Over the last few days, there has been a lot of hubub (technical term) about Ricky Gervais and his hosting of the 2011 Golden Globes. Among the responses I’ve heard:
“Career ending performance”
“Went overboard”
“Inappropriate”
Now, I love me my Ricky Gervais. I just do. But when I heard that he was being asked to host the Golden Globes for the second year in a row, I was kind of surprised. I still remember him hosting the 2010 Golden Globes, and even I shifted uncomfortably in my seat on a few jokes he told. They must have known that he wasn’t going to go easy on people this time around. Still, I wanted to see what the ruckus was about, so I found his opening monologue on YouTube and watched it. All 5 minutes of it.
It was a big dose of truth more than anything else.
The problem is that sometimes people don’t like hearing the truth, especially when it is passed on in a comedic way with the intent of making people laugh. But let’s face it – Charlie Sheen did completely trash a hotel, on a Monday, with a prostitute locked in his room. Hugh Heffner is marrying a 24-year-old and he is 84. The women in Sex and the City are no longer 17. These are just plain facts of life.
The truth online
The Ricky Gervais controversy is interesting when viewed through a Social Media prism. In the online world, it seems easy to call a duck a duck. After all, unlike Gervais, we do not have to see looks of horror as we act out. We do not have to hear the gasps, nor do we often have to see criticisms of our behavior wherein our careers are consigned to the nether-regions. We can tout our desire to tell the truth and to call a duck a duck, but we don’t have to bear the ramifications of that kind of shocking truth-telling.
Humans are squishy, even if you don’t see them
Do you think Ricky Gervais would be under so much fire if he had done his act in a small night club? If it was played on HBO? If it was somehow worked into a television show? I highly doubt it. In fact, I’d wager that a lot of people would be proclaiming him “bitterly hilarious” or something like that. So what is it that people find so bothersome about Gervais’ Golden Globes performance? You want to know the truth?
I think people are envious of his bravery. And I think they’re a little freaked out.
After all, who doesn’t make fun of Hollywood stars and Hollywood movies? We just don’t do it to anyone’s face. In their faces.
It’s something to think about before you hit “publish” on a post that is aiming to spill some “truth” about a person. Would you walk up to him and say it to his face? Would you say what you’re about to send out into the world to that person’s mom or dad, or their spouse, or their kids? If you wouldn’t, should you send out those nuggets of truth while crossing your fingers that nobody involved actually reads them? What if someone you’re targeting does read your post? You won’t have to see their reaction. You won’t have to hear it. In this way, blogs and online communication platforms can be compared to atomic bombs. You push the button and you move on with your day. The results are not on your radar. But they are there.
Is that a better way to go?
What do you think?
What’s your take on this whole Ricky Gervais thing? What’s your take on the online truth-teller? I’d love to hear your thoughts!
Image by Gölin Doorneweerd – Swijnenburg. http://www.sxc.hu/profile/babykrul
Margie
I did not get to watch a lot of the Golden Globes (scooby doo seemed to win out) however I have heard a lot about it. They knew. Everyone knew what he was going to do. He did not hide it nor now is not ashamed of it. His mentions are through the roof, the desire to have him on talk shows is high and while some may be turned off by him, he is probably the most talked about celebrity all week. Is this bad? I do not know.
Viewers who are offended. Why? He said something derogatory about a celebrity that you like? Ok. I can understand that to an extent as we do have celebrities that we like and we are protective of them. We do not know them as people, we like the characters they play. He is a comedian and comedians make fun of people and things that they do. Leno, Letterman, Fallon, Ferguson and O’Brien do it every single night. But not directly in the face of the celebrity. Interesting. So this time it was to their face and it is over the top too offensive?
I saw parts of his interview with Piers Morgan and he is a likable guy. I just keep coming back to they knew. Everyone knew what to expect. They rehired him and let’s face it, the folks at the Golden Globes are loving the fact that their show is being talked about over and over. Let’s make controversy and say he is not coming back so people in the media focus on it. Yeah Yeah let’s do that.
If you did not want a comedian who is not a puppet, they why did you hire him? That is my question.
Yeah, I don’t really understand it either. Plus at all of these awards shows, celebrities are roasted.
By the way, they really should be in a lot of cases. I used to love watching the Red Carpet specials before the Oscars, but when they started reviewing how much all of those dresses cost, how much all of that jewelry costs, I got really turned off. It’s like we’re back in the Roman empire and we’re having to worship our most wealthy people. No. Thanks.
Anyway, that’s beside the point.
I think it’s just simply a matter that Gervais did this IN as well as TO peoples’ faces, and that makes everyone’s comments along similar lines seem more real, maybe. I dunno. It’s a weird phenomenon to me.
I’m with Suzanne. They knew what they were getting when they hired Ricky Gervais — again. They welcome the controversy while feigning shock. I’m a fan and had just watched his latest standup show a few nights earlier, which is ten times as rude as his Golden Globes performance.
This quote says it all: “I think people are envious of his bravery.” People wish they had the freedom of a comedian to blurt out the truth and get a laugh. He won’t suffer for his performance, or at least not in the way some people think he should!
