Jeff Ross Promises to Bring Holiday Spirit to his West Palm Beach Show on December 8th – Perfect Gift for Sad and Ugly Families!

November 20th, 2023

It’s not every day I get to be with kinda like the king of Comedy roasters over here.
Jeff – Well, not every day I get to chat with some guy on his way to a Panthers game.

So, Jeff, you’re known as the king of Comedy roasters. How does it feel to have that level of notoriety?
Jeff – It’s crazy. Like I never, I never planned it, it just kind of happened. I love it though, because it’s great to be known for something, especially something that I love.

Comedy seems like a meticulous craft. How much planning goes into your performances, especially considering current events?
Jeff – A lot of planning. I hate when people claim the jokes write themselves…they don’t, I write them. 

I stay hip to trends, and the show I’m doing in West Palm Beach is a play I’ve been working on for months. There’s room for improv, too, which keeps it fresh. Stuff definitely goes off the rails. By the end of the show I’ll roast people from the crowd.

How do you navigate through criticism in the age of social media and keyboard warriors?
Jeff – I keep my comedy off social media. Once you opt in to buy a ticket to my show, you don’t want it watered down, you want it to be like medicine and as potent as possible. Laughter is so healing, especially in such a crazy mixed up time we’re at in this world so the last thing you want is to go see Jeff Ross, The Roastmaster, and have him with one hand tied behind his back, it would be so wrong. So, my show is as daring as it ever was.

Do you feel restricted in today’s overly sensitive world?
Jeff – I’m sensitive to people, but I take it right to the line. I scratch the skin, but I don’t break it. For the most part once I’m on stage anything goes. It’s a temple of free speech when I perform.

Is there room for audience interaction, or is it strictly a one-way street meaning if somebody tries to chime in themself, then it’s guns blazing? People really shouldn’t poke the bear.
Jeff – No one’s chiming in on my shit. I’m the one with the microphone. You’re there to enjoy yourself. The story that I’m doing now has music and visuals so it’s more of a theatrical experience than a straight up Stand-Up show. It’s really funny, but it’s also going to be emotional. It’s going to be a little bit of a trip, if you will. I’ll even sing a couple of songs like “Don’t fuck with the Jews.”

So, I’m sure you’re ready for the holidays with Hanukkah around the corner.
Jeff – Yeah, well, this will definitely help bring people into the Hanukkah spirit. I promise. There’s a lot of really good Jewish humor and family humor in the show. I’ll talk about my parents and grandfather. So, if you’re thinking about Hanukkah presents for your loved ones, my shows are definitely fun for the whole family, especially if your family is sad and ugly.

How about family influence on your comedy? Any funny holiday stories?
Jeff – My family was all funny. My grandfather was a big influence on me comedically, and my dad was super funny. My mom had a great laugh and that’s essentially what the story is. I’ll tell a bit about it in my show, which is called Take a Banana for the Ride, which is something my grandfather used to say to me when I was starting out at open mics. He would give me a few dollars for the tolls and gas to get into New York and a banana. It was his way of saying I can’t go with you, but I’m going with you on the ride in spirit.

Do you ever feel like you have to chime in about a topic when current events are too insane not too or you try not to deviate from your material? 
Jeff – You know, that’s a good question, because there’s so much going on in the news such as the border politics. I decided to let this show be kind of an escape from that and instead be more of a therapeutic show. So if you need a little break, this show that I’m doing in Florida, I call it a comedic cathartic communal experience. So if anybody’s going through loss, or challenges in their personal life, this show’s gonna be a good pep talk for you.

Given your diverse career, how do you feel when others perform your written jokes?
Jeff – Oh, well, that’s the game. You know, it’s like being a ghostwriter. Or being, you know, behind the scenes, you know, early in my career, I think a lot of jobs like that writing for some of the best entertainers in the world. From that I will learn my first real writing gig was writing the Oscars for Billy Crystal with Billy Crystal and his team. So yes, I mean, I would learn how hard celebrities worked. I learned I got to see my jokes come to life. And if not, that’s very gratifying to hear that. Over time, I was like, Well, you know, one of my jokes are my jokes. And maybe I just want to keep them to myself. So more and more, although I do often help my friends with their scripts for their stuff. I do it as a favor now and keep the good ones for myself.