Norm MacDonald's Genius Roast Of Bob Saget (The Whole Thing)
There were three types of jokes made during last night's mostly disappointing Comedy Central Roast Of Bob Saget:
1. Mary Kate and Ashley Olsen sexual jokes.
2. Gay jokes.
3. Jokes about Cloris Leachman's vagina.
Yawn! Gay jokes, really, still? Just when I was about to turn off the TV, though, the incomparable Norm MacDonald took the stage and turned the roast on its head with his own form of subversive comedy. Word is, the Comedy Central suits almost didn't use his set, which makes sense because it was the only original part of the entire thing. What scoundrels! After the jump, Norm's roast in its entirety, in which he proves that old lady vagina jokes are for the birds.
Leave it to the chronically misunderstood MacDonald to have the network's Carlos Mencia fans scratching their heads. Next year, as a creative challenge, Comedy Central should write a list of banned subjects, like that fun game, Taboo, only for tired old roast cliches.
Posted by Lindsay at 12:00 PM in Stand Up Comedy
Tags: Bob Saget | Norm MacDonald | Roasts
We've secretly replaced Norm MacDonald with the ghost of Andy Kaufman. Let's see if anyone notices.
Score = 22
Norm MacDonald is Canadian. That was Canadian humor.
Score = -12
omg. i laughed. then cried. norm macdonald just made me like bob saget???
Score = 0
Ouch! Did he lose a bet and have to read a bunch of jokes written by Shecky Greene instead of doing his own or what?
Score = -39
or did he just tell jokes that you where to stupid to get yes your stupid
Score = -10
This went past comedy to performance art. Norm is my personal god.
Score = 22
wow what makes a has been comedian your god? I hope his shit material on the saget roast was not your reasoning for making him your god... pathetic in so many ways.
Score = -13
The funny thing is that you are too stupid to understand what Norm did.
Score = 0
Yeah- I was totally about to turn it off, but seeing Norm Macdonald's ridiculous vaudevillian roast was amazing.
Score = 13
Takes a lot of them there whaddaya call 'em? Balls. Takes a lot of balls to do a performance like that.
Score = 15
i love you norm macdonald and kinda miss your eponymous sitcom co-starring wacky aunt jackie.
Score = 1
Wow that was just terrible. Was he trying to suck up there? Those jokes were from like 1940. Im gonna go watch a Chapelle Show re-run to erase any unconventional comedic thoughts...
Score = -62
That's the whole point. He's not roasting Sagat, he's roasting roasts.
Score = 15
I love that he's gonna wash this off with Chappelle's Show.
I salute you, sir!
Score = 0
Anyone who didn't think this was the funniest part of the roast needs to suck on Heath Ledgers nut. (It's cool, he would have been ok with it) Besides I don't think there's a person here commenting who wouldn't love to watch Henry Fonda pick blueberries.
Score = 10
great! he seemed really emotional at the end.
Score = 5
His face looks like a couliflower. That was so funny. I did not know that Bob Saget had couliflower ear though? I thought that was just boxers that got that.
Score = -13
Norm rocked. I laughed so hard I had tears coming out of my eyes. He's an original. Just love him!
Score = 5
Norm Macdonald is also TV's greatest talk show guest.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pqeqsBQ0wq0
Score = 2
When he mentioned Christmas Seals, I spit out my nose.
Score = 2
you must spit out of your nose quite often. obviously it's for everything
Score = -6
I had a lot of mixed feelings about this. First I thought maybe Norm is facing some life threatening disease. Or something is seriously wrong with him. Then I thought, we’ll maybe he is just trying to mimic Bob’s Funniest home video humor. I don’t know. And then when Bob had that emotional moment at the end. Like he knew something was wrong with Norm. I hate conspiracy theories, but you put the pieces together?
Score = -24
I'm glad people besides me "got it". This is the segment that I laughed the hardest at. I'm glad that some of the comedians, and a few members of the audience seemed to realize what Norm was doing too.
Score = 14
this was neil hamburger-esque
definitely a good thing
Score = 2
OMG! I was crying at the end of Norms set. I'm glad most people "Got it". Looks like some didn't haha.
He is genius.
Score = 5
When I saw this the first time I remember going "...what the hell?" after the first joke, then thinking "He's gotta be up to something" at the second one, then finally catching on at the third joke. It was genius.
Score = 6
That just made me LOL. Hilarious.
Score = 3
I was practically in tears watching this last night
Score = 5
Pure genius! I don't need to do ab exercises for a while I was laughing so hard!
It was clear the comedians (or at least some of them) on stage got it, while Stamos just had a quizzical look on his face. He must not be too risible.
I almost died when he said to Gilbert, "Pay no heed."
Of course it's going to go over the heads of the Carlos Mencia fans.
