Ricky Gervais at the Golden Globes

version

Well-known member
The jokes weren't necessarily that funny, but I can't say I didn't enjoy seeing him lay into them. I'm assuming they decided to have him back as some form of "controlled opposition", allowing themselves to be humiliated for a few hours in an effort to placate the growing backlash.

 
Last edited:

Corpsey

bandz ahoy
Can't really stand Gervais most of the time. He loves to think he's some sort of genius rebel.

Still, it is satisfying to see this sort of thing, especially the anti-Apple/Disney/Amazon rhetoric. Even if it's a hollow charade.
 

Leo

Well-known member
it's all about TV ratings. at the end of the day, the Golden Globes doesn't really give a shit what a host says, as long as the host draws viewers. obviously there are some limits, they'd probably pull the plug on him mid-show if he said the GGs were the worst awards ever and judges were all ratfuckers or something, but aside from that it's all about TV ratings and related ad revenue.
 

Corpsey

bandz ahoy
it's all about TV ratings. at the end of the day, the Golden Globes doesn't really give a shit what a host says, as long as the host draws viewers. obviously there are some limits, they'd probably pull the plug on him mid-show if he said the GGs were the worst awards ever and judges were all ratfuckers or something, but aside from that it's all about TV ratings and related ad revenue.

Didn't he call the judging committee racists?
 

Corpsey

bandz ahoy
"Many talented people of color were snubbed in major categories. Unfortunately, there’s nothing we can do about that. Hollywood Foreign press are all very racist. Fifth time."
 

version

Well-known member
When was Gervais last in a big film? He tried it for a while. I remember seeing him in Stardust. He seems to have gone the Netflix special route now.
 

Corpsey

bandz ahoy
He's done nothing good since The Office, really.

Apparently he's worth about $130m, though.
 

version

Well-known member
I liked bits of Extras and Life's Too Short, but The Office was definitely his finest hour - partly because it wasn't all about him and the supporting cast/characters were strong.
 

pattycakes_

Can turn naughty
Gervais' finest moment was a series which he admitted was a ripoff of The Larry Sanders Show. Especially David Brent being almost completely based on Hank Kingsley. At the time he was hailed as the saviour of British comedy by the press, and boy did he ever buy into it. But the thing that really made him into the lovable figure we all know him as now was when America adopted him as their favourite limey pet. This propelled him into the Emperor's New Clothes territory at a level I don't think has ever been seen before. No project he has done since The Office was anywhere near as good. Many of them utter embarrassments. Derek? The Invention of Lying? Fuck off. And tbh on a recent revisit I've decided the office is also a piece of shit. It just doesn't stand the test of time, sorry. His inability to actually realise any of this and to keep trying to come up with new hits which only seem to sink even faster than the last one is a testement to the power of delusion rife in Hollywood. Him and Hollywood deserve each other.
 

subvert47

I don't fight, I run away
Gervais' finest moment was a series which he admitted was a ripoff of The Larry Sanders Show. Especially David Brent being almost completely based on Hank Kingsley.

Even if he does think that, I really don't see it. The characters on Larry Sanders may have embarrassed themselves but they were still likable. It wasn't cringe comedy. You weren't squirming in your chair every time they appeared on screen and opened their mouth. And David Brent is absolutely not Hank Kingsley. They're both delusional, but Brent is a talentless nobody, whereas Hank is an absolute don.

hank.jpg
 
Last edited:

pattycakes_

Can turn naughty
Even if he does think that, I really don't see it. The characters on Larry Sanders may have embarrassed themselves but they were still likable. It wasn't cringe comedy. You weren't squirming in your chair every time they appeared on screen and opened their mouth. And David Brent is absolutely not Hank Kingsley. They're both delusional, but Brent is a talentless nobody, whereas Hank is an absolute don.

View attachment 2075

Hank is extremely cringe. That was the whole point. Obviously they both very different, but the mechanics under the hood are more or less the same. They're both desperate to be liked. But hey now, feel free to disagree with Gervais' own admission if you like.
 

subvert47

I don't fight, I run away
Hank is extremely cringe. That was the whole point. Obviously they both very different, but the mechanics under the hood are more or less the same. They're both desperate to be liked. But hey now, feel free to disagree with Gervais' own admission if you like.

Nah. Gervais' "admission" is just hyperbole from a Garry Shandling fanboy. Inspired by Hank, maybe, if he says so; but "almost completely based on", hardly. And I disagree that Hank is really cringe. Perhaps some of the time, but not all the time. It's not essential to Hank. Not like David Brent or, say, Alan Partridge.
 

pattycakes_

Can turn naughty
Nah. Gervais' "admission" is just hyperbole from a Garry Shandling fanboy. Inspired by Hank, maybe, if he says so; but "almost completely based on", hardly. And I disagree that Hank is really cringe. Perhaps some of the time, but not all the time. It's not essential to Hank. Not like David Brent or, say, Alan Partridge.

I'm not going to hunt it down because I can't be bothered, but I read Gervais write it on his own blog. He also mentions it in the intro to the Ricky meets... Garry Shandling. Which just happens to be the final episode of that series because Shandling gave him a severe dollop of humble pie. He was supposed to make it into some big ongoing series but his ego was too bruised. In some ways I think that interview is pretty much the clearest demonstration of his comedy talents and true essence. He looks like a 14yo school boy trying to outwit Groucho Marx.

Hank is a much more subtle execution of that character type than Brent or Partridge. He also has performance chops and charisma unlike those two. But we're talking about a whole different level of entertainment. America mastered that shit. England could never pull it off on the same level because they don't have that same level of ego allowed to be converted into art. It's always got to be kept a few levels down because of the stupid British ideals of refinement and class. In music it's a different thing. We can easily meet the US toe to toe, but when it comes to TV we're never going to match them. So while it's kind of pointless to compare those 3 shows, I think it's an interesting point to think that the saviour of British comedy might not be the genius he was sold as.
 

pattycakes_

Can turn naughty
Almost completely based on might be a bit ott, though, you're right. Maybe strongly influenced by would be a better description.
 

subvert47

I don't fight, I run away
I'm not going to hunt it down because I can't be bothered, but I read Gervais write it on his own blog. He also mentions it in the intro to the Ricky meets... Garry Shandling.

Sure. Just in case it wasn't clear, I was calling Gervais himself a Garry Shandling fanboy there.
 

craner

Beast of Burden
I'm not going to hunt it down because I can't be bothered, but I read Gervais write it on his own blog. He also mentions it in the intro to the Ricky meets... Garry Shandling. Which just happens to be the final episode of that series because Shandling gave him a severe dollop of humble pie. He was supposed to make it into some big ongoing series but his ego was too bruised. In some ways I think that interview is pretty much the clearest demonstration of his comedy talents and true essence. He looks like a 14yo school boy trying to outwit Groucho Marx.

Hank is a much more subtle execution of that character type than Brent or Partridge. He also has performance chops and charisma unlike those two. But we're talking about a whole different level of entertainment. America mastered that shit. England could never pull it off on the same level because they don't have that same level of ego allowed to be converted into art. It's always got to be kept a few levels down because of the stupid British ideals of refinement and class. In music it's a different thing. We can easily meet the US toe to toe, but when it comes to TV we're never going to match them. So while it's kind of pointless to compare those 3 shows, I think it's an interesting point to think that the saviour of British comedy might not be the genius he was sold as.

This is largely true, although I can never work out if I like Bilko or Hancock more.
 
Top