Amid a chorus of boos from the audience, Kim Kardashian took the stage during Netflix’s Roast of Tom Brady to deliver a few clumsily written jokes comparing the NFL star to Caitlyn Jenner.
Kevin Hart hosted the three-hour Netflix event, which aired live on May 5 and featured roasts from friends, former teammates of Brady, and comedians, including Nikki Glaser, Rob Gronkowski, Randy Moss, Sam Jay, Ben Affleck, and Will Ferrell as Ron Burgundy. Brady was mostly down to clown, save for a tense moment when Jeff Ross made a crack about Patriots owner Robert Kraft’s affinity for massages (Kraft was among several charged with solicitation in Florida during an anti-sex-trafficking bust in 2019; the charges were later dropped when the court excluded surreptitious video evidence)—rich considering Ross’ own history of sexual misconduct.
The other awkward moment occurred about an hour into the roast, when Hart introduced Kim Kardashian. As the reality TV star and entrepreneur made her way onstage, the crowd went from cheering to booing Kardashian, who was slightly rattled by the turn. It’s unclear exactly why the audience booed Kardashian, but there are several possible reasons, including her brief relationship with Brady several years ago and her status as Taylor Swift enemy number 4. Kardashian often finds herself in the crosshairs of controversy, whether by design or through proximity, but the haters in the crowd really should’ve held the boos for Kardashian’s jokes.
“I wasn’t going to come tonight,” Kardashian said, reading from a teleprompter, “but since I’m not here as Tom’s date, there’s still a good chance I might.” Referencing their dating history, Kardashian added, “It would never work out. An ex-athlete with high cheekbones, silky hair … you remind me too much of my stepdad now.” As she said this, the screen cut to a meme featuring photos of Brady over the years, culminating in a photo of Caitlyn Jenner, with the caption “The evolution of Tom Brady.” Back on stage, Kardashian continued, “Part of me thinks you’d want to undress me just to try on my clothes.” She concluded by comparing Brady’s career to that of Jenner: “I know the transition from the NFL must have been really hard, but I think my stepdad is a great example for you. She’s one of the best athletes in the world who proved you can do anything in this next chapter of your life—you can become a commentator, a far-right Republican, or even a strong, confident woman.”
By this point, Kardashian seems to have won over the haters, unfortunately validating stereotypes about fans of both football and comedy roasts. As a cisgender woman, I can’t speak to how offended the trans community is or should be by Kardashian’s jokes; to me, they’re just lame, low-effort jokes that could’ve been pulled from the late ’90s and early ’00s, when men who use hair conditioner were called “metrosexual.” At least you can tell Kardashian didn’t write the jokes herself, as evidenced by her clunky delivery while staring at the teleprompter.
If you have a billion dollars to throw around, surely you can afford to hire a better comedy writer to help you roast one of the easiest targets on the planet. As for the crowd booing Kardashian’s entrance: there are plenty of reasons to jeer this woman. Try choosing one that doesn’t tell the world you hate women.
(featured image: Matt Winkelmeyer, Getty Images for Netflix)
