Too far?
The Roast of Tom Brady on Netflix last night produced a lot of boundary-pushing jokes, which honestly seems like a great thing for comedy. Nothing really seemed to be off-limits for those who took their turn taking shots at the seven-time Super Bowl winning QB, and that felt oddly refreshing to me in a time when everybody’s so damn sensitive about everything.
Of course there was one moment when apparently Brady thought comedian Jeff Ross went too far when he told a joke about New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft getting caught in a prostitution scandal:
“On the first day of training camp, that scrawny rookie famously walked into Robert Kraft’s office and said, ‘I’m the best decision your organization has ever made.
Would you like a massage?”
The joke was obviously a jab at Patriots owner Robert Kraft getting caught up in a prostitution scandal a few years ago, when he allegedly visited a Florida massage parlor for some…well, relief.
All of the charges against Kraft were eventually dropped, but apparently it’s still a sore spot for Brady.
As Ross was telling Kraft how much he loved him after the jab, Brady stood up and the microphones picked up what he said in Ross’s ear:
“Don’t say that shit again.”
So maybe there were SOME things that were off limits, but one thing that definitely wasn’t was Aaron Hernandez.
The former Patriots tight end was convicted of murder back in 2015 and sentenced to life in prison, before committing suicide while behind bars in 2017. He was also charged with another double homicide, but had been acquitted just days before his death.
And there were plenty of Aaron Hernandez jokes last night.
Former Patriots wide receiver Julian Edelman kicked things off with a joke that left his former teammate, tight end Rob Gronkowski, in shock:
“Everyone always asks me how big Gronk’s d*ck is.
Now don’t get me wrong, it gets the job done. But there was this other Patriots tight end. Now HE was hung.”
And comedian Nikki Glaser threw in a joke about Hernandez while ribbing former Patriots wide receiver about never winning a Super Bowl ring:
“Aaron Hernandez had a ring…around his neck.”
Comedian and podcaster Tony Hinchcliffe also brutally roasted host Kevin Hart with a joke about his height, along with a shot at Hernandez:
“All night he’s been using the stool that Aaron Hernandez kicked out from under himself.”
And even Tom Brady himself made an Aaron Hernandez reference when it was his turn to take the mic:
“The bar for Patriot tight ends was pretty low back then. Block. Catch. Don’t murder.”
Yeah, Hernandez got cooked. Even more than he’s already getting in…you know what, never mind. I don’t want to pile on a dead guy.
But anyway, while everybody seemed to get a kick out of the jokes, apparently they struck a nerve with the former fianceé of Hernandez, who is also the mother of his child.
TMZ spoke with Shayanna Jenkins, who condemned the shots at Hernandez that were taken by the roasters:
“It’s sad that I’m trying to raise my children in such a cruel world.”
I mean, sure, but counterpoint: It’s not like what they did was anything less cruel than…well, murder.
Jenkins told TMZ that Hernandez and his death should have been off limits, calling Hernandez her “hero.” Now, who am I to question somebody else’s judgment, but if your hero is a convicted murderer, I’m just saying that maybe you should find somebody else.
Of course the 11-year old daughter had no choice in her father, and I can’t imagine growing up and having to live with the circumstances she’s been dealt.
But at the same time, maybe the mother’s anger should be directed at the father that put her in that situation in the first place. Seems like he’s really the one who caused all this…
