Smallscreen News

Charlie Sheen Roast really was winning, some thoughts

By April MacIntyre Sep 11, 2011, 16:49 GMT

Charlie Sheen and ex goddess Natalie Kenly - Charlie Sheen Hosts Evening at Chateau in Las Vegas on April 30, 2011 - Chateau Nightclub & Gardens at the Paris Hotel and Casino - Las Vegas, NV, USA © Justin Paludipan / PR Photos

It could have gone south easily, as the 'Tiger Blood Warlock' of primetime TV was feted by an interesting group of roasters.

But overall it worked, and the news that Sheen has a movie, a TV series and is still breathing lends some truth to all that 'winning' chatter.

Missing were the Comedy Central stalwarts: Lisa Lampinelli, Whitney Cummings, Gilbert Gottfried. In their place were the supremely talented Jon Lovitz and William Shatner, the latter, at age 80+, showing kids how pros make a funny. 

The Dog the Bounty Hunters - photo by April MacIntyre ©M&C

The cherry for Sheen's send-off was the always fast-thinking Seth MacFarlane, who pound-for-pound is the Manny Pacquiao of comic wits.  He was spot on.

photo by April MacIntyre ©M&C

Even pugilistic realty TV star and newfound funnyman Mike Tyson has come into his own as a completely spontaneous source of howlers.  Tyson was MacFarlane's fall back scapegoat source for any line doled out by the tall host that fell a bit flat.

Workaholics in the house - photo by April MacIntyre ©M&C

Comedy Central provided us in the press a work room complete with a host bar and delicious little spread that made the live blogging and the watching all the better. The room was packed with foreign press, TCA members, bloggers and all sorts who obviously were not interested in the CW party going on at the same time. It was a good group of people (except for the dude who doused himself in Axe body spray).

Mueller - photo by April MacIntyre ©M&C

On the carpet, ex wife Brooke Mueller donned a Pork-pie hat that inspired our red carpet friend and comedian Justin with LaughSpin.com to ask her if she was a "newsie" as she staggered down the red carpet, shouting at us, "I don't trust magazines..." This is from the woman whose family had radaronline on speed dial during the height of the rehab-domestic abuse brouhaha.

photo by April MacIntyre ©M&C

Justin live blogged the comments from the roast, check it here

Sheen was the last to sashay down the black carpet, and for Charlie, he looked thin but good, and was especially bemused by the crush of foreign press there to cover this.

After the raucous opening montage animated to Crazy Train by Ozzy, the roasters filed onstage. Rocker Slash introduced Sheen in a wailing guitar solo that smoked, and Sheen then sat in a special chair.

Check out our photo gallery of the Charlie Sheen Roast Here!

Shatner and Tyson were tight as ticks, chatting in a close huddle. MacFarlane was asking Walsh why she was there and noting that Sheen's presence there was a miracle in itself. His best zinger of the moment was aimed at Tyson, “Get your teeth fixed Mike, at least George Foreman is making money off his shitty grill.”

MacFarlane talked about the planned CBS funeral for Sheen's character on "Two and a Half Men" and read an obituary for Charlie, except it was that of Amy Winehouse. "The only things different are the gender, location of the body, and the part about you having talent."  MacFarlane soon let another one drop, noting that a penis with cocaine on it is now called a "Sheenis".

"How much blow can Charlie Sheen do?" asked Jon Lovitz, "Enough to kill 'Two and a Half Men."'  Lovitz then proceed to zing Harvey Levin, a roaster who bowed out, "Harvey would have been here but he got stuck in his boyfriend."

Sheen kept his cool through all the abuse, and had good lines to roll off.

Sheen also said the roasters couldn't ding the warlock: "You can't hurt me. Hell, I can't even hurt me," he said, in a nod to his film "Major League".

You can see the broadcast Sept. 19.

Watch some of our red carpet video chats with Corbin Bernsen, Steve-O and Kristin Cavalleri, Dog the Bounty Hunter and Ron Jeremy: