Roast (comedy)

Comedian Osman Rohail performing a roast at a comedy club in Dubai

Aroastis a form of comedy, originating inAmerican humor,in which a specific individual, a guest of honor, is subjected to jokes at their expense, intended to amuse the event's wider audience. Such events are intended to honor a specific individual in a unique way. In addition to jokes andinsult comedy,such events may also involve genuine praise andtributes.The assumption is that theroasteecan take the jokes in good humor and not as serious criticism or insult. The individual is surrounded by friends, fans, and well-wishers, who can receive some of the same treatment during the evening. The party and presentation itself are both referred to as aroast.The host of the event is called theroastmaster,since it rhymes with and plays ontoastmaster.Anyone mocked in such a way is said to have beenroasted.

There is a parallel tradition in some countries in which the host of formal events, such as award ceremonies and annual dinners, is expected to good-naturedly mock the event's attendees. In some cases, this has caused controversy when the host is seen as being too insulting.

There is also a concept of roasting on internetsocial media,where a person asks others to mock them, usually by putting up a photo of themselves.Though the mockery is solicited, this activity, too, has caused controversy, with some considering it a form ofcyberbullying.Even more controversial is the practice of simply insulting others for comedic effect, which some have referred to as "roasting", though comedians have stressed that a true roast requires the consent of the target.

History

Further information:New York Friars Club § List of roasts

In 1949, theNew York Friars Clubheld its first roast, with French singerMaurice Chevalieras the guest of honor.

This tradition has its roots in the raucous gatherings of the Friars Club of New York City in the early 20th century. These gatherings were private events where members could express themselves freely, often poking fun at each other in jest.

The format gained public popularity with the "Dean Martin Celebrity Roasts" in the 1970s, televised events that brought the concept into American living rooms. Here, celebrities were humorously insulted, praised, and tributed by colleagues and comedians, establishing the roast as a form of high-profile entertainment that celebrated the careers and personalities of public figures.

Roasts have since evolved, with Comedy Central further popularizing the format in the late 1990s and 2000s with its series of celebrity roasts. These events maintained the tradition's spirit, combining affectionate tribute with biting humor, and often featured a dais of comedians and celebrities who took turns roasting the honoree and each other.

Kraft Music Hall

The final few seasons of the television showKraft Music Hall,from 1968 to 1971, included broadcasts of the Friars Club Roast; the celebrities roasted includedJohnny Carson,Milton Berle,Jack Benny,Don Rickles,andJerry Lewis.

Dean Martin's Celebrity Roasts

Dean Martinhosted a series of roasts on television in 1974 as part of the final season ofhis self-titled variety show.After the show was cancelled, NBC decided to schedule a series ofThe Dean Martin Celebrity Roastspecials from the former MGM Grand Hotel and Casino (nowHorseshoe Las Vegas) in the Ziegfeld Room; these were recorded and aired approximately once every two months from late 1974 to early 1979, and another three were produced in 1984.

Comedy Central Roasts

Main article:Comedy Central Roast

From 1998 to 2002, the cable channelComedy Centralproduced and broadcast the annual roast of the New York Friars Club, featuring celebrities such asDrew Carey,Jerry Stiller,Rob Reiner,Hugh Hefner,andChevy Chase.

Based on the success of these roasts, Comedy Central began hosting their own roasts on a roughly annual basis, under the nameComedy Central Roast.The first roastee wasDenis Learyin 2003, followed byJeff Foxworthy,Pamela Anderson,William Shatner,Flavor Flav,Bob Saget,Larry the Cable Guy,Joan Rivers,David Hasselhoff,Donald Trump,Charlie Sheen,Roseanne Barr,James Franco,Justin Bieber,Rob Lowe,Bruce Willis,andAlec Baldwin.

ComedianJeff Rossnotably gained fame through his participation in the televised Comedy Central roasts, and is frequently referred to as the "Roastmaster General"(a position he in fact holds with the New York Friars Club).

In 2010, Comedy Central's international affiliates began to produce and air their own local roasts as well.Comedy Central New Zealandhas aired roasts ofMike KingandMurray Mexted,Comedy Central Africa has aired roasts ofSteve Hofmeyr,Kenny Kunene,Somizi Mhlongo,AKAandKhanyi Mbau,Comedy Central Latin Americahas aired a roast ofHéctor Suárez,Comedy Central Spainhas aired roasts ofSantiago Segura,El Gran Wyoming,andJosé Mota,andComedy Central Netherlandshas aired roasts ofGordon(which was the highest-watched broadcast in the history of the channel),Giel Beelen,Johnny de Mol,Ali BandHans Klok.

Other televised roasts in the United States

The fourth (and final) episode ofThe Richard Pryor Showin 1977 was a roast of hostRichard Pryor.

Playboyproduced one roast in 1986 ofTommy Chongthat aired on thePlayboy Channel.

Basketball playerShaquille O'Nealproduced two editions of hisShaq's All Star Comedy Roast:of himself in 2002, and ofEmmitt Smithin 2003.

