What happened to Ricky Gervais?
- Thread starter Mr Cola
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I was enjoying that immensely until he mentioned LOST finale, then I panicked and shut down the tab because I'm currently on the middle of season 5. It starts at 4:20 in the first part, could someone please be kind enough to point out to me the time on the video when it's safe for me to resume right after he stops talking about LOST?speculawyer said:
Kano on the Phone
Member
Letters said:
The island is all in Karl Pilkington's head.
Metalmurphy
Member
Wasn't it just confirmed that he will indeed make a cameo?Yaweee said:
Well, let's evaluate:
An Idiot Abroad: Great, but perhaps not so much because of Ricky (to the extent that Karl 'acts', I believe he acts as an exaggerated version of himself. I don't believe that Ricky or Steve write his material for him).
Guest appearances on Louie: Great.
Most recent audiobooks: Great. The Guides To on the whole have been better than the podcasts imo, although I prefer the old XFM shows when Karl had little to no celebrity status.
Science: A big step back from Fame but certainly has its moments.
Out of England II: Same. A big step back from OoE I but certainly has its moments.
Ricky Gervais Show on HBO: Sadly, I'm not a fan. I absolutely love the podcasts/audiobooks but I don't think the animations really add anything. Still glad it exists for bringing the podcasts (and Karl) to an even bigger audience.
Cemetary Junction: Not great (and probably his weakest collaboration with Merchant so far) but certainly his best film effort to date.
Hosting the Globes: Not the most brilliantly written material on paper, but as an actual 'stunt' it was nothing short of glorious.
Article in the Wall Street Journal: Brilliant and I agree with every word.
So: the podcasts/audiobooks are still on par, his films are getting better and as a provocateur he's at the top of his game with the Globes performance and WSJ piece. Only his stand-up seems to have taken a turn for the worst. We'll see if he can still write comedy when Life's Too Short airs... although I don't expect it to top The Office or Extra's (few things do, after all).
Little afraid of him reprising Brent for The Office US (even if, as he says on his blog, it's a blink-and-you'll-miss-it cameo), as that show's sensibilies are so different from the Brit version that I don't think it's a good idea to let those worlds collide. But I'm certainly looking forward to his appaerance on Curb Your Enthusiasm.
In summation: OP is wrong.
An Idiot Abroad: Great, but perhaps not so much because of Ricky (to the extent that Karl 'acts', I believe he acts as an exaggerated version of himself. I don't believe that Ricky or Steve write his material for him).
Guest appearances on Louie: Great.
Most recent audiobooks: Great. The Guides To on the whole have been better than the podcasts imo, although I prefer the old XFM shows when Karl had little to no celebrity status.
Science: A big step back from Fame but certainly has its moments.
Out of England II: Same. A big step back from OoE I but certainly has its moments.
Ricky Gervais Show on HBO: Sadly, I'm not a fan. I absolutely love the podcasts/audiobooks but I don't think the animations really add anything. Still glad it exists for bringing the podcasts (and Karl) to an even bigger audience.
Cemetary Junction: Not great (and probably his weakest collaboration with Merchant so far) but certainly his best film effort to date.
Hosting the Globes: Not the most brilliantly written material on paper, but as an actual 'stunt' it was nothing short of glorious.
Article in the Wall Street Journal: Brilliant and I agree with every word.
So: the podcasts/audiobooks are still on par, his films are getting better and as a provocateur he's at the top of his game with the Globes performance and WSJ piece. Only his stand-up seems to have taken a turn for the worst. We'll see if he can still write comedy when Life's Too Short airs... although I don't expect it to top The Office or Extra's (few things do, after all).
Little afraid of him reprising Brent for The Office US (even if, as he says on his blog, it's a blink-and-you'll-miss-it cameo), as that show's sensibilies are so different from the Brit version that I don't think it's a good idea to let those worlds collide. But I'm certainly looking forward to his appaerance on Curb Your Enthusiasm.
In summation: OP is wrong.
PetriP-TNT
Member
Golden Globe stuff was A+!
VGChampion
Member
Chinner said:
What is it with people and this attitude? Anytime a band makes it big, game / movie / tv becomes popular, books, or even restaurants someone ditches it. You should be happy they're more successful.
pauljeremiah
Gold Member
In regards to Ricky at the Golden Globes:
I'm glad that Gervais just went out there and called it as he saw it.
And I do agree with Josh Tyler over at CB who said that "A good comedian holds a mirror up to society and challenges our perceptions and attitudes with humor."
There is an argument that comedy is a greater public service than any other genre of art or culture: it heals divisions, it is a balm for hurt minds, it binds social wounds, exposes real truths about how life is really led. Comedy connects.
The history of BBC comedy (of which Gervais is a proud member) in particular is almost a register of character types, a social history of the UK. Hancock, Steptoe, Mainwaring, Alf Garnett, Basil Fawlty, Baldrick, Victor Meldrew, Alan Partridge, Ali G (channel 4), David Brent, the matchlessly great General Melchett it is much harder to list character types from serious drama who have so penetrated the consciousness of the nation and so closely defined the aspirations and failures of successive generations.
A public service broadcasting without comedy, is in danger of being regarded as no more than a dumping ground for worthiness. Seriousness is no more a guarantee of truth, insight, authenticity or probity than humour is a guarantee of superficiality and stupidity. Angels can fly because they take themselves lightly.
I'm glad that Gervais just went out there and called it as he saw it.
And I do agree with Josh Tyler over at CB who said that "A good comedian holds a mirror up to society and challenges our perceptions and attitudes with humor."
