You know? What can be said about Pamela Anderson that hasn't already been said? That question was recently answered by the fine folks at Comedy Central who decided to line Anderson up to be on one of their celebrity roasts. The roast itself aired last year, but it has now been released on DVD in all its uncut glory by the even finer folks at Paramount. I've never been much of a fan of Pamela Anderson, taking care to mention that in spite of her questionable beauty, it is more because she has little in the way of talent (with the possible exception of the talents she showcases in her now famous videotape escapades with Tommy Lee and Bret Michaels). Somehow Anderson has managed to create a career out of nothing and maintained an air of fame more for those dubious accomplishments than anything else. There are few non-celebrities that I place higher on a pedestal for ridicule than Anderson and this roast does just that.

I never saw the edited version of the roast when it aired on Comedy Central, but after watching what was released onto DVD, I doubt that it could have been very satisfactory. This version, on the other hand, is hysterically funny because of the raunchy nature of the proceedings. Most of the 'roasters' don’t really seem to have any kind of personal relationship with Anderson, as opposed to the original (and classic) Dean Martin roasts where he would find all of the targeted celebrity's good friends and colleagues. This version of the 'roast' instead pulls from a stable of comedians ready to poke fun at any and every aspect of Anderson's career. Much to their credit, thye not only target her foray into film, books and TV, but also Lee's and Michael's visual forays into… well… uh…. her.

Every guest has something to funny to say, but one of the evening's best performances comes from Bea Arthur, of "Maude" and "Golden Girls" fame. Her version of roasting involves reading a passage from of Anderson's book "Star Struck." What made this such a classic piece of comedy is just in seeing the incredibly stoic Arthur, reading a fairly pornographic part of the book, all while keeping a perfectly straight face.

I'd like to credit Anderson with being able to handle all of the jokes, innuendos and comments with grace and aplomb, but… while she seemed to take it all in stride, what else could she do? She knew what she was in store for, and I'm sure the marketing genius behind the (mini)skirt told her what a perfect way this would be to get her back into the fading limelight.

The DVD release of the Pamela Anderson Roast also includes a few little extra features that are almost as funny as the show. They come mostly in the form of outtakes that were filmed prior to and after the show. There is some rehearsal footage shown of Andy Dick and Courtney Love, as well a long interview segment featuring many of the show's participants. The best of these interviews includes the always brilliant and wonderfully coherent Anna Nicole Smith (another of a long line of imbeciles whose 15 minutes of fame should have never happened…).

Love her or hate her, The Pamela Anderson Roast is great program, with some truly uproarious performances.

Starring: Pamela Anderson, Jimmy Kimmel, Tommy Lee, Adam Carrolla, Eddie Griffin, Sarah Silverman, and more….
Extras: Exclusive Rehearsal Footage, Uncensored Roast Outtakes, Red Carpet Interviews
Specifications: Full Screen, Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround Sound
Studio: Paramount
Release Date: 2/14/2006
Region 1
MPAA Rating: NR
Website

We'll give the Pamela Anderson Roast a B.