You know you're a redneck when you rearrange your spring break schedule to watch Comedy Central's "Roast of Jeff Foxworthy" on Sunday night.
While much of the Tufts student body will spend this weekend soaking up sunshine on faraway beaches, the select few who are sitting at home with a shotgun in one hand and a beer can in the other will be treated to the affirmation that, yes, public humiliation is still the surest way to get a laugh from even the toughest crowds. One by one, stand-up circuit veterans will get the chance to spill their guts on best-selling comedian Jeff Foxworthy, encompassing everything from the good to the bad to - in Larry the Cable Guy's case - the very, very ugly.
The classy, Dean Martin-hosted comedy affair that once boasted such "victims" as Frank Sinatra, Joan Crawford, and Bob Hope, will travel south of the Mason-Dixon Line for a backwoods bash that will elevate the term "white trash" to a rank of honor.
Forget Sinatra, this year's celebrity (a title applied quite liberally in this situation) panel includes such distinguished guests as "Best Week Ever's" Christian Finnegan, Anna Nicole Smith and Gilbert Gottfried. It features jokes that are sure to offend viewers of nearly every major ethnic group, sexual orientation, gender, and/or religion, but its raw cleverness is sure to excuse any offense.
In fact, this emphasis on the ability to laugh at oneself has always played a major role in Foxworthy's and his blue collar crew's humor. Devotees of the Foxworthy-produced WB show, "Blue Collar TV," who are used to seeing his Alabama country-boy persona under attack will appreciate the irony of his colleagues' jabs at the fame and fortune Foxworthy has earned as a result of his usual self-deprecation.
From his multi-platinum records to his multimillion-dollar mansion, Foxworthy is skewered good-naturedly for the inconsistencies between the stand-up persona he projects and the real-life character he plays. Such inconsistencies are surely noted by even the most die-hard, biased "Blue Collar" fans, and the fact that they are exposed by the comedians themselves makes for surprising and refreshing entertainment.
Foxworthy, though, will not be the only subject of ridicule on Sunday night, as each panelist includes in his/her speech an additional tongue-lashing for every one of the other guest stars. This will provide far more material for each comedian and create a more evenly balanced, regularly paced stream of comedy.
What is more, despite a relatively unknown cast, "Roast's" humor will be able to maintain its previous caliber of funniness, even if these new characters are a little rougher around the edges. NYC nightclub graduate Nick DiPaolo deserves the credit for using the most old-school, no-holds-barred tactics in his lambasting, while Lisa Lampanelli merits an honorable mention for being able to skillfully hold her own against her derogatory male counterparts. And - for once - the dreadfully cheesy satellite interviews with absentee guests that have become popular on awards shows in recent years, are actually clever interludes on this year's "Roast," instead of the annoying techie distractions they usually are.
In the spirit of the roast, however, a critique of the Comedy Central special cannot be all sunshine and daisies. This latest edition of "Roast," if compared to its 1970s predecessor, is disappointing in its lack of unscripted kibitzing between panelists during the presentation. Often, the most amusing moments come from the informal banter and heckling that takes place without the benefit of the guests' pre-formulated speeches, and this more organic strain of comedy will be sorely missed during the Foxworthy roast.
Now, it is a proven fact that off-color jokes are usually the funniest, and the blue collar crew has long championed this philosophy. However, when you're doing a special on cable television, you should probably be going for more of a Bill Cosby bit than a Richard Pryor raunch-fest.
If not for the sake of decency alone, cable acts should be toned down for one very important reason: all the censor bleeps are downright annoying! While it would be an exaggeration to imply that the edited words' absence will hinder the audience's ability to comprehend the humor, it's also safe to say that even the best comedy will lose something in the translation if it sounds like its being transmitted over a cell phone with bad reception.
Even so, "Roast's" humor promises to be so red-hot this Sunday that, when the smoke clears and the hot coals of the roast finally die down, it will be a wonder if Foxworthy is the only comedian left standing.
