. Middle Eastern Megaprojects: The Dubai & ‘The Line’ City Tangent

• The group pivots to marveling at big projects in the Gulf: underwater diving buildings in Dubai, and Saudi’s futuristic “The Line” city (13:01–15:45).
• The hosts compare the mirrored city to “the Fifth Element” sci-fi film and joke about what life would be like inside (15:35–16:53).

6. Cultural Restrictions & Gender Roles

• Christine fact-checks the impossibility of being openly gay (“punishable by death”), and they riff on the restrictions placed on women and LGBTQ+ individuals (17:22–17:29).
• Jay and Bobby escalate into a savage, satirical “debate” on whether Muslim women are oppressed or simply protected, mocking the logic behind full-body swimwear (burkinis), and riffing about Orthodox Jewish modesty requirements (24:24–27:08).

Notable Satire:
“What is she supposed to do, show her shoulder and then I have to rape her?” – Jay Oakerson (25:17)

7. Sharia Law at Home: The Bonfire Edition

• Jay floats the concept of “instituting Sharia law within the four walls of my home,” with the gang pondering which rules they’d adopt (30:27–32:27).
• They list the basics—prayer, fasting, legal prohibitions—and how some rules don’t sound so bad if only for the “control over women” aspect (satirical)—arguing about lashing sticks, modesty, and religious penalties for adultery (32:58–39:12).

Memorable Quotes:
“Christine, could you order your own lashing stick, please?” – Jay Oakerson (38:55)
“This place rules.” – Jay Oakerson (39:12)

8. Final Bits—Addiction, Gender Identity, and End-of-Show Riffing

• The gang briefly jokes about celebrity/athlete Brittany Griner’s imprisonment in Russia, speculating absurdly about prison assignments by gender (35:41–36:37).
• More riffs about wife-lashing sticks, Jay and Bobby speculating whether their significant others would adapt to "at-home Sharia weekends" (39:14–40:54).
• The show closes with a sentimental bit about the emotional vulnerability of live music (Nine Inch Nails’ “Hurt”) and how comics sometimes “fall to pieces” on psychedelics at concerts (39:29–40:54).
• Christine, Jay, and Bobby exchange heartfelt thanks and bid listeners “crackle, crackle” (the Bonfire sign-off).

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On taking Saudi money:
  “They’re all just like, ‘suck my dick,’ they found how much it costs to get me to turn my back on the United States of America.” – Bobby Lee (01:46)

• On luxury travel requirements:
  “You could never sell me on an amazing flight for twelve hours. There’s no such thing.” – Jay Oakerson (03:11)

• On Saudi hospitality:
  “You don’t want a saber in the room at all.” – Jay Oakerson (08:29)
  “They’re the richest people in the world, dude. They have the best of everything. These people are going to be ... not women.” – Bobby Lee (09:54)

• On Manchurian Candidate plot:
  “They inject them with some horseshit … and they all try to kill Trump.” – Bobby Lee (11:39)

• On substitute Sharia law at home:
  “I’ve been really ... thinking about instituting Sharia law within the four walls of my home.” – Jay Oakerson (30:27)

• On the restrictions of modest swimwear:
  “In no religion, anywhere, does it make sense to swim in a fucking dress.” – Jay Oakerson (27:31)

• Satirical take on women’s oppression:
  “She’s a raging slut pig—if we don’t keep her covered up, then I have to rape her.” – Jay Oakerson (25:45)
  (Note: This is intentional over-the-top satire targeting the logic of oppressive systems, not a literal belief.)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• [01:03] – Opening: US Comedians Taking Saudi Money
• [02:39] – Donnell on his "price" to perform in Saudi Arabia
• [03:17–04:44] – Luxury flight and travel demands
• [08:15–09:53] – Weird luxury hotels and Saudi opulence
• [11:04–11:34] – Just For Laughs connections & brainwashing riff
• [13:01–15:45] – Dubai’s dive building & ‘The Line’ city
• [17:22–17:29] – Christine on LGBTQ+ laws in Saudi Arabia
• [24:24–27:08] – On modesty rules, Jewish & Muslim dress codes
• [30:27–32:27] – Brainstorming “Sharia Law at Home” weekend
• [39:29–40:54] – Closing with feelings, Nine Inch Nails concert emotions

Tone & Style

The episode is irreverent, brutally honest, and loaded with satire—a classic “Bonfire” blend of comics teetering between biting social commentary and outrageous, sometimes intentionally provocative, humor. The style is fast, conversational, and spontaneous, with hosts bouncing ideas and bits off each other rapid-fire to maximize the laughs while lampooning both Western and Middle Eastern cultural absurdities.