Ricky Gervais Shreds Snowflakes: Being Offended Doesn’t Make You Right
Comedian blasts critics of his anti-Hollywood Golden Globes remarks
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British comedian Ricky Gervais is hitting back at snowflakes who are criticizing his shredding of Hollywood elites during last week's Golden Globes.
Gervais made headlines around the world for hosting the annual entertainment industry award show, most notably for his opening monologue where he bashed hypocritical celebrities.
Despite beginning his speech by saying that his comments were “just jokes,” Gervais's speech seemed to have a serious undercurrent when he addressed the "woke" celebrity audience.
The creator of The Office told the Hollywood celebrities gathered for the awards ceremony on Sunday evening that they were “in no position to lecture the public about anything.”
Some sections of the media have said that Gervais’ speech, which included a number of controversial and vulgar jokes, “cheapened the ceremony.”
Others argued that his comments “overshadowed vital political statements” made during the course of the evening.
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Gervais responded to his critics on Twitter by mocking the idea that “teasing huge corporations, and the richest, most privileged people in the world” makes him “right-wing.”
In a tweet later, he told “woke” critics that “simply pointing out whether someone is left or right wing isn't winning the argument” and that “just because you're offended, doesn't mean you're right.”
1. Simply pointing out whether someone is left or right wing isn't winning the argument.
— Ricky Gervais (@rickygervais) January 8, 2020
2. If a joke is good enough, it can be enjoyed by anyone.
3. It's not all about you.
4. Just because you're offended, doesn't mean you're right.
Gervais also retweeted a post by conservative talk-show host Dana Loesch, who said that the negative reactions to Gervais’ speech “prove his point.”
Loesch tweeted in response to an article in UK newspaper the Indepedent, which argued that “powerful speeches...given by actors including Jennifer Aniston on climate change, Joaquin Phoenix on veganism, Michelle Williams on abortion rights [sic] and Patricia Arquette on the conflict between Iran/US” had been undermined by Gervais.
Loesch called the article “garbage” and said “[t]hey can lecture from the stage but he can’t mock their inconsistencies? You prove his point.”
Oh garbage. @rickygervais demonstrated that good comedians go after everyone. No one should be safe, but the prevailing thought these past 10+ years is that one group IS exempt. They can lecture from the stage but he can’t mock their inconsistencies? You prove his point. https://t.co/Dr9PKnbUSg
— Dana Loesch (@DLoesch) January 7, 2020
During his speech at the ceremony, Gervais at one point tore stripes off of Apple for claiming to be “woke” while being a “company who runs sweatshops in China.”
He told the gathered celebrities, “You say you're ‘woke,’ but the companies you work for are unbelievable.
"Apple, Amazon, Disney – If ISIS started a streaming service you'd call your agent, wouldn't you?”
“So if you do win an award tonight don't use it as a platform to make a political speech.
"You're in no position to lecture the public about anything.”
At one point in his speech, Gervais referred to the audience generally as “all you perverts.”
He joked about the connection of celebrities to convicted sex-offender Jeffrey Epstein, telling the audience, “I know he’s your friend.”
At another point in his speech, he said that the one thing that all TV and film executives had in common was being “terrified of Ronan Farrow,” the journalist known for helping to uncover sexual abuse allegations against former Hollywood film producer Harvey Weinstein.
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It is by no means clear where Gervais stands on a number of the controversial issues touched on in his speech.
In one interview prior to the event, he said, “it’s about the gag – whatever it looks like.
"I think some people think that a comedian’s joke is looking into his real soul.
"Well, it’s not. Sometimes they’re wordplay, sometimes you say things you don’t mean for comic-effect.”
However, he does appear to be intent on attacking what many consider to be the hypocrisy of celebrities using such award ceremonies to make moral and political speeches.
Prior to the event, Gervais told the Spectator magazine of his intention to challenge the celebrity audience, saying “it's a room full of the biggest virtue-signalers and hypocrites in the world, so I've got to go after that.”
