Jibes and jokes fly as Hofmeyr roasted
MADAM & EVE cartoon strip creator Steve Francis thinks his best work was his scripting of Steve Hofmeyr’s Comedy Central Roast.
The American-born Francis was part of a trio (alongside journalist and author Gus Silber and stand-up comic Kagiso Lediga) who put together the stinging “tribute” to Hofmeyr, which was led by roast master Trevor Noah on Tuesday.
“All of the funny lines were mine,” Francis joked yesterday. “But seriously, it’s the most exciting project I’ve ever been on.
“Originally from the US, I grew up watching Saturday Night Live and Comedy Central and it’s been my dream to do similar types of things here.”
The triumvirate was tasked with putting together ammunition for Noah, Anele Mdoda, Casper de Vries, John Vlismas, Robert Whitehead, Minki van der Westhuizen, Shaleene Surtie-Richards, David Kau and Kuli Roberts to fire at the Pampoen singer.
And boy, did they go into the 48-year-old, who pitched up in an obscene blue suit and matching blue Sketchers trainers.
While South Africa was left bemused at Hofmeyr’s antics when he threw his R5 000 tickets to see Irish rock band U2 into the Jukskei River in February last year, Mdoda found it needy.
She told him: “We don’t care. Grow up. You behave like that kid who wasn’t loved – who had to catch a lift home from the maternity ward.”
De Vries was confused why Hofmeyr was still releasing “music”, saying the first time he had heard him sing, he sounded like “an old lesbian who has throat cancer”.
But he later added: “You’re a rock star, Steve. A rock star f***s chicks and makes rock music. You’re halfway there.”
After surviving his roasting, where he had been strapped on a chair that resembled a braai stand, Hofmeyr hilariously asked the panellists when the event was to begin.
In his rebuttal he told Mdoda the gap in her teeth was only a good look in the Cape Flats. He called Whitehead, who is openly gay, an actress, and audaciously told Vlismas that his mother was the only person to make him chuckle in that family.
But of course, as is normal in roasts, the panellists are allowed to turn attention to each other and Roberts and Van der Westhuizen were certainly targeted – with more than snide remarks being made about the latter’s IQ, dating history and her boobs.
The show is already in editing and will premiere on Comedy Central (DStv channel 122) on September 24.