Would love to see him as a sidekick on Conan when he takes over the Tonight Show.
Score = 5
You guys totally stole my idea.
I agree.
Score = -1
Macdonald's impression of Saget should go down in comedy history. He does a better Saget than Saget does. And the fact that so many people didn't get it is the ultimate burn! Now I'm just waiting for someone to do a YouTube bit alternating Macdonald with bits from AFHV...
Score = -13
He wasn't doing Saget, d-bag. He was doing schtick.
Score = 5
"Word is, the COMEDY CENTRAL suits almost didn't use his set," Oh, that's some sweet, sweet irony.
Score = 5
The truth? Norm didn't want to do the roast, and when he couldn't get out of it he decided to make a mockery of it. They cut about five minutes of this. It's funny but it ain't performance art.
Score = -10
sorry to burst the bubble
i knew what he was doing and did not laugh. once.
Score = -38
I think it’s like the emperors new clothes. “It’s funny and if you don’t get it then you’re just an idiot”. No, it wasn’t funny. Maybe an inside joke, maybe he didn’t want to do, maybe he lost a bet, maybe they were jokes from candy wrappers, maybe he was impersonating Bob Saget, but No, it wasn’t funny.
Score = -29
I think calling something The Emperor's new clothes is like The Emperor's New Clothes. Or at least it has Jumped The Shark.
Score = 0
Norm MacDonald is beyond your piddling stand up comedy. He has TRANSCENDED stand up comedy.
I also get the feeling that he doesn't like doing roasts and didn't want to say anything bad about anyone especially Bob Saget.
Score = -3
Loved it loved it loved it. Especially after seeing the other acts. This had me rolling! Also very interesting to see the half the audience with a confused stare and the other half just dying.
Norm's the man, end of story
Score = 2
Norm just didn't care. It was F'n Comedy Central like he said at one point. He threw together some 40 year old jokes, kicked backed, collected his check, and still made everyone laugh. Norm just didn't care folks.
Score = -6
Norm's set was absolutely the funniest thing on the roast! I have heard tons of people bash his set and did not get at all what he was doing. How funny was he using these old jokes and delivering them like he did! He had an idea, went with it and it worked! I loved it! People not getting it explains the 9000 American Pie Movies that call themselves comedy.
Score = 2
Why do I get the feeling that McDonald didn't particularly want to do the roast and instead of think up some jokes he just googled "roast jokes" and clicked on the third item. (Go ahead, you'll find the jokes he used). It requires virtually no effort, and they might get a few pity laughs, they are mildly funny in an ironic mocking way. Little did he know that a bunch of disingenuous wannabe comedy snobs would claim that they thought it was intelligent and hilarious. Sure you did...you really "get it."
Score = -18
But wasn't it kind of obvious that he was reading off a list of bad jokes (not written by himself)? What's not to get? You're being weird and silly. Calm down.
Score = 8
The same people who didn't like MacDonald's set are the types to buy 'Date Movie' and 'Meet the Spartans' on DVD, and howl at the mindless cut-'n'paste pop culture references. If you didn't "get it", then you don't know comedy, you don't know funny, and are too dopey for anything that's not safe, conventional and hack. Sometimes it's not subjective, so don't tell me that this is a matter of opinion. Just go stare at a wall and die... thanks for your attention.
Score = 0
you've managed to sound hyper-pretentious and curmudgeonly all at once. great job!
Score = 3
Kaproteus, Thank you so much for proving my point. Jay Newerk already compared this to "The Emporer's New Clothes" and the comparison is completely apt.
Perhaps you are right though, maybe it was funny and creative, just like Larry the Cable Guy. I've been saying for years that Larry is in fact a comedic genius, but not for the reasons that people think. His entire comedy routine and persona is in fact an act. It's a satirical portayal of rednecks and uneducated country folk, but few of his fans get it which makes it even funnier; they don't even know that he is mocking them.
What? Don't you get it? It's so obvious. Oh well, I guess you're just too "dopey" to understand sophisticated humor.
Score = 3
Wrong.....Larry the Cable Guy is surely an exagerated persona, but it is no way an ironic mockery of blue collar values.
Score = 0
really, i think it's just as funny if he did half-ass his way through it just to get a check. at the beginning, anytime someone would make a joke about him, camera would cut, and all you'd see was the newspaper he was reading. either he totally didn't want to be there, or he wanted us to think he totally didn't want to be there.
i'm happy with either.
Score = 2
I completely agree that Norm's set was hilarious, but what I don't understand why everyone seems to dissapointed by all the regurgitated cliche'd jokes. You do remember that it's a roast you are watching. The whole idea is to bust each other's balls in the most offensive ways possible, not to awe each other with your unconventional style of comedy. Anyone who didn't enjoy Norm obviously doesn't appreciate true comedy, but anyone who didn't enjoy hearing about Cloris Leachman's vagina obviously doesn't appreciate a roast.
