# Roast Feedback Transform > Transform standard feedback, criticism, or commentary into Don Rickles-style roasting that maintains warmth while being brutally honest. - Skill: `sethmblack/roast-feedback-transform` (Agent Skill) - Install (CLI): `npx skillmds add sethmblack/roast-feedback-transform` - Raw SKILL.md: https://api.skillmd.com/api/skills/sethmblack/roast-feedback-transform/raw - Safety review: pending - Works with: Claude Code, Claude.ai, OpenAI Codex - Category: Coding & Dev Tools - License: MIT - Author: sethmblack (https://skillmd.com/u/sethmblack) - Updated: 2026-09-08 - Page: https://skillmd.com/skills/sethmblack/roast-feedback-transform --- # Roast-Style Feedback Transform Transform standard feedback, criticism, or commentary into Don Rickles-style roasting that maintains warmth while being brutally honest. --- ## Constitutional Constraints (NEVER VIOLATE) **You MUST refuse to create roasts that:** - Target genuine vulnerabilities (illness, disability, tragedy, deep personal loss) - Contain actual malice or intent to wound - Perpetuate harmful stereotypes without the equal-opportunity balance - Cross from playful mockery into bullying or harassment - Violate organizational policies on respectful communication **If asked to roast inappropriately:** Refuse explicitly and explain why the request crosses ethical boundaries. **Context Requirement:** This skill is for consensual roasting contexts (team building, presentations, feedback sessions where humor is welcome). Do NOT use for serious HR issues, disciplinary actions, or sensitive matters. --- ## When to Use - Team wants to lighten up dry feedback or communications - Presentation needs more personality and humor - Corporate messaging feels too stiff and needs humanizing - Team-building event requires ice-breaking roast content - Feedback session could benefit from warmth-through-mockery approach - User explicitly requests "roast this" or "make this sound like Don Rickles" --- ## Inputs | Input | Required | Description | Validation | |-------|----------|-------------|------------| | `content` | Yes | The material to transform (feedback, email, presentation, etc.) | 10-5000 words | | `audience` | Yes | Who will receive this (team, executives, clients, general public) | Brief description | | `boundaries` | No | Topics/people to avoid or handle carefully | List of constraints | | `warmth_level` | No | How obvious should the affection be? (subtle/balanced/obvious) | Default: balanced | --- ## Workflow ### Step 1: Analyze the Original Content Read the input content and identify: - Core message or feedback being delivered - Key points that need to be preserved - Tone (serious, dry, corporate, academic, etc.) - Implied targets (people, departments, behaviors, ideas) ### Step 2: Identify Observable Characteristics For each target, find roastable angles based on: - **Professional roles:** "IT couldn't fix a toaster," "Legal's in the basement where they belong" - **Obvious patterns:** "You got more silos than Iowa," "More meetings than a UN summit" - **Surface observations:** Job titles, department names, industry stereotypes - **Self-evident truths:** Common workplace frustrations everyone recognizes **AVOID:** Personal appearance, ethnicity, gender, age, disability, or any characteristic that could genuinely wound. ### Step 3: Apply Rickles Technique Transform using these elements: **Rapid-Fire Structure:** - Short, punchy sentences - No long explanations - Hit and move: "Look at this. Look at that. You call this a plan?" **Signature Vocabulary:** - "dummy," "hockey puck," "what am I running here, a circus?" - "Am I right or am I right?" - "Look at this guy/gal" **Equal-Opportunity Distribution:** - If hitting multiple targets, ensure everyone gets roasted - Don't pile on one group—spread the damage **Warmth Signals:** - End with affection: "I'm only busting your chops because I care, you hockey pucks" - Include self-deprecation: "Look at me, giving advice like I know what I'm doing" - Make intent clear: "We're all in this together, even if you're all driving me crazy" ### Step 4: Preserve Core Message Ensure the transformed version still communicates: - The original feedback or point - Actionable information - Key decisions or next steps The roast style should enhance, not obscure, the actual content. ### Step 5: Apply Benign Violation Check Review for the warmth/edge balance: - Does every insult feel playful rather than mean? - Would the target laugh or feel wounded? - Is the underlying affection clear? - Have you avoided genuine vulnerabilities? If anything feels genuinely mean, soften it or add warmth signals. --- ## Outputs | Output | Description | |--------|-------------| | `roasted_content` | The transformed version in Rickles style | | `preserved_points` | List of core messages maintained from original | | `warmth_indicators` | Elements that signal affection/playfulness | | `usage_guidance` | When/how to deploy this roasted version | --- **Format:** ```markdown ## Analysis: [Topic] ### Key Findings - [Finding 1] - [Finding 2] - [Finding 3] ### Recommendations 1. [Action 1] 2. [Action 2] 3. [Action 3] ``` ## Error Handling | Situation | Response | |-----------|----------| | Content is HR disciplinary action | Refuse - inappropriate context for roasting | | Boundaries include entire audience | Explain that roasting requires targets; suggest alternative | | Content contains sensitive personal info | Remove or anonymize before roasting | | Requested warmth_level conflicts with content | Use balanced approach and explain adjustment | | Original content has no clear message | Ask for clarification on core points to preserve | --- ## Additional Notes **Best practices:** - Use this skill when the situation clearly matches its intended use cases - Combine with related skills for comprehensive analysis - Iterate on outputs if initial results don't fully meet requirements **Common variations:** - Adjust the depth of analysis based on available time and information - Scale the approach for different levels of complexity - Adapt the output format to audience needs **When to skip this skill:** - The situation doesn't match the core use cases - Simpler approaches would be more appropriate - Time constraints require faster methods ## Integration This skill is part of a broader analytical framework. Use it when you need systematic analysis following this specific methodology. **Works well with:** - Other analytical skills for comprehensive evaluation - Creative skills when generating solutions based on insights - Strategic planning skills when acting on recommendations **When to prefer this over alternatives:** - The situation matches this skill's specific use cases - You need the particular perspective this framework provides - Other approaches haven't yielded satisfactory results **Integration with expert personas:** - This skill can be invoked as part of a larger analysis workflow - Combine with domain-specific expertise for deeper insights - Use iteratively for complex, multi-faceted problems ## Example **Input Content:** "The team needs to improve cross-functional communication. Currently, IT and Sales are not sharing information effectively, leading to duplicated efforts and missed opportunities." **Audience:** Internal team meeting **Boundaries:** None specified **Roasted Output:** "Communication? You people couldn't communicate if I gave you tin cans and string. Look at this—IT doesn't talk to Sales, Sales doesn't talk to IT, and meanwhile you're both doing the same work twice like a bunch of dummies. You know what that is? That's expensive. That's what keeps me up at night while you're all playing telephone with yourselves. Here's the deal: IT, Sales—you're gonna talk to each other. I don't care if you like each other. I don't care if you understand each other. You're gonna have lunch together, you're gonna share your little spreadsheets, and you're gonna stop making me look like I'm running a kindergarten instead of a company. Am I right or am I right? Now get together and figure this out, will ya? I'm only busting your chops because we got work to do, you hockey pucks." **Preserved Points:** - IT and Sales need to communicate - Current lack of communication causes duplication - Solution: regular information sharing **Warmth Indicators:** - "I'm only busting your chops" - "you hockey pucks" (signature affectionate insult) - "we got work to do" (inclusive, team-oriented) **Usage Guidance:** Deploy this at a team meeting where the culture welcomes humor. Follow up with specific action items in a more standard format. Use this to break the ice and make the point memorable, not as the sole communication of the issue. --- ## Integration with Don Rickles Expert This skill extracts the core Rickles roasting framework from the Don Rickles expert persona. Use this skill when: - You need the roast technique without the full Rickles voice - You want to apply the method to structured content - You're working with users who may not know who Rickles was For full Rickles voice embodiment (including anecdotes, philosophy, and broader performance), invoke the Don Rickles expert directly. --- ## Constraints - **Context is king:** Roasting works in some cultures/teams, not all. Include usage guidance with every output. - **Warmth is non-negotiable:** Every roasted version must include clear affection signals. - **Message preservation:** The roast style should never obscure the core content. - **Consent matters:** This skill assumes the audience is receptive to humor. Flag when context seems inappropriate. --- ## Success Criteria Roast transformation is successful when: - [ ] Original message is preserved and clear - [ ] Humor is based on observable/professional characteristics only - [ ] Equal-opportunity mockery is applied (no piling on one target) - [ ] Warmth signals are present and obvious - [ ] Benign violation balance is maintained (funny, not wounding) - [ ] Usage guidance is provided for deployment - [ ] Output matches Don Rickles' signature style (rapid-fire, punchy, warm)