These roasts as played on NBC are a little before my time. When they were ending I was entering ninth grade and had little time for anything that wasn't HBO or late night public television (Monty Python, Benny Hill, The Young Ones) and didn't have the inclination to pay attention to guys my freakin DAD and MOM thought were funny!
Christmas of this year I received the complete set of Dean Martin Celebrity Roasts and it promptly went in my "whatever" pile. You know the one; the mug just like your mother in law's that you once made a comment about so she went back and stole-- er, bought-- you one, the Books A Million gift card (where the H E double hockey sticks is a Books A Million around APEX?!?), and cheap iPad sleeve that came from Five Below. But over the weekend I was stationary and had a cold so I figured I'd watch the DVD.
It was FANTASTIC. I don't think I've laughed so hard in my entire life.... Not only from the corny jokes; but because there is some pretty edgy stuff for primetime television in there. I also have to admit to developing a deep appreciation for Don Rickles which I never had before. The man is a master at timing and delivery and when you watch a lot of the Roasters stand up and read cue cards like they are in Primary School and fumble through some of the obligatory lines and then see Dean Martin, Foster Brooks and Mr. Rickles perform so naturally and elegantly.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ASlCseBefZE&feature=related
