When Comedy Central took over roasting duties from the Friars Club and started doing them as televised specials, they at least kept the events in the original spirit of lampooning a legend toward the end of their career — with folks like David Hasselhoff and Charlie Sheen getting the insult salute treatment. Well, they’re putting that tradition behind them with the announced roast of … Justin Bieber. Hoo boy. “Justin has been asking us for a few years to roast him, and we just kept telling him to go create more source material first. We’re thrilled he listened,” Comedy Central exec Kent Alterman says. As for Bieber, he ripped off Alterman’s joke for his Twitter announcement of the event, set for March. Real original, buddy.
For years I have wanted Comedy Central to roast me. They said only if I provided them w/ more material so for a year now I have worked hard
— Justin Bieber (@justinbieber) January 20, 2015
Of course, maybe they were just waiting until he could (legally) get liquored up for the televised take-down, as the roast will take place shortly after his 21st birthday. But this all begs the question: Isn’t roasting Bieber redundant, considering any and all coverage of him over the last few years is already lampooning enough? Oh, and as a bonus, go look up the terrible, terrible roast of Chevy Chase. It’s one of the most awkward comedy events in history. Follow Ned Ehrbar on Twitter: @nedrick
