“Why are we here, James? à I know why I’m here, because every time you do something without me it sucks!”
Seth Rogen was the host for Comedy Central’s special, The Roast of James Franco, which aired on Labor Day. The lineup of roasters was a different range of comedians who did not miss the opportunity to take jabs, not only at the actor, but at each other. Some guests included Sarah Silverman, Andy Samberg, Jonah Hill, Aziz Ansari, and Nick Kroll.
The hilarious stand ups had the audience roaring in laughter as each comedian took turns at the podium taking a shot at Franco. The lineup began with Nick Kroll, who although his speech was forgettable, had some funny moments. He went from Jewish jokes to ending it with saying “if anyone here bombs tonight, it’s just because they’re doing an impression of James Franco at the Oscars.”
His last joke was a great way to end his turn because it left the audience in a roar, making them forget about anything else he had said.
Other comedians who had a more memorable performance include Jonah Hill, who poked fun of his fellow roasters through pointing out their minute current acting roles, failed attempts at the big screen, box office flops, and pointing out how insignificant some of the comedians are, such as Kroll. As the main event of roasting Franco came, he did not miss the beat in pointing out James Franco’s failed attempt at hosting the Oscars, which was a topic many had something to contribute to.
One of the most memorable comedians to roast Franco was the ever so lovable, Aziz Ansari. He was able to take a shot at everyone who roasted him prior and keep the audience laughing throughout his turn. Sam Houston sophomore, Arnold Vargas, agreed “I liked Aziz Ansari more! His jokes and entire roast seemed to flow. It didn’t seem like he tried, he’s just naturally funny.”
Ansari was even able to captivate the attention of senior Abraham Aviles who, he himself was not a fan of the show.
“Aziz was one of the two people who made me laugh,” Aviles said. “The show itself was a chore to watch…”
As the night came to an end, James Franco was able to give his rebuttal on hearing all the hilarious but hurtful things his friends had to say about him. He kept his composure throughout the evening and was a good sport as he took every vicious attack with grace and charm.
“This is truly my punishment for the Oscars,” Franco opened up. He was able to poke fun at his roasters and had the audience laughing with his charisma. He ended the night by signing his name on the podium making the crowd go into a hoot.