Score = 3
"because it was the only original part of the entire thing."
Um, no.
Norm got all of his jokes from google. 4 of them on one page:
http://halife.com/speakers/roast.html
Score = -3
Norm stole the show he took the show home with him. Think i watched these like 200 times now and cant get anuff funnest stuff I heard in a while NORM RULES !!!!!!!!
and for all you haters maybe when ya grow up you will understand
!
Score = -3
Hate to sound retarded, but can anyone explain the henry fonda blueberries comment by jim norton, went right over my head....
norm rules, always
Score = 0
“Why do I get the feeling that McDonald didn't particularly want to do the roast and instead of think up some jokes he just googled "roast jokes" and clicked on the third item. (Go ahead, you'll find the jokes he used). It requires virtually no effort, and they might get a few pity laughs, they are mildly funny in an ironic mocking way. Little did he know that a bunch of disingenuous wannabe comedy snobs would claim that they thought it was intelligent and hilarious. Sure you did...you really "get it."
Posted by: IanR”
…yeah, I just wanted to say that you seem to have completely missed the bus, and are now showing your stripes in the attempt to discredit those who passed you by. Reading this post, it seems you are disappointed that Norm didn’t employ a team of writers to come up with a bunch of dirty, generic, gay/old/fat/ugly/sex jokes that he could randomly toss around to the panel for cheap, fleeting laughs. Sure the plastic world insteantly responded with stuff like “He said Leachman’s pu$$y is dry, that was so F’in classic…” Yawn… But instead, Norm actually gives a performance ~ whats wrong with him, and all these people who appreciated it acting as though they somehow “get it”!
What Norm did was unconventional so it must be ‘effortless’ as opposed to the extreme difficulty of reading other peoples jokes off a teleprompter, right? Really, if you don’t appreciate the fact that not everyone wants to take the easy road in an attempt to look trendy, then I don’t know what to tell you. If you cant appreciate comedy for its delivery, timing, and overall concept instead of the canned-laughs designed to give a couple bad actors a shock, well then I think it shows how much you are really missing out on. But there is a reason that the comedians who studied under the alltime greats could barely contain themselves during his set, and its not because he was “mildly funny in an ironic mocking way”. Among comic greats, Norm is one of the more respected comics that you will find; and has always been considered a “comics-comic”. But if you cant truly appreciate the art of comedy, then its understandable this would have gone over your head ~ it wasn’t intended to reach you in the first place…
But hey, maybe you have a point. I mean, its being hailed by so many that “claim” to “get it” as true genius, while simultaneously being attacked by so many others like yourself who also proclaim they too “got it” but that it sucked. A comedy bit which ends in gigantic, uncontrollable laughter in some (including those who studied under greats), a look of bewilderment in so many others (including the sitcom-actors and BrittneySpears generation), everyone trying to act like they got it, and enough interest to be the only thing really worth talking about on the entire night ~ yah, Norm sure blew that one…
Score = 2
I was dissapointed by how boring the entire show was. The jokes were subpar all around. I think the best ones were by Lewis Black, but even he has done much better than he did.
Althought I do wonder which of the roasters were the "comedians who studied under the alltime greats" that you mentioned. Lovitz maybe, but surely you can't mean McDonald. The only worthwhile thing he has ever done was SNL, which has been decidely unfunny ever since Aykroyd, Radner, and Belushi all left.
I'm sorry to tell you, but there aren't really any comic greats anymore, Carlin was one of the last. Off the top of my head, the only one left is Mort Sahl. McDonald is in line with Drew Carey, Dane Cook, and Carlos Mencia, far from "comic greats."
Score = -13
dude, you are not even close. First of all, ever heard of Don Rickles? I'm pretty sure he's regarded as one of the best ever and is still hillarious. Second, Drew Carey isn't great but he's old school and should never be compared to Mencia (at least Drew doesn't steal material). Lastly, yr remark about SNL not being funny since Dan Gilda and John left is just plain dumb. Gilda Radner wasn't even very funny and since then comedic geniuses Mike Myers and Will Farrell have owned that show. You need to try harder or get smarter to fool anyone.
Score = 0
OMFG ... I almost completely lost my shit here are at work. There should have been some kind of disclaimer: "Too funny to watch where your boss or co-workers may notice."
Score = 1
"I had a lot of mixed feelings about this. First I thought maybe Norm is facing some life threatening disease. Or something is seriously wrong with him. Then I thought, we’ll maybe he is just trying to mimic Bob’s Funniest home video humor. I don’t know. And then when Bob had that emotional moment at the end. Like he knew something was wrong with Norm. I hate conspiracy theories, but you put the pieces together?"
I have also put the pieces together, and determined that you are an idiot.
