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AIBU?

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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:
mycatcontrolsmylife · 28/12/2023 18:20

I swear there are some mumsnetters who are convinced that their gender critical card will be revoked if they dare criticise any celeb/public figure who shares their GC views. Gervais could go on stage for 90 minutes and tell shitty Xmas cracker jokes the whole time and you'll have people comment about stunning and brave it was and how he says it like it is and doesn't conform to woke libs yeahh

Oh and, of course, if you didn't think it was shit your pants hilarious then you simply just don't have the superior intellect required to appreciate the 12 year old boy who thinks he's being edgy to his mates on Xbox live humour being shown 😉

Icelandic9 · 28/12/2023 18:20

DewHopper · 28/12/2023 17:57

Sorry but Michael McIntyre? You cannot mean that surely...?! 😮

Edited
Show quote history

People tend to have different likes and dislikes belive it or not

I like Michael and Ricky

GellerYeller · 28/12/2023 18:22

I’m not a fan per se, although I enjoyed Afterlife.
DH likes him and so we saw this show live earlier this year.
You do need to pay attention to the context and as he said plainly in the set, he isn’t a bigot; he feels previous generations had to deal with actual hardship/danger and not be ‘scared of words’.
I was also impressed that he donates the proceeds of platinum tickets to charities every night when he could easily pocket 5 times the face value of a normal ticket for the same seat. And as I said, not a huge fan but credit where it’s due- he was aiming to price the touts out of the market.

greentreez23 · 28/12/2023 18:23

Hmm we thought the same. Used to find him really funny. Wasn't offended by his material but it just wasn't even smile worthy really.

Preferred Chris Rock 's last special.

We like a lot of diverse comedy, Book of Mormon, Stewart Lee, but Ricky seems to have run out of material at present.

ExtraOnions · 28/12/2023 18:24

Bernard Manning for a new generation. Punch down humor that picks on those already having a shit time. Appeals to the lowest common denominator

TheKeatingFive · 28/12/2023 18:25

Gervais could go on stage for 90 minutes and tell shitty Xmas cracker jokes the whole time and you'll have people comment about stunning and brave it was and how he says it like it isand doesn't conform to woke libs yeahh**

I haven't seen anything remotely like that on this thread. What specific posts do you mean?

RufustheFactualReindeer · 28/12/2023 18:26

I like him

as with all comedians some of it misses the mark for me but overall i enjoy watching his shows

i do love the office and life on the road 😀

Ifulikepinacoladas · 28/12/2023 18:27

NotTerfNorCis · 28/12/2023 16:48

I haven't seen the show, but from what you've said, he sounds like Frankie Boyle. I can't stand Boyle, self righteous bully that he is. But maybe the context adds something, like other people have said.

He's nothing like Frankie Boyle. Madness to comment if you haven't seen the show.
Agree a lot of people have missed the point of his show.

VolvoFan · 28/12/2023 18:27

ExtraOnions · 28/12/2023 18:24

Bernard Manning for a new generation. Punch down humor that picks on those already having a shit time. Appeals to the lowest common denominator

If it's appealing to the lowest common denominator, how is it punch down humour?

Mysterian · 28/12/2023 18:27

Not keen on him since he used the word "Mong", then doubled down when people with disabilities said it was wrong. Now he's using the word "retarded" but it's 'alright because he playing a character in a joke' apparently.

DewHopper · 28/12/2023 18:28

Icelandic9 · 28/12/2023 18:20

People tend to have different likes and dislikes belive it or not

I like Michael and Ricky

Show quote history

Glassflour has already responded to me, most graciously I might add. But thanks for your input.

Dotjones · 28/12/2023 18:28

AIBU to think Ricky Gervais is running out of ideas?

No, it just means you're getting old. (No offence intended, it's one of two outcomes that everyone arrives at.) When you get older humour has either been done before (better) or is offensive (Mrs Brown) or bland (Michael Macintyre).

I haven't seen the particular Ricky Gervais show you're talking about but those subjects sound like fair game to me - rape, paedophiles etc. Not pleasant perhaps but humour can be found in any subject if someone wants to find it there. The point is, a joke is just a joke - a good joke will always offend somebody, but above all a joke isn't an endorsement of the subject or an encouragement to engage in it.

Think about it logically: if referring to a subject automatically meant the promotion of it, the BBC News channel would be the most offensive channel on TV. In the last year they've had a nurse that killed babies, terrorism, war, paedophilia, the fucking lot.

