A roast is an event in the United States in which an individual is subjected to a public presentation of comedic insults, praise, outlandish true and untrue stories, and heartwarming tributes, the implication being that the roastee is able to take the jokes in good humor and not as serious criticism or insult, and therefore, show their good nature. It is seen by some as a great honor to be roasted, as the individual is surrounded by friends, fans, and well-wishers, who can receive some of the same treatment as well during the course of the evening. The party and presentation itself are both referred to as a roast. The host of the event is called the roastmaster. Anyone who is honored in such a way is said to have been "roasted".

New York Friars' Club [link]

The term and practice may have its origins at New York Friars' Club. Maurice Chevalier was the subject of the first official roast in 1949, but celebrities had been subjected to mockery at rowdy private banquets since 1910.^[1] Only recently has the public been invited to see them via television.

Dean Martin's Celebrity Roasts [link]

Dean Martin hosted a series of roasts on television in 1974 as part of the final season of his self-titled variety show. After the show was cancelled, NBC decided to schedule a series of Dean Martin Celebrity Roast specials from the former MGM Grand Hotel and Casino (now Bally's Las Vegas) in the Ziegfeld Room through 1984. The humor at these broadcast tributes was far tamer than the sometimes extremely vulgar and explicit language of the private, non-televised ones.

Comedy Central [link]

Currently on television in the U.S., Comedy Central occasionally broadcasts roasts of comedians, both some of the Friars' Club and their own. To date, Comedy Central has aired roasts of Drew Carey, Jerry Stiller, Rob Reiner, Hugh Hefner, Emmitt Smith, Gene Simmons, Chevy Chase, Denis Leary, Jeff Foxworthy, Pamela Anderson, William Shatner, Flavor Flav, Bob Saget, Larry the Cable Guy, Joan Rivers, David Hasselhoff, Donald Trump, and Charlie Sheen.

CelebTango [link]

CelebTango offers personalized stand up comedy roasts over the internet. It is similar to a Comedy Central roast, but allows everyday people to be the guests of honor at their own parties. A Tango is an HD group video chat in which the stand up comedian roasts someone over video chat, friends/family/relatives can join in via webcam, and after the Tango a digital copy can be downloaded.

United Kingdom [link]

Many attempts have been made to adapt the format to a British audience. Channel 4 launched the latest British version on 7 April 2010 with A Comedy Roast, with initial victims being Bruce Forsyth, Sharon Osbourne and Chris Tarrant.^[2][3] However, the term and concept is not widely known or understood in the UK.

Politics [link]

The White House Correspondents' Association and Radio and Television Correspondents' Association have annual dinners that, in some years, feature a comedy roasting of the President. Don Imus at the RTCA in 1996 and Stephen Colbert at the 2006 White House Correspondents' Association Dinner have received particular attention for their biting remarks during their speeches.^[4][5][6]

References [link]