It was “hail, hail the gags all here” at the Beverly Hills Country Club.
The live roast started with tip toe humor, nodding deferentially to the seven “honorees,” rising to verbal heights. With male roasters, it was beyond brilliance — their pauses got screams and wit barbs. Some feathers were ruffled, egos deflated and stabs at the heart. Whoever thought it was an evening to gather a large number of friends and peers purely to honor and let the roastee know the depth of their affection, must be living in the 14th century — the roasters practiced a thousand and one ways to cook them on that comic war.
It was a fair game, with the cast of characters are astonishing: lawyers, a civic leader, a philanthropist, a beauty queen, a flamboyant fashion designer and a vitriolic journalist. The coup de gras were cruel, the more important the person is, the more biting the insults are — fast, furious and boiling. Comebacks as well were like an avalanche and evened the score.
In comedy, the laughter has to be real, jokes have to be funny. There are no such rules about humor or comedy because it there are a thousand and one forms of humorous expressions. However, it isn’t always funny as what can be considered as “funny” is a matter of someone’s opinion. Humor could be something innocent, warmhearted, playful or affectionate; but then again it could also be a bitter satire, an insult so degrading. A great deal of humor also falls off the tree of life.
Funny things happen to us, or we observe them happening to others — and that makes us laugh. It helps alleviate the pain we would constantly be suffering, and keep misery at bay. Come to think of it, if we were to concentrate on the tragedies of life, isn’t humor a social lubricant that helps us get over some of the bad experiences we’ve had?
It’s strange, but I will accept any allegation of my deficiencies — cosmetic, intellectual, virtuous — except the charge that I have no sense of humor. I’ve always had the tendency to make light of things — widowhood, failed relationships, betrayals of friendship.
And by the way, during last Saturday’s event, spring came to our soiree with more than a hundred guests as we held our annual celebrity Roast and Induction of hold out members. In attendance was the greatest living legend Maestro Dexter Grey and his wife Dr. Erlinda Grey and her serene Princess Eleanor, guest of Van and Marilou Dichoso — all thoughtful and supportive friends of the FAPCA.
Having produced the show, I’m to blame for bad seats, wilting salad, a single bad note played by the band, mistakes, and the surprising paucity of complainers.
To demonstrate an absence of favoritism, for all the people who helped this labor of love be a success, thank you.
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E-mail Mylah at [email protected]
