The taping, in front of 1,100 guests seated at gold-clothed cocktail tables as well as in bleacher seats, took place on a stage decorated with colorful clocks and an oversize viking helmet. Former Salt-n-Pepa DJ Spindarella—a contemporary of Flav in his Public Enemy days—served as DJ. Comedy Central contracted Tenth Planet to produce the taping on a Warner Brothers stage, and the Warner Brothers Studios team led by Hillary Harris handled all the logistics like food, beverage, and transportation.

After two-plus hours of sustained laughter (roasters including Snoop Dogg and Ice-T hit their marks with uproarious lowbrow jokes), about 850 guests—wearing their party passes in the form of clock-shaped laminates on lanyards around their necks—headed to the after-party a few stages down on the lot. Borrowing its raucous vibe from the taping, the party featured hip-hop blaring from the DJ booth, and buffet stations in all four corners of the room offered comfort food in large quantities, including pulled-pork sandwiches, mac and cheese, corn bread, and cupcakes.

"We wanted the party to reflect Flav: it's girls, it's sex appeal, it's outrageous," Porter said. "I'll never try to out-fancy anyone with these parties. It's not chichi, it's not passed sushi. It's about a great time." A confessional booth allowed guests to record their own jokes and feedback. The Comedy Central and MTV Networks special events teams designed the party, working with Warner Brothers' team to coordinate local vendors and details.

"The fun thing about the roast is that it's the biggest event we do all year, and it never gets old because every single time is different," Porter said. "You brace for something terrible to happen, but it just keeps building."   —Alesandra Dubin