Dotjones · 28/12/2023 18:29

(BTW Gervais ran out of ideas in about 2006.)

FitAt50 · 28/12/2023 18:29

I loved it.

DewHopper · 28/12/2023 18:29

ExtraOnions · 28/12/2023 18:24

Bernard Manning for a new generation. Punch down humor that picks on those already having a shit time. Appeals to the lowest common denominator

Now that really is a silly take. Like him or not, surely you can see that what you have said there is nonsense?

RaspberriesUpside · 28/12/2023 18:33

I thoroughly dislike him. Not because of the ‘offence’. But because he is smug, try-hard and desperately unfunny. I can’t people can’t breathe for laughing 🤯

Iwanttheraintostop · 28/12/2023 18:38

monicagellerbing · 28/12/2023 17:46

I love RG and he doesn't offend me but I was disappointed in this latest show, I didn't think it was funny and the reading from the 'does the dog die' website was so boring. He needs new jokes if he's going to continue

My OH and I thought the same.

Sureaseggs44 · 28/12/2023 18:39

Ifulikepinacoladas · 28/12/2023 18:27

He's nothing like Frankie Boyle. Madness to comment if you haven't seen the show.
Agree a lot of people have missed the point of his show.

Show quote history

Yes , he is taking the piss out of people like frankie Boyle and those on Twitter who reel out horrendous language to beat people down .

SpecialCharacters · 28/12/2023 18:42

Dotjones · 28/12/2023 18:28

AIBU to think Ricky Gervais is running out of ideas?

No, it just means you're getting old. (No offence intended, it's one of two outcomes that everyone arrives at.) When you get older humour has either been done before (better) or is offensive (Mrs Brown) or bland (Michael Macintyre).

I haven't seen the particular Ricky Gervais show you're talking about but those subjects sound like fair game to me - rape, paedophiles etc. Not pleasant perhaps but humour can be found in any subject if someone wants to find it there. The point is, a joke is just a joke - a good joke will always offend somebody, but above all a joke isn't an endorsement of the subject or an encouragement to engage in it.

Think about it logically: if referring to a subject automatically meant the promotion of it, the BBC News channel would be the most offensive channel on TV. In the last year they've had a nurse that killed babies, terrorism, war, paedophilia, the fucking lot.

I don’t think most of the complaints about Gervais is that he’s offensive, just stale and unfunny.

Maybe 20 years ago, even a lame joke about a taboo topic may have provoked laughs, for the shock value, but the shock value isn’t there anymore. Now, the joke also needs to be funny - that’s Gervais’ problem.

There are other comics (even on Netflix) that make similarly dark jokes but the joke is actually funny.

DewHopper · 28/12/2023 18:43

There are other comics (even on Netflix) that make similarly dark jokes but the joke is actually funny

Who do you recommend?

80skid · 28/12/2023 18:52

I watched it and really enjoyed jt. He mocks everyone, not just one group and is happy to include himself in that. Great show, I'd recommend it

TheSunIsOutAndTheSkyIsBlue · 28/12/2023 18:55

I think he is more "Joan Rivers for the 21st Century", than Bernard Manning.

BM was a hate filled, bigoted, unfunny racist.

RG laughs at everything and anyone as JR did (not that I found her funny, whereas he is) . He is a genius.

ResisterRex · 28/12/2023 18:59

Were Rottweilers in Armageddon? Missed it if so.

And he's the antithesis of Boyle, whose revolting "joke" about Harvey Price speaks for itself.

Strongly suspect what people don't like is his factual observation about the two sexes and his point at the end about not hounding people out of their jobs.

WoksAway · 28/12/2023 18:59

I love Bernard Manning, Chubby Brown and Jim Davidson etc.
I've been through some of the stuff they and RG joke about. I'm not going to sit wailing about it and demanding that everyone stop joking about it though.

HRTQueen · 28/12/2023 19:06

I think he is quite an awkward person and his delivery is too punchline. I really like his writing, his style of humour and performances in his shows and some films but not his stand up

Larry David is similar, RG is very heavily influenced by him but LD is far funnier

I don’t think he is losing his creativity I think at the moment it’s a push back from some well established comedians. Certain comedians have always pushed boundaries and now so many are being cancelled but the more established are too powerful and won’t be and are basically pushing it so far as a fuck you too all those that demand a cancellation when they feel offended

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