Watching some old roasts where Don Rickles lays into Dean Martin and another where Jerry Lewis is the subject.

Funny as all get out (wife complaining my laughing keeps waking her) but in the one where Jerry is the subject, Don lays into someone not on stage (not Ronald Regan, Johnny Carson, Orson Wells, Jimmy Stewart, etc) and it got me thinking about the subject of this thread.

Personally, i honestly don't know if, at this stage in my life, i could listen without getting a little butt hurt. And the realization makes me a little sad because the his were not nasty or crude. They were down right funny and i feel as though our society today does not allow one to laugh at ourselves whether true (OMG!!!) or not.

How would you feel if you're at a roast, sitting in the front row, and Don Rickles suddenly turns the spotlight on you and your date?

Today, i elect to begin being a person akin to the gent Don spotlighted in the Jerry Lewis roast and laugh with the crowd (at the jokes directed my way) instead of who i was yesterday.

Rickles? I'd sit down and take it like a man, and pay a small amount for the privilege.

Depends on who is doing the roasting and the situation.

I generally have a good sense of humor... If i know the person, and respect them, then no big deal. I can usually give as good as i get.

If not, prolly not.

Watching Man of the Hour and Sammy Davis Jr is the subject.

Oh my, talk about some border line career enders!!

I checked Wikipedia to see if Don Rickles is still alive. He is - 90 years old.

You have to be a good sport about getting "roasted." If you aren't capable of self-deprecation you won't like it. It reminds me of an episode of Frasier where he commissioned a caricature of himself, then was insulted at the result. It's a caricature. If you're like this, don't go to an insult comic performance.

Like kevin. As long as its comedians i mostly like.

Nowadays they're just an excuse to be mean. I have zero interest. Think Ann Coulter/Rob Lowe.

I've never seen the humor in that type of comedy. Getting laughs by humiliating your guests seems like a pretty lame crutch.

I enjoyed the old Dean Martin roasts. I thought they were well done and in the spirit of comedy.

The new stuff, that's been around for a couple years, is just downright nasty.

Don Rickles? Yeah.
Lisa Lampanelli, Melissa McCarthy, Sarah Silverman, Lewis Black or similar "comics", not a chance.

Don and those among his peers are and were true funnymen, the latter group, are and never will be "funny", only sad pathetic and angry people full of hate and throwing shit at people while laughing at them.

It's not the same thing.

There still are funny folks, but too many of the unfunny are permitted, and back in the day, they were scorned by both the professionals and the audience.

quote:

If you aren't capable of self-deprecation you won't like it.

I am capable of self deprecation, in fact that is my go-to personal style, but I see no reason to sit through a character assassination made by people I disdain anyway.

I wouldn't be at a roast; not a major comic, not a local PTA.

Long story short, yes I can be the subject and have done so twice.

My 20th anniversary lunch at work last year turned into a roast. All of the impromptu roasters were my buddies who also roasted me at my 10 year anniversary lunch. The good news was no new funny stories about me in the last 10 years. Some of the people who have met me in the last few years were a little taken back.

As long as it was directed at only me, I'm game. If you bring my daughter and or wife into it, no bueno.

Back then, the barbs were like finely sharpened knives and swords. You hardly felt the prick.

Nowadays, the first and only choice is to do the nuclear option and refer to the person's vagina, dick, or other shock statements.

quote:

Originally posted by sigmonkey:
Don Rickles? Yeah.
Lisa Lampanelli, Melissa McCarthy, Sarah Silverman, Lewis Black or similar "comics", not a chance.

Don and those among his peers are and were true funnymen, the latter group, are and never will be "funny", only sad pathetic and angry people full of hate and throwing shit at people while laughing at them.

It's not the same thing.

There still are funny folks, but too many of the unfunny are permitted, and back in the day, they were scorned by both the professionals and the audience.

+1

Back then, the Dean Martin Roasts were one of my never miss, play it again shows. So much talent and clever people who appreciated each other participated. I'm still not sure if they only had to kiss Sinatra's ring. Thanks Rickles

If you've been in the military, you've been roasted before. I can take the roasting but I can also dish it out.

If its my buddies/men I respect, not an issue. (AKA, I grew up in the South.)

Some dancing monkey/a jackass, I have no tolerance for that.

I saw the one about Jerry Lewis too. I never got Rickles when I was younger, seeing him on TV during the 70's. I love him now. Mr. Warmth. There were times during the Jerry Lewis roast where he did look a little butt hurt. But he was very gracious at the end, giving thanks to his fellow comedians.
And I would be OK with it as long as I got to roast them too.
The roasts are on GETV, MeTV, or one of those similar channels late at night on weekends.

Modern day liberals are not the democrats of the 50's and 60's. They can not seperate humor and harm in spoken word. What passed for humor in the old roasts was just that. Good clean humor. It was a bit self depricating to sit as the honored guest. Now they are crude, rude and vengeful. They have almost 0 humor that is not meant to be harmful. I pass on the new ones, the old ones are a riot to watch.

As long as it makes me laugh, have at it.