Word is the Biebs himself actually instigated this event as part of a multi-pronged bid for redemption from a public weary of his juvenile antics, multiple arrests and unmitigated douchebaggery. The plan goes: run the gauntlet of a savage public beatdown as the first step toward celeb-atonement.

Will it work? Could Bieber's Roast prove to be his on-ramp to career rebirth? He better hope so--while the dozens of rabid Beliebers camped outside Sony Studios in hopes of catching a glimpse of 'the King Joffrey of pop" (Jeff Ross's line) seemed unaware that Bieber Fever peaked five years ago, the vast majority of JB's original fan base have aged out of pre-pubescent heartthrob fantasies, leaving our anti-hero at a Timberlake-esque crossroads.

But enough speculation about Bieber's fate. The important question is: was the Roast of Justin Bieber funny? And the answer is a resounding yes. Schadenfreude enthusiasts on both sides of the U.S.-Canadian border will delight in what was probably the most consistently hilarious Comedy Central Roast to date.

Masterfully hosted by minuscule MC Kevin Hart, the evening was an exhilarating barrage of brutal verbal abuse, riotous and unrelenting. And while no one on the dais emerged unscathed, the most barbaric barbs were reserved for Bieber himself.