“Remember: it’s just jokes and we’re all going to die soon,” said Ricky Gervais in his opening salvo to the 2020 Golden Globes. “There is no continuation.”
Gervais, still known to the public for his BBC series The Office and Extras, returned to the Globes stage for the fifth time on Sunday evening – and released his patented, barbaric humor among the famous participants. But while some expected the comedian to jump over the finish line after a series of transphobic tweets and general apathy for advanced philosophy, his crosshairs were firmly anchored on the stars and the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, the organization behind the globes.
“Many colored people were rejected in many categories,” he began. “Unfortunately there is nothing we can do about it – the people in the Hollywood Foreign Press are very, very racist.”
In the days leading up to the Globes, Gervais predicted the rigors of pushing the Hollywood beehive in a way that was profound but also served the millions and millions of people who get involved in an awards ceremony. In response to a question about Joker director Todd Phillips’ recent comments on “Woke Culture” that harmed the comedy, Gervais bluntly told The Hollywood Reporter:
People like the idea of free speech until they hear something they don’t like. So there is still pressure, but that does not mean that I will water it down or water it down again and not say what I want. It’s just another form of what we’ve been through many times – it used to be called P.C. I think these things start with very good intentions and then get attacked. It’s good not to be racist, sexist, and homophobic. But it’s not good not to be joking about these things because you can tell a race joke without being racist. I like to stick to the rules. It’s just that the 200 million viewers have different rules. That is the misery. When people say, “He crossed the line,” I say, “I didn’t set a line, you did.” It is relative. It is subjective.
When Gervais crossed a line, it was about not embarrassing the talent, executives, and Hollywood bigwigs in the room. After Gervais recognized the legendary cast of The Irishman, including Robert De Niro, Martin Scorsese and Baby Yoda (“Oh, this is Joe Pesci”), Netflix’s dominance in the industry and the business model’s confidence in huge superhero films were in tears. He joined forces with Scorsese, who honored the Marvel Cinematic Universe last fall for its artlessness.
“The best actors have switched to Netflix and HBO, and the actors who only make films do fantasy adventure nonsense. They wear masks and cloaks and very tight costumes. Your job is to stop playing and go to the gym and take steroids twice a week. “Gervais turned to the curtain and asked,” Do we have an award for most junkies? “
No one was intact at the time of the award ceremony. On an actor’s reputation for meeting women half his age:
“Once upon a time in . Hollywood is three hours long! Leonardo DiCaprio was at the premiere and in the end his date was too old for him. “
About a recent musical phenomenon:
“The world saw James Corden as a fat pussy. He was also in the movie Cats. “
About the advent of Apple TV Plus:
“Apple started the TV game with The Morning Show, a great drama about dignity and the right thing. Made by a company that sells sweatshirts in China.”
About an evil truth:
“If ISIS has started a streaming service, call your agent.”
The monologue was a real high-wire act: a relentless attack on Hollywood’s socially conscious selling point, which may have taken place in front of an audience prepared for ugly slingshots. When Gervai’s bridges burned, it was with everyone in the room – or to put it that way, with people who knew Jeffrey Epstein and were terrified of Ronan Farrow.
As he kept saying in his 10-minute number: “For the fifth time. Nobody cares.”
