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To think Ricky Gervais is running out of ideas?

146 replies

RosesSmellLikePoo · 28/12/2023 14:34

I’m a big fan of Ricky Gervais - in particular his writing such as AfterLife and Derek. I’ve always liked his stand up too but recently I find myself not enjoying it.

Im not easily offended at all (obviously otherwise I wouldn’t watch RG at all!) but some of the jokes …
Jokes about Rottweilers shaking babies to death
Jokes about raping an old woman
Jokes about kids with cancer …

He says people can joke about absolutely anything they want and yes they can - but does that mean they should?

The last show was “controversial” on Netflix - quite a bit of backlash. We watched his new one last night and it felt like he was just trying to outdo the controversy from the last one! More jokes about “bald kids with cancer” babies with aids …

He even did an impression of a child masturbating a paedophile in exchange for a puppy. I mean come on … there’s dark humour and then there’s just going out of your way to be controversial. I get the feeling he’s focussing all his efforts on being the most controversial comedian in the world rather than actually being funny.

Any other fans of Gervais seeing this?

OP posts:
heathspeedwell · 28/12/2023 17:19

He's making extremely topical points about freedom of speech and the current state of our society. Sadly the multi-layered humour has obviously gone right over a few heads.

However, it's still the most watched thing on Netflix and he's helping a lot of people to stop and think, while also being incredibly entertaining. He's an absolute one-off.

topnoddy · 28/12/2023 17:21

He ran out ideas years ago , just after Extras finished

His stand up is pretty poor , just like Peter Kay's .
Great as a character but not as themselves

369damnshesfine · 28/12/2023 17:22

I love Ricky Gervais and find him hilarious.

But I found his new show not as funny as his others.

I usually hysterically laugh the entire way through but there were some times I only did a little laugh or no laugh at all this time.

I am going to watch it again as I was tired so I thought maybe that’s why.

GoodOldEmmaNess · 28/12/2023 17:23

I watched RG's latest Netflix show as a kind of exercise in the task ( that we all should face) of reflecting on my own capacity to take offence and feel superior/righteous/judgey.
I did feel uncomfortable with a lot of it. I don't really like him, and find much of what he does unfunny. And I do also worry that, although he is not himself transphobic, homophobic,etc, yada yada yada, he does have the effect of making those who are transphopic, homophobic,etc, feel validated. And of course he is a smug git of the highest order.
However, at core I think that much of what he is doing is legit and important. We have become monsters. So many of us at the moment are gaming basic decency (eg the basic decency involved in seeking to protect people with marginalised identities) in order to feed our sense of righteousness and/or shut down legitimate discussions - and this has to be challenged in order to restore our capacity to discusss things realistically and non-narcissistically. So that we can talk sensibly about the conflict between women's rights and trans rights. So that we can talk about a solution to conflicts in the middle east without flinging accusations around. Etc, etc.
Someone's got to do what he is doing. And if the most thoughtful and self-critical people are too afraid, too self-second-guessing, to get stuck in with it, then it is left to the smug gits to get the ball rolling.

Noimnotstillonmumsne · 28/12/2023 17:29

Stickthatupyourdojo · 28/12/2023 15:43

You've summed up how I felt when I watched it, but have put it better than I'd be able to.

Show quote history

Same for me. I’ve loved his work in the past but I watched the whole thing and it just wasn’t that funny. Just controversy for the sake of it.

ElderMillenials · 28/12/2023 17:30

The list in the OP is misrepresenting the show- it's all in the context. It's a pretty smart marketing strategy, outrage the vocal groups and it's free promotion. It's also his entire persona.

However, I've noticed for years now that he recycles a lot of material. He's been using some jokes since way back in his radio and podcast days (early 00s maybe?). 'Armageddon' was good, but oh how I'd love to see RG, Steve Merchant and Karl Pilkington get together again.

MagpiePi · 28/12/2023 17:30

DewHopper · 28/12/2023 17:03

James Acaster and Frankie Boyle are transactivists who cannot see the ridiculousness of their position whereas RG nails it properly. They hate that.

