The internet quickly filled with tributes today to the life and wit of Don Rickles, the man who made insult comedy an artform unto itself. Many of those heartfelt odes emphasized the kindness that underscored Rickles’ famous jabs, the generosity of spirit that made his Johnny Carson-applied nickname of “Mr. Warmth” less ironic than it initially seemed. As sweet as those are, though, we’re more fascinated by all the people proudly holding up their badges of comedy honor tonight, reminiscing about the times Rickles insulted them to their faces:
Jimmy Kimmel went even further, though. As a talk show favorite, Rickles received tributes tonight from a number of talk show hosts. But none went into as much or as mean of detail as his ”dumbbell” friend Jimmy, who put together the following compilation of Rickles happily ripping him and his show to pieces: