Get ready to hear Tom Brady tales like you've never heard them before.
The seven-time Super Bowl champion is taking center stage yet again. This time, though, it's not on the football gridiron. Instead, Brady is the focus of Netflix' first-ever live celebrity roast show.
The former Patriots and Buccaneers star retired for likely the final time in 2023, opening up his schedule for other excursions and business opportunities. What football fans likely did not have on their Brady post-retirement Bingo card was him being the focal point of a joke session.
The concept of celebrity roasts have been around for quite some time now, dating back to the 1940s. The popularity and frequency of the events have fluctuated over the years, but Netflix is dipping its toes into the space, hoping to add it to its ever-growing entertainment options on its platform.
What exactly is a celebrity roast and what is the history behind it? The Sporting News explains.
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What is a celebrity roast?
A celebrity roast is an event where one prominent figure is the focus on numerous jokes made at their expense by other colleagues and celebrities.
Whoever is at the center of the roast typically sits and listens as each guest gets up and delivers prepared jokes. While a majority of the roasts are directed at the celebrity of the evening, the other guests typically are not safe from getting made fun of as well.
Usually, at the end, the guest of honor gets to go up and deliver the last laughs, roasting those in attendance to end the night.
When was the first celebrity roast?
The origin of the celebrity roast dates back to the 1940s.
In 1949, the Friars Club in New York, a private club known to be a popular spot for those in show business, held its first roast. French singer Maurice Chevalier was the guest of honor for that evening. The Friars Club became known for its private gatherings where one celebrity was made to receive the brunt of the jokes for the night.
While the Friars Club may have been the origin of the celebrity roasts, the sessions grew in popularity thanks to Dean Martin. In the 1970s, the format grew to a wider fanbase with the Dean Martin Celebrity Roasts, which were televised events put on by the famous actor/singer.
The roasts evolved over the years, but picked up steam yet agains during the 1990s/2000s when Comedy Central began putting on more roasts. Some of the networks most famous editions of the event included roasts of William Shatner, Charlie Sheen, Donald Trump and James Franco.
Why is Tom Brady doing a celebrity roast?
Brady hasn't given an exact reason for agreeing to be the main subject of Netflix's first-ever roast. However, he's a massive get for the company looking to launch itself into the celebrity roast space.
The seven-time Super Bowl champion retired after the 2022 NFL season. He's no stranger to being the center of attention, as he is regarded as the greatest player to ever play in the NFL.
At the end of the day, the night is going to provide laughs for all, as fans likely will get more inside information on some of the best Brady tales from his playing days, both on and off the field.
