FRIDAY, March 29, 2024
nationthailand

Naughty Ricky Gervais goes all the way with Globes

Naughty Ricky Gervais goes all the way with Globes

Ricky Gervais returned as host of the Golden Globe Awards on Sunday with what can only be described as a vengeance.

 He’d been eased out of the job after three years because of the sheer volume of people he’d offended. The Hollywood Foreign Press Association, which presents the awards, simply ran out of defences.
Tina Fey and Amy Poehler did a decent tag-team turn hosting subsequent editions, but the show was missing the edge that only Gervais’ razor tongue could wield, and he arrived onstage this time with a fine greeting for the crowd: “Shut up, you disgusting, pill-popping deviant scum!”
Offence intended, and that was only the opening serve. He promptly ridiculed an unnamed Hollywood publication for predicting that his presence would keep some stars away “for fear of being made fun of”. “As if film stars would stay away from the chance of winning a Golden Globe – particularly if their film company has already paid for it,” he said, alluding to suspicions that the studios can control voting on the winners.
The British comic’s first individual target was Caitlyn Jenner, the American Olympic decathlon hero who had a sex change and is now a TV celebrity by dint of membership in the Kardashian clan. Then Jenner was involved in a car crash that left another person dead.
“What a year she’s had,” Gervais said. “She became a role model for trans people everywhere, showing great bravery in breaking down barriers and destroying stereotypes. She didn’t do a lot for women drivers, but you can’t have everything, can you?”
Well, a lot of people hate reality TV, so he was safe with that gag. The laughter was noticeably less when he joked about “Spotlight”, a nominated movie about a probe into child abuse by Catholic priests. He said Roman Polanski – who can’t visit the US because for his alleged 1977 statutory rape of a 13-year-old girl – “called it the best date movie ever”.
Was that going too far, or merely an unfunny joke?
The bigoted frontrunner in the Republican race for the presidency was a fish in a barrel. It was Gervais’ job to introduce two Hispanic stars to present an award. “Eva Longoria and America Ferrera aren’t just beautiful, talented actresses. They are also two people who your future president, Donald Trump, can’t wait to deport.”
Matt Damon was welcomed to the stage as “the only person Ben Affleck hasn’t been unfaithful to”.
Mel Gibson, whom Gervais had gleefully mocked during the 2010 show for his drunken racist tirades, decided on Sunday that “Mel’s forgotten all about it, apparently. That’s what drinking does.” 
Then, with Gibson about to take the stage, Gervais added, “I’d rather have a drink with him in his hotel room tonight than Bill Cosby.” The host had been sipping beer throughout the show but theatrically whisked his pint glass away as Gibson approached the podium.
To his credit, Gibson remained calm, or at least seemingly so. “I love seeing Ricky once every three years because it reminds me to get a colonoscopy,” he quipped.
Agence France-Presse reports that early reviews of the awards gala didn’t take offence with anything Gervais said. Instead they took offence that the joy he takes in being offensive has become so formulaic. It’s okay to be rude as long as you mix it up.
 
nationthailand