By now, you've probably read quite a bit about Justin Bieber's Comedy Central Roast, which was filmed in Las Vegas this weekend. Biebs' send-up won't actually air until March 30, but many of the jokes are already making the rounds on the Internet. Comedy Central has also had to do a bit of damage control because several comedians made off-color jokes about the late Paul Walker.
Despite the fact that Walker's Fast and Furious costar and friend Ludacris was onstage during the roast, more than one roaster tied Bieber's love of fast cars to Paul Walker's unfortunate death in a car accident. Comedians Natasha Leggero and Jeff Ross both made jokes about Walker, which we're not going to repeat here because they were in poor taste. SNL star Pete Davidson also brought up Walker during his turn at the mic.
Ross' joke especially hit a nerve. The Hollywood Reporter wrote that, "A visibly offended Ludacris even motioned to cut at one point during the taping." MTV reported the jokes "drew mixed reactions from the audience," and that Justin said after the show that he "didn't particularly like the Paul Walker jokes."
Although the jokes are out there on the Internet, they won't make it onto the Comedy Central telecast on March 30. A spokesperson for the network told THR, "Roasts often push the limits of good taste and we give the participants full rein to try things knowing we have the edit to shape the show. Sometimes the line is discovered by crossing it. The Paul Walker references will not be in the telecast."
Thank goodness the network has at least a semblance of respect for someone who passed away all too soon. There are so many other jokes to be made about Justin Bieber without bringing up Paul Walker. (THR)
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