There are very few recurring television moments that instantly grab my undivided attention: seeing an undead Billy Mays still pitching Oxy-Clean, Twilight Zone episodes that pwn Nazis, late night Skinemax.
Now you can add Don Rickles to that list. He's become a staple of late night during the early Tonight Show because he's engaging, colorful and damn funny. Every time he stops in at Letterman's Late Show, I have to stop what I'm doing and watch and that includes running a pregnant friend to the hospital, although it does ruin some of the comedy for me. All that screaming.
He's also great at roasts, not because he's a great insult comic but because he can be just as down to Earth and genuine with the people he's skewering. His best roast is one that never made it to television: a roast of Get Smart's Don Adams at the Playboy Mansion.
roast-related stories
Don vs. Don: Rickles roasts Adams
Ratings for Joan Rivers roast take a hit
Despite heavy promotion, The Comedy Central Roast of Joan Rivers was down 32% in the ratings compared to its last roast of Larry the Cable Guy. Most of the blame for the poor ratings is being shifted to ESPN which had the Yankees-Red Sox game on at the same time.In general, it seems like the roasts are declining in the ratings. Joan got less than Larry who got less than Pamela Anderson who got less than Bill Engvall. Perhaps America is just getting sick of "C" level celebrity roasting (even though that level is probably all Comedy Central could afford).
For me, the roasts are kind of hit-and-miss. I liked the Shatner roast, and I caught some of the Joan Rivers roast and found it to be underwhelming. What do you think? Did you like the Joan Rivers roast? Do you think Comedy Central should lay off the whole roasting concept for a little while?
Kathy Griffin will be serving up Joan Rivers Flambé
Kathy Griffin is no stranger to the anti-celebrity acerbic wit, particularly on her Bravo show Kathy Griffin: My Life on the D-List. Now she will need to call upon that talent as she has been selected to host The Comedy Central Roast of Joan Rivers on August 9th.Truthfully, Joan Rivers' humor through the years has been pretty self-deprecating. Rivers will likely enjoy the attention. Given her own penchant for roasting celebrities (or kissing up to them, such as while working the red carpet), using Kathy Griffin as her roastmaster seems a pretty logical pairing. I wonder if, along with the Comedy Central regulars that are at every one of these, her daughter is going to be one of her roasters.
The Comedy Central roasts in general have been hit-and-miss for me, although they've been a ratings winner for the channel. I really enjoyed the William Shatner one (probably because the years of infighting between the Star Trek cast gave the insults a little more credence).
Bea Arthur also saved animals (as do her 'girls')
The late Bea Arthur was, among other things, a comedic genius, feminist icon, and beloved American actress of stage and screen. But widely overlooked in the recent coverage of her passing is the fact that she was a active advocate for animal rights. She campaigned against the force-feeding of ducks in the foie gras trade, even accompanying the president of PETA to London, where she demanded that Harrod's discontinue their peddling pâté.Continue reading Bea Arthur also saved animals (as do her 'girls')
Comedy Central goes all-out to roast Larry the Cable Guy - VIDEOS
It seems Jeffrey Ross already has the line of the night for Sunday's Roast of Larry the Cable Guy (Comedy Central, 10 PM), which isn't surprising, because he's a longtime Friars Club member. In the trailer, Ross slams, "This is ridiculous, he's not even a real person! Why don't we just roast Dora the Explorer or Popeye the Sailor Man?" Fictional character he may be, Mr. The Cable Guy has attracted Jeff Foxworthy, Warren Sapp, Toby Keith, Gary Busey, Maureen McCormick, fellow comic Reno Collier, and Roast regulars like Ross, Greg Giraldo, and Nick DiPaolo. "Queen of Mean" Lisa Lampanelli will serve as the first female Roastmaster for the Comedy Central series (the Friars, originators of the roast, have only had a couple of female Roastmasters -- Susie Essman did the Smothers Brothers and Joy Behar did Danny Aiello).
Continue reading Comedy Central goes all-out to roast Larry the Cable Guy - VIDEOS
The Office to roast the boss after the Super Bowl
Finally after seasons of torment, humiliation and just plain squirmishness, the members of The Office will have their revenge on the man they call their boss. Hot, stinky, nasty revenge. Who says it's best served cold? People who are too lazy to pre-heat, that's who. NBC confirmed that The Office's Michael Scott will get the roast he deserves in a special hour-long episode following the Super Bowl, according to TVWeek.
But will this be the opportunity that the members of the Scranton branch of Dunder Mifflin have been waiting for ever since they agreed to start working there, or will Michael's knee-jerk need to be anything but the butt of a joke ruin their chances?
Continue reading The Office to roast the boss after the Super Bowl
Friars Club roasts George Takei
Star Trek icon George Takei was recently roasted by the Friars Club. Author Peter David wrote about the experience on his blog as one of the roasters.I'm sorry this wasn't one of the Comedy Central roasts (such as the recent one of Bob Saget) as I probably would have enjoyed watching it "live". On the other hand, those tend to be hit and miss (the Shatner one was great. Saget was not so much). Also, the Comedy Central roasts tend to get in anybody with a Comedy Central contract to be the roasters (with only a few personally connected roasters lumped in). The Friars Club roasts (which to the best of my knowledge are not televised although there are some taped segments on the website) seem to use more people who have a personal connection with the person being roasted.
At first, I wasn't certain why George Takei would be the subject of a roast. I could only conclude that his recent association with the Howard Stern show might have given him the necessary contacts to join the Friars Club. I hope the segments of the roast are online soon. They're probably hilarious.
