NFL Hall-of-Famer Tom Brady’s Netflix roast drew two million viewers on the night of its release and went on to become a smash hit and a cultural milestone, heralding the renewed cultural appetite for raunchy, edgy comedy after several years of timidity in the comedy world. Now Brady is revealing that, despite thoroughly enjoying the evening in which he was the butt of every joke, he found the event’s impact on his family troubling.
The “Tom Brady Roast” became one of the most discussed cultural moments of the year. Featuring a slate full of stars delivering some of the edgiest, least politically-correct comedy to hit the mainstream in many-a-year. For an entire week, it held the top slot at Netflix for most-watched program, raking in 13.8 million views.
When asked recently on The Pivot Podcast about his thinking on the experience of being the target of so many jokes that received such wide circulation, Brady said that he had a great deal of fun and enjoyed being roasted, but the aftermath of the show’s release taught him some valuable lessons about parenting. The event affected his children in ways he wasn’t prepared for. In light of their reaction, and the esteem in which he holds his children, he wouldn’t do it again.
He said that the experience has made him a better parent, as beforehand he never dreamed that his children would face negative consequences for something that he did in his professional life. Brady told the hosts that he’s made it a point not to take himself very seriously. When he gets criticized for his sporting performance, or accused of monkeying with the air pressure in a football to give himself an advantage, he copes by watching comedy.
His policy with such learning moments in life, he said, are to re-set his sights on the next phase of life in a way that will make it a little more enjoyable.
