Apparently, Comedy Central’s Roasts aren’t all fun and games, as they appear to be. On stage, the roasters laugh at the crude jokes that come their way, but for some, like Sarah Silverman, they hurt. On W. Kamau Bell’s show Totally Biased, Silverman explained that at the Roast of James Franco, the jokes targeted at her age, 42, left her “in bed for two days,” which may or may not have been hyperbolic—it’s hard to know with comics.
Me being old, first of all, at the roast? — completely took me by surprise … Because it’s personal, that is just so woman-based. I wasn’t even the oldest one on that dais. I’m the same age as fresh-faced new star W. Kamau Bell! I feel like it’s a part of, as soon as a woman gets to an age where she has opinions and she’s vital and she’s strong, she’s systematically shamed into hiding under a rock. And this is by progressive pop-culture people! You know what I mean? It’s really odd! I feel bad that it cut me. Because I should be like this about it (brushing her hand off her shoulder). I feel like your joke is that I’m still alive. My crime is not dying.
In the shadow of all the evening’s gay jokes, the jokes directed at Silverman’s age could’ve gone unnoticed. Thanks for speaking out, Silverman.
You can watch the whole thing here:
(Photo by Joan Garvin/Wikimedia)