Follow on TwitterWATCH: Ricky Gervais’ Controversial 2011 Golden Globes Monologue
Ricky Gervais was absolutely hysterical Sunday night as host of the 2011 Golden Globe Awards!
Granted, he pushed the envelope in terms of appropriateness, but come on now — seriously! — isn’t that what all of us are secretly hoping for from any major award event’s comic MC? Without a Ricky Gervais or Chris Rock or someone who’s going to shake the evening up a bit, the event always evolves into something resembling a slow death — an unmemorable, uneventful fizzle.
Chelsea Handler hosted the Mtv Awards recently, and it was obvious that she deliberately toned it down — played it conservatively. I had to switch the channel after about 10 minutes. Boring! More often than not, these comics rose to stardom, because they wouldn’t allow their shtick to be roped into some old Hollywood magnate’s idea of “wholesome & uncontroversial” etiquette.
Now, I don’t enjoy seeing blatant cruelty directed at anyone, but look at who he singled out for a spirited ribbing: Charlie Sheen, Mel Gibson, Hugh Hefner, and some unnamed Scientology stars. And he pummeled Johnny Depp and Angelina Jolie’s latest film, The Tourist. None of them strike me as the kinds who will lose sleep from being joked on by a stand-up comic, like Gervais.
It’s been reported that members of the Hollywood Foreign Press reacted as if his jokes destroyed the entire evening. I’m guessing they’ll soon discover that this year’s Golden Globes will be the most talked about event of the month. And if they were wise enough to bring Gervais back next year, the event would likely garner twice the ratings it did this year — on Gervais’ presence alone.
But that appears unlikely to happen.
Gervais apparently got in the most trouble for making fun of Philip Berk, the current head of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA). Another member was quoted as saying to PopEater:
“Ricky will not be invited back to host the show next year, for sure,” a member of the HFPA tells me, adding that Gervais’ relentlessly mean shtick could have even larger consequences. “For sure any movie he makes he can forget about getting nominated. He humiliated the organization last night and went too far with several celebrities whose representatives have already called to complain.”
I doubt Ricky Gervais is worried. His stock has risen considerably after this performance.
WATCH his beginning monologue:
UPDATE:
Ricky Gervais responds to his critics.
WATCH: New Ricky Gervais Appearance On Conan O’Brien
Ricky Gervais — one of the funniest comics around — appeared on Conan O’Brien last Thursday to discuss his upcoming gig hosting the Golden Globe Awards. He also has a new one-off HBO special “Talking Funny” with fellow comedians Jerry Seinfeld, Chris Rock, and Louis CK.
Here’s the entire interview, for your pleasure:
ENJOY!
Tucson Shooting Survivor Arrested At Taping Of ABC’s ‘This Week’ For Threatening Tea Party Founder
ABC’s ‘This Week’ with Christiane Amanpour shot a ‘Town Hall’ meeting today called “Tragedy in Tucson: An American Conversation Continued” (to be aired Sunday Morning) where survivors, witnesses and first responders of the massacre were reunited. Towards the end of the otherwise sad and emotional event, as was described by AZ Central, Amanpour brought up the touchy issue of gun control.
ABC – Channel 9 reported that the topic brought a well known Tucson Tea Partier to his feet which stirred up tensions with survivor Eric Fuller:
When Tucson Tea Party founder Trent Humphries rose to suggest that any conversation about gun control should be put off until after the funerals for all the victims, witnesses say Fuller became agitated. Two told KGUN9 News that finally, Fuller took a picture of Humphries, and said, “You’re dead.”
When State Rep. Terri Proud (R-Tucson) rose to explain and clarify current and proposed gun legislation in the state, several people groaned or booed her. One of those booing, according to several witnesses, was Fuller. Witnesses sitting near Fuller told KGUN9 News that Fuller was making them feel very uncomfortable.
The police escorted Fuller outside, and he screamed at the audience, “You whores!” Capt. Byron Gwaltney of the Pima County Sheriff’s Department said that Fuller was arrested and charged with one count of threats and intimidation, as well as with disorderly conduct.
So Fuller, a 63 year old shooting victim, who is obviously burdened with unimaginable grief and anger after having barely survived a massacre, gets arrested for merely flipping his lid on the topic of gun control? He’d just been shot by a psychopath for Christ’s sake! — AND for saying something “inappropriate” to a Tea Party founder? The Tea Partiers’ inappropriate rhetoric likely helped to incite this killing spree!
Yesterday, Eric Fuller described the shooting in vivid detail to Amy Goodman of DemocracyNow! He created some controversy during that interview, when he stated:
“How many other demented people are out there?
It looks like Palin, Beck, Sharron Angle and the rest got their first target. Their wish for Second Amendment activism has been fulfilled. Senseless hatred leading to murder. Lunatic fringe anarchism subscribed to by John Boehner …”
WATCH the DemocracyNow! interview here:
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q17gZIcwnAw[/youtube]
Iraqi PM Nouri al-Maliki To President Obama: GET OUT!
Progressives and Libertarians alike have felt largely ignored by the Obama administration regarding their calls for immediate troop withdrawals. It now appears there is some hope on the horizon. Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki just stated to the Wall Street Journal that he wants U.S. troops out by the end of 2011. Period. No ifs, […]
Happy Christmas (War Is Over) – John & Yoko
If you want it. Happy Christmas! Let it be a good year for peace and compassion. [youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hb2YSAVHmIE[/youtube]
Julian Assange: Western Newspapers Hesitant To Publish Israel-Related Leaks
In a new, largely unreported Al Jazeera interview (with Julian Assange’s responses overdubbed in Arabic), the WikiLeaks founder reveals that he intends to release 3,700 documents pertaining to Israel. 2,700 of these documents, he said, originate from within Israel, and include “Sensitive and classified documents” on the 2006 military excursion into Lebanon (which resulted in […]
WATCH: Cenk Uygur Interviews WikiLeaks’ Julian Assange On Dylan Ratigan Show
The Young Turks host Cenk Uygur conducted a terrific interview today with Julian Assange on MSNBC’s Dylan Ratigan Show. They covered a wide range of topics including: Assange’s role as a publisher/member of the press, 1st Amendment Rights, the main stream media’s gradual shift from demonizing WikiLeaks to now somewhat defending the whistleblower group; and […]
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