Ricky Gervais Says That His Critics Are ‘Addicted to Being Offended’

Whereas Ricky Gervais clearly nonetheless has many loyal followers, others have identified he’s principally transformed into David Brent, the grating, tone-deaf supervisor he created for The Workplace.

Gervais’ current stand-up specials have been chock-full of conspicuously button-pushing materials, together with the 2022 Netflix particular SuperNature, which included jokes mocking trans women and a bit in regards to the origin of HIV, all of which led to the particular being condemned by GLAAD. “We watched the Ricky Gervais ‘comedy’ special on Netflix so you don’t have to,” the group mentioned in an announcement on the time. “It’s full of graphic, dangerous, anti-trans rants masquerading as jokes. He also spouts anti-gay rhetoric and spreads inaccurate information about HIV.”

He was equally blasted for utilizing the r-word “ableist slur” throughout a controversial routine about pediatric most cancers from 2023’s Armageddon, which even inspired a Change.org petition imploring Netflix to take away the bit from the particular altogether. 

In a brand new interview with The Los Angeles Times, Gervais defended his materials, and lashed out at his critics. “There’s always a point to it,” Gervais mentioned of his act. “Offense often comes from people mistaking the subject of a joke with the actual target, and they’re not usually the same.”

Gervais conceded that he brings up sure “taboo subjects” on goal, as a result of he needs to “take the audience to a place they haven’t been before,” likening the expertise to a guided stroll “through a scary forest” the place every little thing is okay “because they always laugh.” He additionally claimed that his comedy is “a magic trick. It is a formula. You can’t argue with chemistry,” including, “No one goes, well, I know I laughed, but I don’t agree with it.”

The issue with this protection is that clearly not everyone seems to be laughing. Since these specials are filmed and distributed by Netflix, shouldn’t streaming viewers, even the displeased ones, even be counted as a part of Gervais’ viewers? 

The Extras star additionally advised that nobody has really been offended by these specials. “People sometimes seek out the offense and that’s actually where people can get addicted to being offended,” Gervais argued. “They like it, it makes them feel alive. The news even picks up Twitter! They say, ‘Oh, fans weren’t happy!’ Three fans weren’t happy.’”

To be truthful, much more than three followers appear to have been sad with current Gervais specials. No matter how you’re feeling in regards to the concept of Netflix retroactively censoring a comedy particular, nearly 14,000 people signed that petition towards Armageddon. And as for the suggestion that anybody who finds fault with Gervais’ comedy is “addicted to being offended,” it appears extra apparent that Gervais is hooked on being offensive. 

The issue with quite a lot of these jokes aren’t that they deal with taboo topics, it’s that they’re lazy, deliberately merciless and creatively inert. They’re particularly designed to offend, fairly than make any type of vaguely-interesting level. He punches down on weak teams, however cloaks it in a semi-ironic supply that permits him to justify these hack bits to himself, and seemingly cling to the concept that he’s nonetheless an edgy outsider fairly than an out of contact multimillionaire. 

If folks stopped being offended by Ricky Gervais, he would in all probability simply fade out of existence like Tinker Bell if no person claps. 

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