After much stopping and stalling, I finally got through Netflix’s The Roast of Kevin Hart, the sequel to the Tom Brady roast from two years ago. It didn’t hold up to the original, not even close. But I did find a few moments worth sharing here.
There was an authenticity to the Brady roast that the Hart roast sorely lacked. The Hart roast writers resorted to assaulting us with shock humor. Unfortunately, shocking isn’t necessarily funny. What do George Floyd and Charlie Kirk have to do with Kevin Hart anyway?
It wasn’t a complete bomb, though. And a few athletes did perform, probably in an effort to recapture the magic of the Brady affair, where the athletes ruled the night. They didn’t at the Hart roast. No one did.
Regardless, I’ve ranked the athlete’s performances.
Rock at Hart (photo, Cageside Seats)
The Rock, Kevin Hart’s frequent co-star, closed the show. He brought great energy and had wonderful timing, despite claiming to be intoxicated. However, his back-and-forth with Hart seemed rehearsed.
Brady made a surprise appearance (photo, USA Today)
Surprisingly, Tom Brady showed up to start off the festivities. He was decent, but I wish he had stuck around for the rest of the festivities. Why did he participate after reportedly being unhappy with his own roast? Voilà! Brady served as an executive producer on the Hart project, so, no doubt, there was a substantial payday.
Why was Draymond Green in the house? He plays poker with Hart – and Netflix needed bodies. Draymond gets points for good delivery – and apologizing for the nasty zingers he read off the teleprompter, mostly directed at Chelsea Handler.
Venus and Serena Williams wanted no part of this insult fest. They admitted to turning it down three times. Instead of roasting Hart, they presented him with a ring. Then, after introducing The Rock, they disappeared.
Talk about making a quick getaway!
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Jon Hart is the author of Unfortunately, I was available, the sequel to Man versus Ball: One Ordinary Guy and His Extraordinary Sports Adventures.