The cable channelMTVproduced one roast in 2003, ofCarson Daly,which was billed as theMTV Bash.

The cable channelTBSproduced one roast in 2008, ofCheech & Chong,which was billed asCheech & Chong: Roasted.

The cable channelA&Eproduced one roast in 2008, ofGene Simmons.

The magazineGuitar Worldorganized three "Rock & Roll Roasts" from 2012 to 2014, of musiciansZakk Wylde,Dee Snider,andCorey Taylor.

A Friars Club roast ofTerry Bradshawwas aired onESPN2in 2015.

The cable channelFusionaired a roast ofSnoop Doggin 2016, billed as theSnoop Dogg Smokeout.

RuPaul's Drag Racehas aired five roast-themed episodes: AroastofRuPaulinseason 5in 2013 and inRuPaul's Secret Celebrity Drag Racein 2020, aroastofMichelle Visageinseason 9in 2017, a mock-funeral roast ofLady Bunnyinseason 4 of All-Starsin 2019 and aNice Girls Roastinseason 13.

The cable channelTNTaired a roast of the anchors of the TNT showInside the NBAin 2020.

In 2024,Netflixhosted the roast ofTom Brady.

Outside the United States

United Kingdom

Some attempts have been made to adapt the American roast format to a British audience.Channel 4launched the latest British version on April 7, 2010 withA Comedy Roast,with initial victims beingBruce Forsyth,Sharon Osbourne,andChris Tarrant.Davina McCallandBarbara Windsorwere other victims.

The television seriesRoast Battleran for four series from 2018 to 2020 on the British channelComedy Central.It was an adaptation of the US seriesJeff Ross Presents Roast Battle.

Canada

• Roast Battle Canada

Australia

• The Roast ofJohn Cleese2023 MelbourneSeven Network
• Roast Battle Australia
• Comedy Roast: Battle Royale!,Perth

India

TheIndiancomedy groupAll India Bakchodorganized the live showAIB Knockoutin January 2015 featuringArjun KapoorandRanveer SinghwithKaran Joharas the roastmaster. The programme caused a controversy for allegedly featuring distasteful, sexist, offending, and humiliating content. Videos of the event were removed fromYouTube.Comedy Nights BachaobyOptimystix Productionsis also based on this format; however, they avoid going too racy to keep the show family friendly.

China

Artists and producers working for Shanghai Xiao Guo Culture Co. Ltd., started importing foreign stand-up comedy formats since 2012.Roast!,a Chinese version ofComedy Central Roasts,has reached 2.33 billion hits onTencent'svideo streaming platform, according to Maoyan, a movie and TV site.Roast!differs in that, instead of a single annual special, it consists of annual seasons of 10 shows with a different celebrity victim – typicallysingers or actors– each week (season one contains 11 including a triple-length Chinese New Year special). Its offspring, web showRock & Roast,has also become a hit in China, with 70 million viewers in its 2019 season, a steady increase from 50 million in its prior season.

Fictional roasts

Roasts have sometimes been portrayed in fictional TV shows. In other cases, standalone roasts have been produced of historical characters, with both roastees and roasters played by actors.

The Dean Martin Celebrity Roastaired one fictional roast, ofGeorge Washington(played byJan Leighton), on March 15, 1974.

Part 2 of the 1979 TV specialLegends of the Superheroeswas a roast of variousDC Comicssuperhero characters, hosted byEd McMahon.

The 1997 episode "The Roast" of the seriesThe Larry Sanders Showrevolved around a roast of the title character (Garry Shandling). The main plot of the 2013 episode "Correspondents' Lunch" of theNBCsitcomParks and Recreationinvolves protagonistLeslie Knope(Amy Poehler) roasting the media of the fictional town of Pawnee in a local correspondents' lunch.In the 2009 episode "Stress Relief"ofThe Office,main characterMichael Scott(Steve Carell) organizes a roast of himself.

The 2019NetflixseriesHistorical Roasts,hosted byJeff Ross,featured roasts of historical figuresAbraham Lincoln(played byBob Saget),Freddie Mercury(James Adomian),Anne Frank(Rachel Feinstein),Martin Luther King Jr.(Jerry Minor),Cleopatra(Ayden Mayeri), andMuhammad Ali(Jaleel White).

In United States politics

During presidential election years in the U.S., it is customary for both major party candidates to attend theAlfred E. Smith Memorial Foundation Dinner,typically engaging in a roast of each other, and occasionally themselves.

TheWhite House Correspondents' AssociationandRadio and Television Correspondents' Associationhave annual dinners that, in some years, feature a comedy roasting of the U.S. President.Don Imusat the RTCA in 1996,Stephen Colbert in 2006andMichelle Wolf in 2018have received particular attention for their biting remarks during their speeches.

"I don’t know. You don’t know. But a handful of armchair psychoanalysts — reporters for major news organizations, no less — have decided that it all began at the 2011 White House Correspondents’ Association dinner, whereTrumpwas the butt of jokes byPresident ObamaandSaturday Night LivecomedianSeth Meyers."—Roxanne Roberts