Revelers and roasters hit the Red Carpet for The Comedy Central Roast of James Franco with spunk and fervor recently and their target was clear: To poke fun at the eclectic Oscar nominee/filmmaker/artist/Yale student/teacher/esoteric, creative beast.
The Roast airs at 10 p.m. (9 p.m. Central) Sept. 2 (Labor Day).
The outing boasts a more youthful demographic with Roastmaster Seth Rogen at the helm alongside SNL alums Andy Samberg and Bill Hader -- watch him bring down the house with his bit. Other notables, including Jonah Hill, Sarah Silverman, Natasha Leggero, Aziz Ansari (nice book deal, man!) and über roast meister, Jeff Ross (aka The Roastmaster General), brought some new zest into the franchise and the show could go down as one of CC's finest--humorous, outlandish and surprisingly grounded.
Things to expect: Roasters ripped Franco for his Oscar hosting performance (easy target!), his varied film roles, his Yale virility, his sexuality, his art and much more.
"It didn't hurt," Franco mused after the show, which was taped at Culver Studios. "If you're going to do this kind of thing, you should just be ready for whatever. It's not like I haven't heard criticism about my performance in the Oscars. Or jokes about my choice of gay roles. I feel great and I feel everyone was awesome."
Interactive play and Social Media fodder won't hurt, either. Comedy Central has unleashed some inventive games and videos on its website. (Hello XBOX!)
I hit the Red Carpet prior to the Roast's taping. Take a look (above) at the gaggle of celebs who zipped by--including Franco's grandmother, Mitzie.
Onward ...
