Saudis Greet Austerity With Satire Invoking Mr. Bean, Simpsons - Bloomberg

Saudis Greet Austerity With Satire Invoking Mr. Bean, Simpsons - Bloomberg:

"If one man became the unwitting face of Saudi Arabian austerity last week, it was retired state television presenter Sulaiman Al-Eidi.
With hands clasped and a gentle smile, the avuncular Al-Eidi used to relay the royal orders through which most major policy changes become public. So when Saudi satirists were looking for a way to respond to the most recent cost cutting measure—a Sept. 26 decision to cancel bonuses paid to state employees for a year—he was an obvious target.
“In the name of God, the most gracious, most merciful: A royal order,” Al-Eidi says at the start of a 10-second video that became popular on Twitter after the government’s announcement that also reduced ministers’ salaries by 20 percent. The clip then cuts from the studio to a screaming Mr. Bean as the bumbling British sitcom creation is scared out of his wits by a horror film. “The state of the citizen when he hears a royal order from now on,” explains the caption."



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