A regiment of A-list comedians are ready to rally solidarity against antisemitism with a barrage of pointed humor: the “Roast of Antisemitism”—a live comedy show to take place on Wednesday, June 14 at the Saban Theatre in Beverly Hills.
The father-son masterminds behind the show, Ari and Jonah Pinchot (Rakia Media) were moved to create the show due to the recent rise of “modern-day” antisemitism.
“This started as my son, Jonah Pinchot’s idea,” Pinchot told The Journal. “We were witnessing the rising spread of modern-day antisemitism and then the subsequent Jewish reaction of solidarity and sympathy. And he thought, ‘we need more, we need to push back, fight back. And who are the modern front-line warriors in this cultural struggle? The comedians.”
It’s a collaboration between Rakia Media and Stand Up NY, in association with Be Forward Productions.
Comedian Jeff Ross, otherwise known as “The Roastmaster General,” says that, “we only roast the ones we love.” Roasting was typically reserved only as an honor and dark showering of love and appreciation. The Friars Club Roasts in New York, and the televised “Dean Martin Celebrity Roast” and “Comedy Central Roasts” all seemed to follow that rule.
So why are comedians making an exception to the rule now?
“For most people, antisemitism is a result of misconceptions, cultural and familial prejudice, and the desire to blame someone for your struggles,” Pinchot said. “Our job is to push back on these issues, to shine a light on their hypocrisies and absurdities. Humor is a great way to translate a meaningful message inside an entertaining package.”
Although the format of the Roast of Antisemitism is not a traditional roast, each comedian will perform a comedy set about antisemitism in their own style: stand up comedy, a traditional roast-style beratement, or even musical comedy.
For people who can’t make it to the Saban Theatre, they will be able to see the show—but it might not for a while.
“The show is being filmed and the goal here is mass distribution,” Pinchot said. “We are hoping for streaming, festivals, screenings, schools and universities and social media. Our goal is to produce the next live show in New York and then spread from there.”
The dais of roasters are amped to go to battle with antisemitism with their comedy. And it’s an A-list of comedians who are used to selling out entire venues. Among them are Rachel Bloom, Elon Gold, Howie Mandel, Modi, Michael Rappaport, Jeff Ross, Yamaneika Saunders, Tehran and Triumph the Insult Comic Dog (voiced by longtime “Saturday Night Live” writer and puppeteer Robert Smigel).
“I’ve never roasted a hate crime before,” Jeff Ross wrote on Instagram. “This should be fun. And I love all these funny Jews and non-Jews and whatever Triumph is.”
A limited amount of tickets remain for The Roast of Antisemitism and can be purchased at https://standupny.com/antisemitism/
