Ashley Caira, 20, student
Phyllis Diller was hilarious, just because she’s so old. But I didn’t think that Gilbert Gottfried was as funny as the rest of the audience thought he was.

Ashley Faulkner, 21, NYU student
I appreciated it—I wouldn’t say I liked it. I thought it was funnier to listen to how the comedians interacted with each other than to the joke itself.

Ami Einken, 27, Writer
I thought it was hilarious. It was interesting that the women—Sarah Silverman, Whoopi— had to go an extra step with the joke because women aren’t usually in the role of telling dirty jokes.

Greg Zuccalo, 37, Dancer
Gilbert Gottfried doing the roast was the only funny part, just because of the reactions from the crowd.

J. J. Huckitt, 30, Actor
I was sort of disappointed that Robin Williams didn’t do his version. But it was funny. It makes me want to go home and fuck my cat.

Related:

• Archive: “Movie Features”
• Table of Contents: August 15, 2005 issue of New York | Subscribe!