Jeff Ross
Jeff Ross
Jeffrey Ross Lifschultz, known professionally as Jeff Ross, is an American stand-up comedian, insult comic, actor and author. His skill in doing high-profile celebrity roasts and his appearances in Comedy Central's Roasts, have led him to be dubbed "The Roastmaster General." He has appeared in various film, television, and cartoon projects. He has made appearances at events for U.S. soldiers and directed a documentary film covering his experiences touring U.S. bases in Iraq...
NationalityAmerican
ProfessionComedian
Date of Birth13 September 1965
CitySpringfield Township, NJ
CountryUnited States of America
People love to see public figures get taken down a notch, and by the same token, everyone loves to be the center of attention, even when there's a target on their forehead.
When I see something that's sensitive, I go, 'You've got to put that out there.' You need to keep the dialogue going and shine a light on the bad guys. If you sweep it under the carpet, people forget about it. People stop talking about it.
People are roasting each other at parties, at work events, around the fire. It's so fun. People are busting each other's chops, and it's a sign of affection, truly. It's a true test of love and friendship: can you make a man laugh at himself? So what makes a good burn? Go after targets you love and respect. And hit 'em hard.
I think Jersey stands alone, and because I'm from Jersey, I never make fun of where people are from. I'll make fun of what they look like, but I'll never make fun of where they are from. Jersey is special.
Sometimes during my set I invite volunteers up on stage to get speed-roasted and I'm worried that I may have hundreds of people rushing the stage all at once. Luckily I'm a black belt in karate and I can fend them off.
With everybody having a Facebook and a Twitter, I feel like regular people consider themselves stars. It's a live, real-time upload of every time we buy a pair of socks, the most telling sign that we're losing our politeness. When you know everything about somebody, you can talk to them any way you please.
Most people, when they think of an insult, they keep it to themselves. But you wouldn't believe the things people say on my Twitter feed, and I'm a nice guy. Imagine if I was a jerk.
Our coaches kept reminding us, all week, to stay calm, stay calm. They knew the kind of atmosphere we'd have to deal with tonight.
Just because a lake needs bass, it doesn't mean it's in poor shape. All lakes have good and bad years.
I was the kid who always hung back and then dropped the jokes when you least expected it. Timing was everything. My mouth sort of developed over time.
I think comics should test people, I think it's our job to go too far. That way we know as a society what too far is. Where else are you going to hear it?
We kind of do our own thing as an independent. We are able to make decisions and moves that company stores would have to wait for corporate permission to do, ... I have no problems with Supervalu. They have addressed an issue that we all had and that was they tried to play both sides of the fence (wholesaler and retail outlet). I wasn't surprised they announced they are selling their corporate stores.
It's up to comedians to shine the light on what's wrong in the world, and we don't want things swept under the rug.
Humor that is edgy is never squeaky clean.