Did Ricky Gervais Go Too Far?
Seriously? This is an actual question? I have such a headache right now, but I still have to take a shot at this idea.
No, he did not 'go too far'. He's an entertainer, he was there to entertain, and he succeeded wildly at it. That certain people didn't like his style of entertainment is really sort of irrelevant. Loads of people did like his jokes. I thought most of them were kinda funny, if kinda obvious.
Oh, but that's not what's got people up in arms, is it? Nope! It was his parting shot, which amused me enormously, by the way.
"Thanks for everyone in the room for being good sports, to NBC and the Hollywood foreign press, thank you for watching at home," he said. "And thank you, God, for making me an atheist."
OK, people - listen up. Gervais is an atheist. He talks about this a lot. It's sort of one of his big things. I understand that many people only know him from that one crap movie he made, but he's actually quite big in the U.K., and he's done a lot of stand-up and TV, and if he offends you, change the fucking channel.
Mel Gibson goes on a frothing, booze-powered rant about Jews and everyone else he hates and fears, and people chatter about it, but they don't get very upset. They feel sorry for him, actually. And then Ricky Gervais tosses off a quip about his lack of bondage to a deity, and everyone loses their shit.
Hey, religious people? Not everyone is like you, or thinks like you, or believes what you do. I know you've comprehended that much. Something else to absorb: religion is not sacred to anyone but the religious, and that's the way things should be. Loads of other people can say it better than I can, but the point is this - talking about the things you like in a mocking way does not actually entitle you to feel persecuted.
If Gervais had stood up there and said, "And by the way, any man, woman, or child stupid enough to believe in God should be rounded up and shot in the head to help preserve the integrity of the gene pool - I've got guns in my car, let's go," then religious people would have something to complain about. What he did was mock the idea of worshipping an invisible father-figure in the sky, and express gratitude that he's not chained to such silly ideas.
He did not attack your way of life. He did not sully your children's ears with profanity. If your kids are asking questions because of Ricky-fucking-Gervais, then Ricky-fucking-Gervais is not the problem; your lack of information-sharing is the problem. Honestly, do you really believe that keeping kids ignorant is what's best for them? I'm always amazed and disappointed by that way of thinking.
In short: boo-hoo, someone on TV thinks your beliefs are silly and has quite gently poked fun at you. I suppose you'll all just have to sit in the garden and eat worms. That'll show him.
------------
And this is something kind of awesome, as a palate cleanser.
----------------
Now playing: Pink Floyd - The Happiest Days Of Our Lives
http://foxytunes.com/artist/pink+floyd/track/the+happiest+days+of+our+lives
No, he did not 'go too far'. He's an entertainer, he was there to entertain, and he succeeded wildly at it. That certain people didn't like his style of entertainment is really sort of irrelevant. Loads of people did like his jokes. I thought most of them were kinda funny, if kinda obvious.
Oh, but that's not what's got people up in arms, is it? Nope! It was his parting shot, which amused me enormously, by the way.
"Thanks for everyone in the room for being good sports, to NBC and the Hollywood foreign press, thank you for watching at home," he said. "And thank you, God, for making me an atheist."
OK, people - listen up. Gervais is an atheist. He talks about this a lot. It's sort of one of his big things. I understand that many people only know him from that one crap movie he made, but he's actually quite big in the U.K., and he's done a lot of stand-up and TV, and if he offends you, change the fucking channel.
Mel Gibson goes on a frothing, booze-powered rant about Jews and everyone else he hates and fears, and people chatter about it, but they don't get very upset. They feel sorry for him, actually. And then Ricky Gervais tosses off a quip about his lack of bondage to a deity, and everyone loses their shit.
Hey, religious people? Not everyone is like you, or thinks like you, or believes what you do. I know you've comprehended that much. Something else to absorb: religion is not sacred to anyone but the religious, and that's the way things should be. Loads of other people can say it better than I can, but the point is this - talking about the things you like in a mocking way does not actually entitle you to feel persecuted.
If Gervais had stood up there and said, "And by the way, any man, woman, or child stupid enough to believe in God should be rounded up and shot in the head to help preserve the integrity of the gene pool - I've got guns in my car, let's go," then religious people would have something to complain about. What he did was mock the idea of worshipping an invisible father-figure in the sky, and express gratitude that he's not chained to such silly ideas.
He did not attack your way of life. He did not sully your children's ears with profanity. If your kids are asking questions because of Ricky-fucking-Gervais, then Ricky-fucking-Gervais is not the problem; your lack of information-sharing is the problem. Honestly, do you really believe that keeping kids ignorant is what's best for them? I'm always amazed and disappointed by that way of thinking.
In short: boo-hoo, someone on TV thinks your beliefs are silly and has quite gently poked fun at you. I suppose you'll all just have to sit in the garden and eat worms. That'll show him.
------------
And this is something kind of awesome, as a palate cleanser.
----------------
Now playing: Pink Floyd - The Happiest Days Of Our Lives
http://foxytunes.com/artist/pink+floyd/track/the+happiest+days+of+our+lives