Robin Ince is a massive transactivist too.

I thought some of RG's material was a bit trying too hard to be shocking, athough I did laugh at quite a ot of it. I thought the joke about his cat bringing in a scouser with herpes went too far.

User135644 · 28/12/2023 17:30

I've only found him funny in tandem with Steve Merchant. Those sitcoms were great (The Office, Extras and Life's Too Short) but they were very much a writing team.

Without Merchant to bounce off I find his stuff pretty dull and one dimensional. I'm not really a stand-up comedy fan anyway though.

TheKeatingFive · 28/12/2023 17:32

Someone's got to do what he is doing. And if the most thoughtful and self-critical people are too afraid, too self-second-guessing, to get stuck in with it, then it is left to the smug gits to get the ball rolling

This sums it up nicely. I don't particularly like him or find him funny. But I appreciate that he's doing something important.

Theredfoxfliesatmidnight · 28/12/2023 17:34

I now want to go and see him just on the basis of your OP 😁

DewHopper · 28/12/2023 17:34

Yes it is so important to open that door and start that discussion and stand up for free speech.

orchiddottyback · 28/12/2023 17:35

Watched it loved it, thought it was hilarious with a good underlying meaning the end. End of the day he is tackling the new wave of intolerance that is blighting out society in a bad way.

The funny thing is most people who are offended never even watched it or got the whole context reinforcing his show. Either watch it or don't, if you don't why are you so offended by what others do with their spare time that does not effect you.

moistclam · 28/12/2023 17:36

You're exactly the kind of person he was joking about.

369damnshesfine · 28/12/2023 17:36

He has a deal with Netflix and I wonder if part of that deal means he needs to do a new one every year or something.

I felt this new one was rushed and like he had to think of jokes to say, instead of jokes naturally coming to him and then planning a show.

Lottapianos · 28/12/2023 17:38

'He has a deal with Netflix and I wonder if part of that deal means he needs to do a new one every year or something'

Yes he signed a deal for 3 one hour Netflix specials over 3 years. 60 million dollars in total I believe!

StoodySmithereens · 28/12/2023 17:39

I turned him off years ago, along with the formless/gormless one with the bifocals. Gimme Karl Pilkington any day, he doesn’t even have to try.

Hibernatalie · 28/12/2023 17:39

I went to see that show and found it very funny. It's fine if you don't though. I think the way you have summarised the jokes take them out of context tbh, but nonetheless if you don't find them funny that's fair enough - that's humour isn't it, it's very subjective.

His tour sold out in minutes and he makes millions so he's obviously still very popular.

VolvoFan · 28/12/2023 17:40

I haven't seen his new material yet, though I heard about his quip about illegal immigrants and that cracked me up.

TitusMoan · 28/12/2023 17:40

GoodOldEmmaNess · 28/12/2023 17:23

I watched RG's latest Netflix show as a kind of exercise in the task ( that we all should face) of reflecting on my own capacity to take offence and feel superior/righteous/judgey.
I did feel uncomfortable with a lot of it. I don't really like him, and find much of what he does unfunny. And I do also worry that, although he is not himself transphobic, homophobic,etc, yada yada yada, he does have the effect of making those who are transphopic, homophobic,etc, feel validated. And of course he is a smug git of the highest order.
However, at core I think that much of what he is doing is legit and important. We have become monsters. So many of us at the moment are gaming basic decency (eg the basic decency involved in seeking to protect people with marginalised identities) in order to feed our sense of righteousness and/or shut down legitimate discussions - and this has to be challenged in order to restore our capacity to discusss things realistically and non-narcissistically. So that we can talk sensibly about the conflict between women's rights and trans rights. So that we can talk about a solution to conflicts in the middle east without flinging accusations around. Etc, etc.
Someone's got to do what he is doing. And if the most thoughtful and self-critical people are too afraid, too self-second-guessing, to get stuck in with it, then it is left to the smug gits to get the ball rolling.

