Joe Rogan Defends Kevin Hart Roast, Blasts ‘Traitor’ Comics
Joe Rogan is drawing a line in the sand over the ongoing fallout from The Roast of Kevin Hart, blasting comedians who have publicly criticized the event's most controversial jokes and accusing them of betraying the comedy profession.During a recent episode of The Joe Rogan Experience, Rogan unloaded on fellow comics who have condemned material from Tony Hinchcliffe and Shane Gillis. “If you're a person and you're not accustomed to roasts and you don't get why those jokes are so mean, I get it,” Rogan said. “But comedians that are getting upset about these roast jokes, f*ck all the way off. You f*cking traitor. You know what this is. You know exactly what this is.”Rogan's comments come as the debate over the Netflix roast continues weeks after it aired. What was intended as a celebration of Kevin Hart's career instead became a lightning rod for criticism over jokes involving race, suicide, and police violence.COMPLEX SHOP: Shop the brands you love, anytime and anywhere. Uncover what's next. Buy. Collect. Obsess.The biggest flashpoint centered on Hinchcliffe's George Floyd joke, in which he said Floyd was “looking up at us all laughing so hard he can't breathe.” The line sparked immediate backlash from Floyd's family and civil rights advocates.Among the loudest critics was Chelsea Handler, who later described some of the roast's material as “gross” and “disgusting.”Wanda Sykes recently joined the conversation as well, arguing on The View that the issue wasn't whether the joke was offensive but whether it worked. “That George Floyd joke was not funny,” Sykes said. “It wasn't even a joke.”D. L. Hughley criticized Hinchcliffe by linking his roast material to the comedian's controversial appearance at Donald Trump's 2024 Madison Square Garden rally.Rogan rejected those arguments, insisting that critics are ignoring the purpose of a roast. “You could disagree with the content,” he said. “You could say, ‘I think they went too far with this.' But this pretending that these people are actual racists and Nazis just because they're telling these jokes that are in a roast? Like, f*ck all the way off.”He also defended Hinchcliffe personally, describing him as “a great guy.”The controversy has expanded well beyond the George Floyd joke. Hinchcliffe and Gillis were also criticized for jokes about Sheryl Underwood's late husband, who died by suicide in 1990.While social media erupted over those remarks, Underwood later defended the comedians and dismissed complaints, saying, “Freedom of speech is alive and well at Netflix.”Pastor Jamal Bryant took the opposite position, calling the roast “disrespect dressed as jokes.”Rogan compared roast comedy to a combat sport, arguing that audiences understand the rules before anyone takes the stage.“You have to understand the roast world,” he said. “You're going for blood.”Related NewsPastor Jamal Bryant Calls Kevin Hart Roast ‘Disrespect Dressed as Jokes’Tony Hinchcliffe’s Sheryl Underwood Joke Sparks Backlash at Kevin Hart RoastChelsea Handler and Shane Gillis Trade Brutal Jabs at Netflix’s Kevin Hart Roast'90 Day Fiancé' Star Nikki Exotika Recovering After Emergency Quadruple Bypass SurgeryGrizz Chapman of '30 Rock' Fame Dead at 52COMPLEX SHOP: Shop the brands you love, anytime and anywhere. Uncover what's next. Buy. Collect. Obsess.Making Culture Pop. Find the latest entertainment news and the best in music, pop culture, sneakers, style and original shows.