There is an argument that comedy is a greater public service than any other genre of art or culture: it heals divisions, it is a balm for hurt minds, it binds social wounds, exposes real truths about how life is really led. Comedy connects.
The history of BBC comedy (of which Gervais is a proud member) in particular is almost a register of character types, a social history of the UK. Hancock, Steptoe, Mainwaring, Alf Garnett, Basil Fawlty, Baldrick, Victor Meldrew, Alan Partridge, Ali G (channel 4), David Brent, the matchlessly great General Melchett it is much harder to list character types from serious drama who have so penetrated the consciousness of the nation and so closely defined the aspirations and failures of successive generations.
A public service broadcasting without comedy, is in danger of being regarded as no more than a dumping ground for worthiness. Seriousness is no more a guarantee of truth, insight, authenticity or probity than humour is a guarantee of superficiality and stupidity. Angels can fly because they take themselves lightly.
Stumpokapow
listen to the mad man
I guess no one read Flanimals (his children's book), but it's pretty good. Very creative. Recommend it to Mom and Dad GAF.
TurboLibre
Member
The Golden Globes clips are amazing. I have to admit that even though it was really funny, there was a bitter tone to a lot of his jokes. It's a roast when you know there's love behind the jokes, I wasn't feeling any of that during those clips.
The Shadow
Member
He lost weight. As science has proven before, funnyase is stored in fat cells.
Jeff Albertson
Member
I quite like his stand up and the office and extras were great but I hate his presence on an idiot abroad, it just seems pointless when him or merchant ring up and laugh for ages.
I remember Gervais having a slot on that live show at wembeley for live aid 20 or something else and he totally floundered, the next act wasn't ready and you could see the panic in his eyes and he completely bombed and had to resort to 'the dance'
I remember Gervais having a slot on that live show at wembeley for live aid 20 or something else and he totally floundered, the next act wasn't ready and you could see the panic in his eyes and he completely bombed and had to resort to 'the dance'
Always-honest
Banned
he's great.
DevelopmentArrested
Banned
LOL. People have been saying this for years. It ain't true. Sorry. YES Karl exaggerates his stupidity for effect but he really is that dense.PalaceBrother said:
As for Ricky, he's still a genius. The Office UK and Extras were phenomenal. The podcasts and An Idiot Abroad were too. He was the only reason the Globes were good.
sans_pants
avec_pénis
a lot of his jokes at the globes were poorly done, but the spirit of it was great
People who get annoyed at gervais or think Karl P is a genuine idiot are just victims of the gig, you've been taken in and are now part of the ride for the rest of us. thats the whole point of their acts.
As for Karl P, he's not gonna be an idiot because you don't get like that by being stupid, you have to have a unique view of the world and an ability to tap into the mundane and harness it into comedy. So if he has a stupid thought, yes he actually thought a stupid thought, but the intelligence to be aware of it and use it to great comedic effect eclipses that.
I will say though that Gervais has a really annoying laugh, whethr he puts it on or not I dont know, only seems to employ it in some roles.
The globes this year didn't seem as funny as last year, bit sad, people seemed more offended in a bad way too. Last year they were offended but he was fresh and hit them hard and they were helpless. This year he hit them a little bit and he wasn't so fresh and he re-used some jokes and it felt a little flat for me.
As for Karl P, he's not gonna be an idiot because you don't get like that by being stupid, you have to have a unique view of the world and an ability to tap into the mundane and harness it into comedy. So if he has a stupid thought, yes he actually thought a stupid thought, but the intelligence to be aware of it and use it to great comedic effect eclipses that.
I will say though that Gervais has a really annoying laugh, whethr he puts it on or not I dont know, only seems to employ it in some roles.
The globes this year didn't seem as funny as last year, bit sad, people seemed more offended in a bad way too. Last year they were offended but he was fresh and hit them hard and they were helpless. This year he hit them a little bit and he wasn't so fresh and he re-used some jokes and it felt a little flat for me.
I didn't think his bits at the Globes were all that great. Not because they were offensive or whatever, I just didn't think they were all that clever. Personally, I thought RDJ's bit when he introduced the best actress nominees was much funnier than anything Gervais said that night.
Particle Physicist
between a quark and a baryon
Oh god, I'm watching the Golden Globe clips.... amazing!
GoutPatrol
Forgotten in his cell
Drewsky said:
Jesus Christ. You know that he is just doing a cameo right?
I don't know why Hollywood got so uptight about his Golden Globes jokes, I thought they love satire and skewering the establishment. Oh, only when its not them.
Its like when Chris Rock made a harmless joke about Jude Law during the Oscars, and Sean Penn made a huge point of praising Law once he got up there.
Its like when Chris Rock made a harmless joke about Jude Law during the Oscars, and Sean Penn made a huge point of praising Law once he got up there.
I thought Steve Carrell came off as a huge prick by pushing Ricky away.
I dont understand why everybody there was so sensitive about this. Why hire the guy when they KNOW damn well what he does? It would have been 10X worse had he just went up there and did a generic job of things rather than act like himself.
Fuckin uptight Hollywood. Whatever.
I dont understand why everybody there was so sensitive about this. Why hire the guy when they KNOW damn well what he does? It would have been 10X worse had he just went up there and did a generic job of things rather than act like himself.
Fuckin uptight Hollywood. Whatever.
WrathOfOtaibah
Banned
More people need to pop the overinflated egos of most people in Hollywood.
Good job Ricky!
Good job Ricky!
Lionel Mandrake
Member
Seanspeed said:
Ricky and Steve are friends. Their "rivalry" is sort of a long-running joke between them.
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