Proast

Proast is a term used in online humor and meme culture to describe a roast that is conducted in a positive, consensual, and good-faith manner. It is a portmanteau of “professional roast” or “positive roast” and is used to contrast with mean-spirited harassment. The exact origin is uncertain, but the term appeared in English-language internet communities in the late 2000s and has since been used to describe both live and online formats of roasting.

In practice, proasts emphasize consent, clear boundaries, and the intention to entertain rather than harm. Participants typically volunteer or are signaled by communal norms that the jokes will be sharp but within agreed limits. Jokes focus on behaviors, quirks, or public persona, often with self-deprecating tones and affectionate framing rather than attacking protected characteristics. The tone blends wit, irony, and playfulness.

Formats for proasts vary, including roast threads on forums, scripted live-stream roasts, or organized roast sessions in which participants acknowledge rules and moderators enforce them. The concept is closely linked to roast culture in general but frames the humor as mutual or community-guided rather than hostile.

Reception is mixed: supporters view proast as a structured, consent-based form of humor that allows sharp satire while reducing harm; critics worry about ambiguity and potential normalization of cruelty. See also roast, roast culture, consent in humor.