In a Netflix special that aired on May 5, legendary NFL quarterback Tom Brady found himself on the receiving end of many highly contentious but admittedly hilarious jokes about his career, family, relationships and more. Hosted by Kevin Hart, the three-hour comedy special “The Roast of Tom Brady” sparked major controversy within the NFL community. This event featured many well-known comedians and former teammates of Brady, including Nikki Glazer, Rob Gronkowski and Julian Edelman. While throwing digs at Brady, most guests also showed utmost respect and admiration for all the greatness that he has accomplished throughout his career and the impact he had on the league.
Even though the roast featured numerous lighthearted jokes and laughs, fans have questioned where the line is between a joke and a truly offensive dig that causes discomfort. People agreed that some segments of the roast got far too personal and were inappropriate within modern comedic boundaries.
For Brady, his professional and public life have been in the spotlight for most of his career, spanning 23 seasons. This meant that the comedians had plenty of material to work with, including jokes regarding former teammates, football career and even his marriage. In 2022, Brady and model Gisele Bündchen had a very public divorce, filled with Instagram posts and online statements. Some viewers found these jokes to be amusing, but in a recent episode of “The Pivot Podcast” hosted by NFL stars Ryan Clark, Fred Taylor and Channing Crowder, Brady expressed his concerns about how his kids would take the jokes about their mother.
The hosts of the special also made remarks revolving around the sensitive topic of Aaron Hernandez, a former teammate of Brady. The murder and later suicide that Hernandez was involved in was the punchline for a joke by comedian Nikki Glaser. She joked that even “Aaron Hernandez had a ring around his neck” when talking to former New England Patriots wide receiver Randy Moss about having no Super Bowl rings. While this may have resulted in some quick audience laughs, Hernandez’s widow was not happy with his tragic passing being a recurring topic throughout the roast.
The roast, while hilarious at times, led to major backlash and negative comments which ultimately served as a reminder to the comedic world that there is a line between funny and offensive within the industry. While Brady was prepared to subject himself to the jokes, there were certain boundaries that the hosts crossed unnecessarily.
Photo Credit: “Tom Brady- again!” by Mark Fletcher is licensed under (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)
