Monday with Ms. Marvel: roasting

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Morgan Kong

In her weekly column, Monday with Ms. Marvel, Wingspan’s Trisha Dasgupta reviews different political issues and relatable topics in everyday life.

Trisha Dasgupta, Staff Reporter

From Comedy Central to the halls of high schools, “roasting” is by far a common occurrence. 

The term, first popularized by a series of Celebrity Roast Specials that started airing in 2003, means to playfully ridicule or criticize someone you admire or are close too, however, I feel as though some have forgotten about a key part of that definition: the fact that it’s meant to be light-hearted. 

Although the act of “roasting” began as a good-natured way to have some fun with your friends, I’ve heard way too many high schoolers use the term as a guise to essentially bully their companions. There’s a huge difference between poking fun at your friends every once in a while and using their insecurities against them for a laugh, and unfortunately, I’ve seen too many kids fall victim to the latter. 

To be honest, I don’t understand the appeal behind “roasting” because I’ve only ever seen people be hurt by it. The act of making fun of a loved one or companion just doesn’t seem enjoyable, but I can understand how “roasting” might be really funny when there are boundaries set and everyone respects each other’s feelings, however, I rarely see that being the case. 

Too often, people will exploit an insecurity for the sake of a “roast” and at the point, it’s not a joke anymore; it’s hurting someone you care about for a few laughs. 

If you know that your friend is insecure or uncomfortable with a certain topic or aspect of themselves, you shouldn’t cross that boundary. Now, I understand that everyone makes mistakes and it’s possible to hurt someone’s feelings by accident, but if that happens and someone asks you to stop, then stop.

Too many teens use the excuse of it being “just a joke” and continue on without stopping to think about the repercussions of their words, but it’s important to remember that a joke isn’t funny unless everyone can laugh at it. 

So many of my classmates have experienced hurt at the hands of their very own friends, all because of a “roast” gone too far. There’s so much darkness in the world around us and as friends, we’re supposed to be each other’s light, not a source for more negativity. The next time you want to “roast” someone, take a moment to think about what you’re going to say because words can cut way deeper when they’re coming from someone close.