Score = 9
Norm knew exactly what he was doing and that the majority of the people watching wouldn't see through it. That's the brilliance of his comedy, he's being Norm the anti-conformist for the sake of making Bob crack up without regard to the audience. After all it was a roast in Bob's honor. What you are watching is Norm stripping away the marketability of the program completely and honoring Bob in the most honest way possible.
Score = 24
That's the best way of explaining it anyone has done so far.
Score = 3
Hate to sound retarded, but can anyone explain the henry fonda blueberries comment by jim norton, went right over my head....
norm rules, always
Score = 0
Man, I got that. I really GOT it. I was at work when I got it and let me tell you I laughed like I really got it. All you other people don't understand. You failed to get what I got. I feel sorry for you all for not being able to get the things that I have just got. There was so much there to be got and you all missed it except for everyone else that said they got it - they got it too.
Score = 0
The Henry Fonda picking blueberries reference was referring to his role in On Golden Pond. Pretty funny stuff......
Score = 0
Oh come on guys. He's not doing anything too over the top here. It shouldn't be THAT hard to get. It's a parody, people. A parody of roasting in general. I dunno why Norm was invited anyway he's more of an improviser, scripted comedy isn't his thing...
Score = 1
Anybody else agree that Jon Lovitz is a talentless and awkardly creepy douche?
Score = -8
"McDonald is in line with Drew Carey, Dane Cook, and Carlos Mencia, far from "comic greats."
Are you kidding me? Anger makes people say stupid things.
Why are all the people that don't like norm getting upset at the people that do like norm. Its just weird to me. Coming on here and saying that he sucks (not even his roast .. you are now bashing norm) is a bit ridiculous. He is a respected comedian (#83 best stand up comedian, according to Comedy central. Just to give you something solid rather than my opinion.) And before you comment back saying. "I dont care what comedy central thinks he sucks." just note that your opinion doesnt matter to anybody, obviously because if it did then norm would probably be ranked one thousand something. I just don't understand. You can hate someone but still respect him/her/understand why other people would like them. Its all opinions but just say "I personally don't find Norm funny." thats fine.
And now to everyone who keeps calling people stupid or saying they don't get it. Come on .. are you serious? And you dont even know if you got it anyway because on this forum alone there 10 different theory's on what he was doing up there (including the one of him just sucking). So whether you enjoyed norms delivery, timing, the way he mumbles over his words, or whatever theory you thought he was doing up there, well im glad. But dont call people stupid for not finding it funny. I personally found Norm to be hilarious, because norm is just a funny guy, it doesnt matter what joke he says he can make it funny somehow.
So will team norm and team anti norm put up the white flags.
Score = 7
It was anti-comedy (so unfunny that it's funny)
Score = 1
Steve Martin, Andy Kaufman and others have used anti-comedy over the years. Some comments about the comments of others:
It is possible to "get it" and not be amused.
It was a change of pace from the rest of the roast. I agree that a lot of the blue humor was repetitive, but some stuff was better than others. Jeffery Ross line about Cloris Leachman and Shakespeare in the park was funny.
I think some people started catching on to what he was doing about midway thru the set. You saw a lot of strange looks in the audience. You could smell booing in the air. About that time he did the "get it" bit with the cauliflower.
Score = 5
You're joking, right?
Score = -4
you have to watch this at least twice to see the quiet genius behind it.
Score = 2
I think he's reading them off of Laffy-Taffy wrappers.
Score = 2
Now I got that
Score = 1
I'm Canadian and I'm embarrassed. These jokes were worse than the stupid valentine cards we gave out in grade 3. Your ears are like flowers, cauliflowers. Your teeth are like stars, they come out at night. Your eyes are in love, they keep looking at each other.
Score = -10
When Larry peels back the mask to reveal his deep-seated hatred and scorn for rednecks everywhere, you will be revered as the only true genius of comic deconstruction.
Score = 0
I almost get the impression that a lot of those jokes were given to him by a Suit who gets those "funny joke" text messages on his cell phone.. you know, the ones who couldn't make someone who was dosed on Laughing Gas chuckle... and yet he still managed to kill 'em.
Score = 0
Norm had no props. How can you be funny without props? I wonder if Bob Saget's seat was lined with tin foil. I hope some one had a camera.
You're welcome.
Score = 0
okay wow i can't believe nobody got this yet --- all of his jokes were lines that bob saget said in full house. that's why it was so funny. none of it was his material. that's why it was so rated g. okay? OKAY. it was clever and funny but not amazing cause he didn't write it. don't get angry at him lol norm's still an awesome guy.
Score = -4
it was alright, but cloris leechman's set was the best by far.. (spelling errors)
Score = 1
Hahaha After every joke, he looks right to the crowd with a real serious face. Hahaha Nobody laughs. It was clever, but not funny!
Score = -3