Ricky Gervais offers no apologies for Golden Globes jokes
Editor's note: Watch "Piers Morgan Tonight" weeknights on CNN/US at 9 p.m. ET and on CNN International at 1200 GMT/1300 CET/2000 HKT.
Alan Duke
CNN
Los Angeles (CNN) - Ricky Gervais isn't worried that his cutting humor at Sunday's Golden Globes made anyone dislike him, because he was just doing his job.
"I don't care what people think of me," Gervais said in an interview airing Thursday on CNN's "Piers Morgan Tonight." "I care if I've done a good job, and I care if I've told the truth."
Gervais' jokes targeted many of Hollywood's biggest stars and the group that hired him to host the awards show for a second year.
"They hired me for a job and if they didn't want me, they shouldn't have hired me," Gervais said.
His job as comedian is to give people a release, he said.
"Comedy is laughing in the face of adversity," he said. "We use comedy as a sword, a shield, as a medicine, as a getting to know you. It's fundamental. It's a fundamental we understand comedy and we have humor, because it's built on empathy, and that's what being human is."
The British comedian told Morgan he was just "confronting the elephant in the room" with one-liners about the bad movies and bad behavior of the actors sitting in front of him.
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Filed under: 360° Radar • Piers Morgan |
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I think Ricky Gervais did what he was hired/asked to do. He made fun of the celebs. If they don't want to be part of his act? Don't act like an idiot in public. Don't give comedians fuel for fire.
Who cares! Dry, stupid British humor is is just that! Does he have any idea what these trouble people have been through? Probably not! And, could care less! Gervais is just like the other fools–Piers, and Simon. They portray a negative light, instead of becoming encouraging. They fit right in with the negative state of our country! Why applaud this garbage?
RIcky Jerkvais' jokes were abusive under the guise of humor. This guy is very aggressive and hostile and he gets away with it because he is intelligent and clever. He exploits his talents to demean others. He does not have an ounce of humility and instead of offering a mea culpa, he brags. I wonder how he treats the significant others in his life – let's hear about that. What a loser.
I thought he was a great host and I loved his jokes – especially the intro of Tom Hanks and Tim Allen. If Tim was miffed then he must not have the great sense of humor he acts like he has. If you can't laugh at yourself then you have no business laughing at others – Gervalis is right – its all about empathy.
American vs British humor ? Do you think the British use more sophisticated irony and mockery with a splash of surrealism ? Was he just more blunt and honest in humor or boarder line embarrassing and rude to some ? Is this dude the real test of laughing at ones self ?
JOAN RIVERS, WOW! LOL!
Get over it, America! Ricky Gervais was brilliant!
Don't get the whole bruhaha about R Gervais. He is hillarious and an incredibly honest man who owes no appologies. If Hollywood who by the way, has awards shows for its awards shows, makes more money than God,and are pandered to and spoiled by the american people....if hollywood can't take a joke....
Comedians go for the joke that is all they think about.
Sometimes it is just funnier in their head than out loud.
At least he didn't have to swear to get his punchline(s) across or use swearing as the punchline.
It was all very clever.