The old roasts are so fun to watch. The jokes are just as funny decades later. It was true comedy and because of that, it stands the test of time.
In 1977, Robin Williams roasted Richard Pryor. This was before Robin was a household name. He was a writer on the short-lived Richard Pryor Show.
Even though he was still early in his career, Robin Williams clearly showed promise of a future as a comedy legend in this short roast of his friend.
Robin’s Take on Richard Pryor
Robin makes mention of the fact that Richard was able to craft his comedy in a way that offended everyone! This was in an era when people weren’t sensitive. We could laugh at ourselves and if for some reason we didn’t want to that night, we would just change the channel. Television was much different than it is today.
Robin said Richard’s requests while filming and rehearsing the show were simple. “All he wants is a loose director, a tight script, and a warm place to rehearse,” Williams said as the crowd roared with laughter. Today’s feminists would not be happy at that double entendre!
You can watch this good-natured ribbing in the video below.
Robin’s Ad-Libs Were Even Funnier
Robin Williams was one of the few people who could accidentally mess up his own joke, try to rewind it and make it even funnier than the original! You can tell that Richard influenced Robin’s comedy.
They both are gone now, but they certainly were comedic legends! They each had a very different brand of humor, but both were hilarious in their own right.
If you are a Robin Williams fan, you will want to see him make Carol Burnett laugh as they performed a funeral skit on “A Carol Burnett Special” in 1986. Carol had to hide her laughter behind a handkerchief! Click here to watch that!
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