I was a tad anxious and even apprehensive about watching Ann Coulter perform at this Roast of Rob Lowe. I wanted to watch the moment I discovered she would be on the panel of roasters because I was curious what she would say but, I was scared about what the others were going to say. I adore Ann but let's face it, she's not everyone's cup of tea; she certainly is not appreciated by the elites of Hollywood. Still, there was a glimmer of hope that her invite might also be a sign that perhaps some in Hollywood are at least willing to kid around with a conservative - a huge step in the right direction for them, and not just any conservative - this is Ann Coulter we are talking about.
I missed the first night it aired but that didn't stop me from seeing all the internet buzz concerning Ann Coulter's appearance. Everything from hearing about how awful she was to how awful the panel of roasters had treated her. One thing is for sure, this roast seemed to have no mention of the honoree himself - Rob Lowe. Was this a genius move by Ann or was this a total flop?
Yes, there is no doubt that the other roasters really went after Ann, however, with the exception of a few roasters, most of the insults were jokes. They might not have been the best jokes or even my type of humour but they were jokes. The one British comedian (I can't even be bothered to look up his name sorry, not sorry), went the furthest by telling Ann to kill herself and it simply wasn't funny; it just came off as desperate. It was actually pretty embarrassing that most of them could only muster up silly remarks calling Ann a racist since that insult has long lost any meaning (someone let the left know it's not 2010 anymore).
I was probably most disappointed in Jewel's performance only because she focused so much time on Ann and trying her best to insult her. She claimed to be a feminist - shocker! - but she was delighted that Ann was being repeatedly insulted? Ann is probably the best representation of a feminist. She stands up for what she believes and takes her shots like a big girl. There is no question that after watching this Roast, Ann is the definition of FEARLESS. Jewel is not so much fearless as she is foolish. Oh and hey, at least Ann has been productive for the last 10 years, the same cannot be said of old Jewel.
Nikki Glaser was o-kay but someone please let Nikki know that Ann is not an antisemite. Her jokes fell flat when it became obvious she didn't know who Ann Coulter was, other than what some fellow hateful liberal had fed to her prior. Comparing Ann to Hitler? Huh? Ann and most all other conservatives are extremely PRO-Israel. It's one thing to resort to the silly racist remarks because you're too lazy to learn about actual conservatives and what they believe but, trying to accuse someone like Ann of being a denier of the Holocaust is just plain ignorant.
Without a doubt, Ann got picked on the most and those jokes were mostly geared toward her looks or appearance. Calling her a skeleton and even comparing her to a horse and a transvestite was typical but truly unoriginal. There's just not much comedy involved in those types of insults. It's easy to see why someone would say it went just a bit too far. On the other hand, Ann didn't complain and she had to have known what she was getting into. It's not like Ann is a stranger to going straight into the lion's den. We are talking about a woman who has had a pie thrown at her face on a college campus. She has repeatedly gone on shows like The View, knowing the women on there hate her. She also is a repeat guest on Bill Maher's show and mostly appears on there as the lone conservative facing multiple looney liberals who vocally express their hatred of her. Ann is unapologetic and she's willing to talk about uncomfortable topics with anyone.
Now as for her performance, Ann did not do well but, she did cleverly and openly state she was there to promote her book in a shameless way. It was refreshing and genuine. You could easily tell she was a bit nervous, as anyone in her shoes would be, but her showing up and moving forward is deeply commendable. She immediately pointed out how the roast became about her and thanked them all for the love in the room, her sarcasm was noted by all. She quickly ran through her little script and it was over in a flash but it was obvious that Comedy Central did some interesting and insulting editing when it came to Ann. They chose the worst of candid shots from the audience and all throughout the Roast, Ann's reactions were just a repeat footage of her close up with a forced grin. Later, Ann would say she believed Comedy Central did some clever editing to make her look bad. I believe her. In a few shots you can hear the audience giggle a bit but the shot of the audience itself shows them deadpan. I'm not saying she filled the audience with a round of roaring laughter but it seems she wasn't as horrible as the final cut's perception.
I think the main problem Ann had was that she didn't use the jokes of the writers. This was a bad move on her part. The following clip is with one of the writers for the Roasts, Tony Hindcliffe explaining that he had written material for Ann but she insisted on writing her own jokes, which was the cause of her weak performance.
I do believe it was a foolish mistake on Ann's part to not take the advice of the experts. They know what they are doing. They have their jobs for a reason - they are funny and know how to write jokes.
In Ann's defence, she said she felt the jokes were too mean and honestly, I can see why Ann would be apprehensive about being too mean. Going onstage and saying equally cruel things might have seemed self-defeating or too hypocritical. I can't speak for her. I don't know for sure but, I do wonder how it would have been if she had taken the advice of this writer. Was she concerned they were setting her up to look bad? Is Ann too much of a control freak? I can understand why someone like her would insist on being in control of everything but sometimes this isn't always the best choice. It's really hard to tell because one has to wonder if anyone would have laughed with her anyway. Sort of a damned if you do, damned if you don't situation. She definitely got the publicity she was seeking so in the end, she has a green check in her corner.
There's no denying there was a mean-streak that found its way in this Roast and it was directed solely at Ann but, there might just also be a silver lining here. Maybe Hollywood is looking to at least appear more interested in the American right. After all, the idea that Ann would even be at a Roast is not something anyone would have entertained just a few years ago. Ann was a good sport. She didn't really complain about any of the jokes, after all, she gets told much worse on the daily in her Twitter feed. She definitely received some sympathy, even from people who don't like her. It was refreshing to see people on the left say that they don't like Ann but thought the jokes were a bit much and too much focus on her made them uncomfortable. After all, if it was one of their own, they would be screaming bloody murder.
Of course, this also just proves the point that so many on the right have been making over the past few years - conservative women receive far more harassment and cruelty than liberal women ever receive and they complain about it far less. Being in the public eye attracts people who love you and hate you. Getting harassed and insulted is just a part of how the game works. Ann plays the game well.
Overall, her performance was not the best but Ann can still walk away with her head held high knowing she did what she set out to do. After all, it's better to fail than not try at all.
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