Love your point about gaming basic decency. This is absolutely what is afflicting society at the moment, especially online. We need to think, not blindly follow. If you’re generally against the ‘Stop the Boats’ rhetoric (as I am) then his point about the majority of small boat arrivals at Dover being young men (as indeed they are, indicating an element of economic incentive rather than safety incentive) is challenging but worth exploring.

DaphneMoo · 28/12/2023 17:40

I enjoyed it, some bits weren't as funny as previous, felt like a couple of bits were just comments for the sake of it but the little boy and the paedo was the funniest thing I have seen in a long time

User135644 · 28/12/2023 17:41

GoodOldEmmaNess · 28/12/2023 17:23

I watched RG's latest Netflix show as a kind of exercise in the task ( that we all should face) of reflecting on my own capacity to take offence and feel superior/righteous/judgey.
I did feel uncomfortable with a lot of it. I don't really like him, and find much of what he does unfunny. And I do also worry that, although he is not himself transphobic, homophobic,etc, yada yada yada, he does have the effect of making those who are transphopic, homophobic,etc, feel validated. And of course he is a smug git of the highest order.
However, at core I think that much of what he is doing is legit and important. We have become monsters. So many of us at the moment are gaming basic decency (eg the basic decency involved in seeking to protect people with marginalised identities) in order to feed our sense of righteousness and/or shut down legitimate discussions - and this has to be challenged in order to restore our capacity to discusss things realistically and non-narcissistically. So that we can talk sensibly about the conflict between women's rights and trans rights. So that we can talk about a solution to conflicts in the middle east without flinging accusations around. Etc, etc.
Someone's got to do what he is doing. And if the most thoughtful and self-critical people are too afraid, too self-second-guessing, to get stuck in with it, then it is left to the smug gits to get the ball rolling.

I agree with Gervais on most things but he hasn't been funny since the 2000s. He can be as offensive as he wants but it doesn't make it funny (unless that's your humour).

David Brent was funny (in the tv series, not the film). Extras were famous people played caricatures of themselves was funny. Life's Too Short was really funny, but Merchant was at the heart of all those. Without him he's too preachy and offensive for the sake of it and ramps it up to 11 losing any subtlety.

He's had his day but conversely he has a niche in the market to rip apart a society that is utterly broken and it keeps him relevant.

blackpanth · 28/12/2023 17:42

He's not even funny

AhBiscuits · 28/12/2023 17:43

I've enjoyed a lot of his stuff in the past. We watched the new one last night and it didn't do it for me, I just didn't find it that funny.

SpecialCharacters · 28/12/2023 17:44

GoodOldEmmaNess · 28/12/2023 17:23

I watched RG's latest Netflix show as a kind of exercise in the task ( that we all should face) of reflecting on my own capacity to take offence and feel superior/righteous/judgey.
I did feel uncomfortable with a lot of it. I don't really like him, and find much of what he does unfunny. And I do also worry that, although he is not himself transphobic, homophobic,etc, yada yada yada, he does have the effect of making those who are transphopic, homophobic,etc, feel validated. And of course he is a smug git of the highest order.
However, at core I think that much of what he is doing is legit and important. We have become monsters. So many of us at the moment are gaming basic decency (eg the basic decency involved in seeking to protect people with marginalised identities) in order to feed our sense of righteousness and/or shut down legitimate discussions - and this has to be challenged in order to restore our capacity to discusss things realistically and non-narcissistically. So that we can talk sensibly about the conflict between women's rights and trans rights. So that we can talk about a solution to conflicts in the middle east without flinging accusations around. Etc, etc.
Someone's got to do what he is doing. And if the most thoughtful and self-critical people are too afraid, too self-second-guessing, to get stuck in with it, then it is left to the smug gits to get the ball rolling.

I might find this more persuasive if he was actually getting the ball rolling.

I don’t watch many ‘edgy’ stand up comics but I do still dip in and out of South Park - which covers the same sort of issues but actually manages to make it funny, and is often more daring than Gervais.