Jeffrey Ross has made a career out of insults. His Friars Club roasts are the stuff of legend, and he's become so good at abusing celebs that he's rightfully earned the title of "Roastmaster General." Ross has picked on everyone from Courtney Love ("You're like the girl next door — if you happen to live next door to a methadone clinic") to, most memorably and often, Bea Arthur ("I wouldn't fuck Bea Arthur's dick with Andy Dick's pussy"). But before he was writing PC-free jabs for the Friars Club, Ross was performing his clever brand of standup for audiences nationwide. Ross brings his act to Tampa, and locals can expect to hear him rapping on the war in Iraq ("$8 billion a month we spend over there… at this point, we should just make it the 51st state… 'Welcome to Iraqachusetts, live free and die'"), Hurricane Katrina and even Cookie Monster's Sesame Street-enforced diet. Feb. 28-March 2, 7:30 p.m. Thurs., 8 and 10:30 p.m. Fri., 7:30 and 10 p.m. Sat., 7 p.m. Sun., The Tampa Improv, 1600 E. Eighth Ave., Centro Ybor, Ybor City, $18 and $20, 813-864-4000, tampaimprov.com.
This article appears in Feb 27 – Mar 4, 2008.