I recently watched The Roast of James Franco and found the perverse humor to be funny. It consisted of celebrities hurling insulting jokes to each other all in the name of comedy. Wikipedia defines it better:
Roast (Comedy)
A roast is an event in which a person is subjected to a public presentation of comedic insults, praise, outlandish true and untrue stories, and heartwarming tributes as a mock counter to a toast. The implication is that the roastee is able to take the jokes in good humor and not as serious criticism or insult, and it is seen by some as a great honor to be roasted. 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."
Again, the concept itself runs against what I've been taught as good humor and most of the jokes were below the belt. But, admittedly, the show is exceedingly entertaining and the celebrity "roasters" are top-notch; the jokes come fast and are unusually creative, giving a glimpse to the amount of time spent preparing the delivery and doing research on trivia and facts.
I'm pretty sure such a comedy show has no place in our culture, especially since Filipinos have a remarkably low tolerance for social self-flagellation. That's one thing you have to hand over to Americans: most of them, even the big names, know how to laugh at themselves.
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