comical doesn't necessarily mean funny. It was comical, but not funny at all. (i'm looking at you Batman and robin)
i didn't think it was done well either. i'm glad they got rid of it, especially if they wanted to approach the drinking angle more seriously. if they wanted to keep the scene, they should have shown him in the bathroom by himself without anyone seeing him. after he's done, he comes out, and pretends everything is fine. Pepper knows what really happening and tells tony to stop, but it is tony who insists that the show must gone on, not pepper. but i think this would have been too dark and depressing to start the movie with.
but i love the "how's my hair" and "you complete me" parts and think they should have started with 1:53.