Bob Saget + sex jokes about the Olsens = awkward
Bob Saget's Comedy Central roast was filmed Sunday night, and the typically raunchy affair may have crossed the line a little bit. Despite being a famously foul-mouthed comedian himself, Saget is best known for playing warm and fuzzy Danny Tanner on Full House. It was because of this famous role that most of the jokes centered on two of his diminutive co-stars: Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen.Whether it was Gilbert Gottfried suggesting that Saget seduced the twins with chocolate milkshakes or Uncle Jesse himself, John Stamos, saying things like, "The whole time Bob and I were doing Full House, he was also hosting America's Funniest Home Videos. His entire job consisted of saying 'Take a look at this' which is what he used to say to Mary Kate in her dressing room," the subject of inappropriate relations with children was apparently a high source of comedy.
Continue reading Bob Saget + sex jokes about the Olsens = awkward
Carrot Top roasting Flavor Flav? I am so there!
We've been telling you that rapper/reality star Flavor Flav will be the next victim for the Comedy Central Roast. We've also been wondering why they chose him and not someone else, someone who, say, isn't Flavor Flav.
But that's who they've picked, and we're required by law to watch it, so to either pique your interest or add to your disgust, here's a few of the folks who will be joining the be-clocked* one on stage:
Continue reading Carrot Top roasting Flavor Flav? I am so there!
Why bother roasting someone like Flavor Flav?
One day when I was visiting the Museum of TV & Radio here in LA, I decided to go up to the library and watch a few shows. I saw that they had quite a few episodes of Dean Martin's Celebrity Roast available so I ordered up a couple. It was hilarious. Bob Newhart, Nipsey Russell, Phyllis Diller and Dean himself were as funny as ever and clearly having a great time.
When Comedy Central decided to bring back the celebrity roast I was elated. I couldn't wait to see today's best comics having a great time just like in the old days. For awhile it was great. Jeff Ross emerged as the new heir to the dais on great roasts of Drew Carey and Jerry Stiller, and the Hugh Hefner roast was a treat. Then something happened.
Continue reading Why bother roasting someone like Flavor Flav?
Flav to get Roasted on Comedy Central
I mentioned earlier this month that Comedy Central had another Roast planned for August. Well, now we know that the roastee is Flavor Flav.
Seriously, Flavor Flav?
Yep, Flavor Flav.
The special, which airs August 12 at 10:00 p.m., is also being hyped as Comedy Central's first carbon-neutral event. The press release explains: "Comedy Central will offset its carbon emissions with the help of partner, NativeEnergy, a national marketer of carbon offsets and renewable energy credits (RECs), offering individuals and organizations a means to compensate for their global warming pollution." What not many people know is that until recently, all the humor on Comedy Central ran on diesel and coal. Or something.
Continue reading Flav to get Roasted on Comedy Central
Catch previews of Shatner Roast
Comedy Central has a few clips of the upcoming Roast of William Shatner featuring Patton Oswalt, Betty White, Carrie Fisher, George Takei, and what appears to be a running gag involving Andy Dick licking people. If anything, these clips help to remind me why I always Tivo these Roasts. It's not because they're that funny, it's because there are so many dead moments and jokes that fall flat it helps me to enjoy it more if I can skip over those parts. One can always expect Grade A material from Jeffrey Ross, but the rest of the night is always a crap shoot. I think they should hire Courtney Love to do what she did at Pamela Anderson's Roast and get drunk and belligerent on stage, diverting attention from all the bad jokes. Actually, she should just make herself available for any situation when you need a distraction. You could sneak into a movie while she does a handstand in a dress and no underwear. My god, that's the most brilliant idea I've had in the last ten seconds. She'll make millions of cents doing that.More on the Shatner Roast
Anna mentioned back in June that Comedy Central would be airing another Roast this month, in honor of actor William Shatner. The show is taping this Sunday and will air on Comedy Central on August 20 at 10 pm. Jason Alexander will be Roast Master, and viewers will be able to visit Comedy Central's Motherload broadband video site to see uncensored clips from the episode. You can also visit the site before that, August 11 to be exact, and watch uncensored clips from previous Roasts, including Pam Anderson's, which was somewhat raunchy even when it was censored, thanks to a drunken Courtney Love and a top worn by Anderson that might as well have been made of Saran Wrap. I'm not sure if Shatner will be wearing something similar, but he should.Comedy Central to roast Shatner
Comedians have got to be lining up to take part in this one. I mean, William Shatner has produced so much material that is worthy of mocking that it's almost dizzying to think of it all. Sure, there's Star Trek. But there's also his divorce that left him so broke he was living in a camper, the Tek science fiction novels, the musical career, and recently the sale of his own kidney stone. The best thing about it is Shatner is always a good sport (can anything be worse than Howard Stern?).The Comedy Central Roast of Shatner, which is no longer affiliated with the NY Friars Club, airs on August 20th. I sure hope Jeffrey Ross is there.
Jerry Lewis named abbot of the Friars Club
The position of "abbot" the leadership role of the (in)famous Friars Club has remained vacant for two years following the death of former abbot Alan King. That changed recently when Jerry Lewis was named the new abbot of the Friars Club at a recent "roast," the 80 year old comedian's third time in the hot seat after being roasted in 1971 and 1986. Comedian and Law and Order actor Richard Belzer served as roast master for the ceremony. I did a quick search but didn't see anything about this particular roast appearing on Comedy Central, though I think it would be fun to see. I always prefer the older, venerable comedians over the young ones.
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