WARNING: GRAPHIC CONTENT 

Since 2003, Comedy Central has been producing its own version of the venerable New York Friars’ Club roasts, where members of the select fraternal organization skewer an honoree with insults and a heavy dose of vulgar humor.  Apparently, the Friars’ Club roasts weren’t vulgar enough for Comedy Central.  It broke ties with the Friars’ Club, whose roasts Comedy Central had been airing since 1998, in order to roast non-members and capitalize on the format.  On March 15^th at 10:00 p.m. ET, Larry the Cable Guy became the latest honoree, but it was the show’s host, Lisa Lampanelli, that was the butt of the raunchiest jokes.  For airing an unending stream of expletives and jokes so tasteless they’d make Alan King roll in his grave, the March 15^th Comedy Central Roast of Larry the Cable Guy has been named Worst Cable TV Show of the Week.

The “honored” roasters of the evening looked like a who’s-who of has-beens and never-weres: Gary Busey (in-between stints at Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew); Warren Sapp (not satisfied with failing at dance, he takes a stab at stand-up comedy); Maureen McCormick (of Brady Bunch fame and virtually nothing else); and Greg Giraldo (whoever he is) among others.  The host of the evening was Lisa Lampanelli, the self-proclaimed Queen of Mean.  She introduced Larry by saying, “You're so fat and hairy you could be a stunt double for Rosie O'Donnell's c***.”  She wenton to spew, “Larry was raised on a pig farm and at age thirteen he was put in charge of inseminating the pigs. At age fifteen he learned there was a machine that could do it for him... you've beaten that concept so hard it's now dating Chris Brown... Foxworthy, get your ass over here so I can suck your d*** too.” 

Lampanelli’s promiscuity received as much attention as Larry’s in-bred, redneck shtick.  Greg Giraldo offered up this comparison: “Lisa actually has a lot in common with that Octo-Mom (that woman that gave birth to all those babies).  She’s never given birth, but she has had 80 fingers inside her at the same time.” 

When the roasters finished hurling insults at Lisa and each other, they always ended with an assessment of Larry.  Ultimately, the roasters either praised or envied his success.  Greg summed up his jealousy: “Larry's whole act is a sham... like the Bible or the Holocaust....you've been inside more farm animals than Purina…You say you've never done drugs, but watching your success has put me in rehab twice. Thanks for ripping my soul out, you hillbilly f***.”

And these are some of the mildest examples of “humor” from the show.

These Comedy Central Roasts draw in millions of viewers and often rank as the most watched programs of the year on Comedy Central.  But as A-list celebrities continue to abandon the program (by comparison, the 2008 Friars’ Club roast of Matt Lauer included appearances by Tom Cruise and NBC anchor, Brian Williams), the humor will undoubtedly sink even lower.  Part of the fun of the Friars’ Club Roasts was letting normally clean comics loosen up and perform blue comedy.  It was something special and out-of-the-ordinary for most comics.  Nowadays, blue is the norm.  Increasingly, these Comedy Central Roasts grow raunchier and raunchier.  And with repeats of the show airing frequently over the following weeks, viewers have plenty of opportunities to scrape the bottom of the barrel.   

For co-opting an old tradition, stripping away the wit and charm, and leaving nothing but the vulgarity the Comedy Central Roast of Larry the Cable Guy has been named Worst Cable TV Show of the Week.