Chelsea Handler, known for her unapologetically blunt humor, turned the 2023 Critics Choice Awards into a roasting party, with Prince Harry as the main course. Her opening monologue skewered the royal’s much-discussed memoir, “Spare,” leaving no frostbite tale un-joked about.
“Niecy Nash-Betts is nominated for ‘Dahmer,'” Handler quipped, “which became the third highest-viewed show on Netflix with a combined watch time of one billion hours. Apparently, that’s the same amount of time we’re going to have to listen to Prince Harry talk about his frostbitten penis. ENOUGH already!”
The audience erupted in laughter, the awkwardness of the subject matter barely a match for Handler’s comedic timing. Prince Harry’s revelation about his chilly nether regions in “Spare” had already dominated headlines, and Handler wasn’t about to let the public move on from it.
But the royal wasn’t the only celebrity Handler iced. James Corden’s infamous Balthazar outburst and Kanye West’s recent controversies also got the Handler treatment, leaving no A-lister unscathed. Her monologue was a sharp reminder that no one is above a good roasting, especially when they provide such rich material.
However, some commentators criticized the joke as insensitive towards the prince’s struggles with mental health, pointing out that “Spare” delves into deeper issues than just frostbite. Others defended Handler’s right to comedic license, arguing that poking fun at public figures is part of the roastmaster’s job description.
Whether you’re team “Spare” or team “Enough Already,” one thing’s for sure: Chelsea Handler proved that even at a glitzy awards show, there’s no shortage of laughs to be found in the absurdities of celebrity life. And if that means taking a few jabs at a prince’s chilly privates, well, that’s just the price of living in the age of oversharing.
So, next time you find yourself scrolling through endless headlines about frostbitten royals, remember Chelsea Handler’s message: sometimes, all you need is a good laugh – even if it comes at the expense of a prince’s frozen toddler.