Yeah, like I said, I found his monologue from last year a lot more uncomfortable than this year’s. I mean, seriously, when you get a laugh just by recounting exactly what Charlie Sheen did, how can you help but be funny? Some of our celebrities are just wacko. While I don’t condone making fun of people, I mean, dude, you’re sitting there in a $5 million dress at an awards show. I think you’ll be okay.
And I know Ricky will be okay too. I just don’t get the hubub.
I heard someone say, “It was like they hired a hit man, and then got upset when he did the job.”
I like that. Great analogy!
I think it depends on which side of the Atlantic you are on as to whether you thought he was hilarious or over stepping the mark. It was the jokes that the audience didn’t get and Ricky’s shaking of his head that were the funniest.
But he is a comedian so I totally agree with you re personal attacks, leave it to the professionals.
That could be. I love British humor so for me, the more over the top the better. There are people who just don’t appreciate or care for the nuanced art of sarcasm (an art which I practice more than the Karate Kid practiced karate).
But even so, I think people were more uncomfortable because the camera crew was panning from Gervais to the audience – right to the people he was talking about. Were they uncomfortable? Heck yeah. But you know, again, that’s what you get when you go to these shows. I dunno. I don’t get it.
Ricky saved the Globes from being the usual over-hyped, snooze-fest that these awards shows usually turn into.
I thought he was freaking hilarious, but I do wonder if his humour was lost on some Americans (I’m Australian). British (and Australian) humour often has a somewhat biting tone, that if you’re not clued into could come off as just being nasty.
I’ve also enjoyed the ‘post game’ analysis and comment. When I heard the ‘he crossed the line’ remarks from the head of HFPA, I wondered if his nose poked the reporters eye out. There is no way he thinks Ricky crossed the line, he’s absolutely revelling in the coverage of his event that is usually forgotten a day or two after it happens.
As for social media, if you can’t say it to my face, don’t say it at all.
In business we’re constantly told to build an audience of people who love you and what you do, don’t try to please everyone.
I think Ricky Gervais is my new business mentor 🙂
Well, based on his performance in The Office, that could be a risky business model 🙂
I think actually that one of the reasons Gervais is not a Hollywood darling is that he has taken on the American version of The Office pretty much since it started, and he has not left Steve Carell out of the fun. That was the topic of some of his jokes last year, in fact.
You all raise a good point about PR. Is this kind of PR good for the Golden Globes? As you just said, normally it’s considered a snooze fest. Now it’s the talk of the town, but I really don’t know who any of the winners were 🙂
Totally veering off on a tangent here…but last night I watched All About Eve for the first time. I was taken aback on how well the movie depicted women and aging – under probably the fiercest light – acting. And, I thought about this post. Good movies and good bloggers get you think about these things.
Thanks, Dawn. That’s what I’m aiming for. Hamsters – run! 🙂
01/22/2011
I Saw Gervais host the Golden Globes. Ricky can be a first class host and comedian. However during the Golden Globes he was “off his game” and not at his best. He had a weak team of joke writers & wasn’t using the jokes well.
Gervais can perform much better than he did. With the kind of talent he had in the room he should have done alot better. His performance was disappointing. He was in a slump!
He has a new series comming up. I’m going to try it as I know Gervais can do better.
Cordially
Mike
Ah, interesting. So you thought his delivery wasn’t that good. I kind of noticed that from the monologue I watched on YouTube. He seemed not his jovial self. I wonder if he was made to feel nervous based on peoples’ reactions. Interesting indeed. Thanks, Mike!
How refreshing, Margie, to read your article! I seem to be the only person among my friends who thought he gave an excellent performance and was not offended. Personally, I think Ricky Gervais was hilarious (as usual). It was somewhat uncomfortable though, just watching the cameras flash around the audience and seeing the squeamish celebrities as they looked around at each other, not knowing what reaction to take. I believe some really thought he was funny but were afraid to laugh; others were truly horrified. Then there were those who kept stone faces so as to not reveal any emotion; that way they couldn’t make a ‘mistake’ and laugh or boo at the inappropriate joke. As you pointed out, “Leno, Letterman, Fallen, Ferguson and O’Brian do its every night.” People obviously enjoy it; otherwise their shows wouldn’t go on every night for years! If this kind of humor, or roasting, was not appropriate for the Golden Globes, then why did they ask him to come back for a second year? I saw videos on YouTube which showed his monolog from last year, and frankly I can’t see that much difference! Did Hollywood have a better sense of humor last year? As we know, the Oscars are more formal, but the Globes is known for the excessive drinking and partying at the tables throughout the show, so the host is expected to be more loose and casual (or so I thought). What could have been a great awards show was in my opinion dampened and somewhat spoiled, not by any comment by Ricky Gervais, but by the stuffy, ego-bruised celebrities in the audience.
I think panning over the people he was talking about made it more uncomfortable. But they’ve always done that. Last year when he was blasting the American version of The Office the camera panned right to Steve Carell. And I definitely would have thought Johnny Depp (who looked DELICIOUS, btw) would have had more of a sense of humor. Not all of your movies can be box office smashes, dude.
I don’t know. I think it’s all pretty revealing about where our poor crazy society is these days 🙂