Don Rickles was not afraid to call things out as he saw them. He made fun of everyone, even an icon like Frank Sinatra. In fact, at Sinatra’s roast, Mr. Warmth had everyone laughing at The Chairman of the Board’s expense! Rickles even danced in the middle of his performance.
Dean Martin’s Celebrity Roasts are perhaps some of the funniest shows that ever appeared on television. This was long before the days of political correctness. Everyone was a target of jokes, and everyone wanted to be there because it was ground zero for comedy at the time.
Rickles Went After Everyone
Surrounded by Hollywood A-Listers, Rickles went after everyone at this 1978 Roast. There was no ethnic or racial group that got a pass – and they all laughed. This was when people had a sense of humor and didn’t take themselves too seriously! While Sinatra clearly enjoyed it, Dean Martin appeared to be in tears from laughing so hard at Rickles’ set.
This humor differs greatly from that of today. Not only is it politically incorrect, but no crass language was used! Comedy of that time was hilarious, and it was also done with class. These were the good old days when you didn’t have to cover your kids’ ears while watching TV.
Watch the video below for a good laugh as Frank Sinatra was The Man Of The Hour. Be warned that your side might be sore from laughing so hard!
Amazing Talent
The amount of talent in that room was rather remarkable. And none of them were sensitive about any of the jokes. They knew what happened at a roast and they wanted to be there! Who doesn’t love to laugh, even if it means laughing at yourself? These celebrities didn’t take themselves too seriously like many of today’s stars do. This was Hollywood at its best.
These were the days when men were allowed to be men. They wouldn’t make any apologies for their masculinity. It was celebrated! This was perfectly displayed when Rickles and Sinatra were on “The Tonight Show” together.
Rickles wasn’t afraid of anyone – not even then-Governor Ronald Reagan, who was the subject of a Dean Martin Roast. As a Governor and an actor, Reagan wasn’t the average target of one of these roasts. However, the future President had a great sense of humor and was able to laugh at himself.
As you can see, the jokes and insults started up immediately and Reagan seemed to be the person laughing the most! Reagan wasn’t sensitive. He could take a joke and knew it was all in good fun:
Can you imagine how these A-Listers would have handled the political correctness of today? They would have ripped apart the namby-pamby, everyone-is-a-special-snowflake attitude that has invaded today’s culture. They would have pushed back against that and mocked it mercilessly. They would never have tolerated today’s nonsense!
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