Alternate title: Ricky Gervais Hates Babies. No, really.
Ricky Gervais might be a talented man, responsible for pop cultural gems like The Office and Extras, but I lost all respect for him after reading an interview he did for the Times Online in which he argued for - no joke - forced sterilization of women.
You read that right. Ricky thinks that smokers and stupid people and fat people - basically anyone that offends his delicate sensibilities - should be sterilized.
To quote, when asked if limitations should be placed on having children he replied 'Yes, based on ... stupid, fat faces... If there’s a woman in leggings, eating chips with a fag in her mouth, sterilise her.'
Was he joking? He sure as hell didn't seem to be. (ed. note: and if he was? SO NOT FUNNY.)
Look, I can respect that he and his partner of twenty-five years did not want children - or as he put it, 'didn’t fancy dedicating 16 years of our lives.' Great, Ricky! I'm glad you don't have kids. It's probably a really good thing.
But where does he get off demanding that others - people who love and cherish and care for their children despite financial, physical, or other obstacles - should be sterilized, simply because he thinks there are too many children in the world and that reducing those numbers should start with a tidy little fascist eugenics strategy? Yes, this planet is bursting at the seams but who is he, or anyone else for that matter, to pronounce who has the right to have children? If we want to start reducing the population, why don't we start with nasty-tempered hack comics?
Eugenics. It's a word Ricky -- and not a nice one -- try looking it up. And while you're at it, maybe also look up ASSHOLE.
wow. just, wow.
Posted by: MommyNamedApril | 02/03/2010 at 10:02 AM
@MommyNamedApril I KNOW. Totally turned me on my ear, this one did. Ill never look at him the same again. *sigh* Why do the talented ones turn out to be assh*les?
Posted by: motherbumper | 02/03/2010 at 10:06 AM
What an asshole - why would he evey say such a thing? I mean, that's just personally damaging to himself. He's on a high right now; most people loved him as host of the GGs. Why would he do anything to shorten his run on the popular side of town?
I know British comedy is different and a lot drier than American comedy but DAMN! This is just offensive and not funny at all.
But thanks for sharing - now I see him in an entirely different light. Wow. I'm still kind of dumbfounded.
Posted by: Mommaruthsays | 02/03/2010 at 10:11 AM
A woman with leggings, eating chips, smoking a cig...fuck. when was he watching me?
Posted by: Allison Zapata | 02/03/2010 at 10:30 AM
Geez, what a jackass.
Posted by: Al_Pal | 02/03/2010 at 10:31 AM
This is my pouty face. I generally think he is hilarious....but if he was joking, that was over the line! What a buttnugget.
Posted by: Erin | 02/03/2010 at 11:14 AM
Okay, I haven't read the interview, so maybe it's a followup question to something her said before it, but why were they asking about that in the first place? Isn't that asking for someone to suggest some people they think shouldn't be allowed to reproduce? and yes, maybe even if asked, it would be *wiser* to not answer that one with an actual answer, but in general, comedians are not known for keeping their mouths shut, and, well, lots of people say stupid things when asked stupid questions.
(This is, obviously, not to say his answer is okay, it just seems like he was rising to a bit of a setup, no?)
Posted by: kittenpie | 02/03/2010 at 11:36 AM
@kittenpie I didn't think it seemed set up (though of course I didn't read a transcript so.) They seemed to let him run at the mouth which I guess could be considered a set up.
Anyway, it looked like he was talking about marriage, religion, and then it seemed to evolve into why he and his partner don't have any children to overpopulation. But even if he was trying to be funny, it sure as heck read as asshole over funny. *sigh* Dude was so funny to me before.
Posted by: katie | motherbumper | 02/03/2010 at 11:40 AM
Look, I'm not a major Ricky Gervais apologist or anything, but if there's anything I know about him it's that he sees nothing as sacred in terms of comedy. And I personally appreciate that. And if we treat parenting or having children as sacred turf, then he's going to go after us too. Good for him. And if we take him at his word on anything like this, then more fool us.
'Yes, based on ... stupid, fat faces... If there’s a woman in leggings, eating chips with a fag in her mouth, sterilise her.'
Of course that's a flipping joke -- intended to shock. (He also says similar things about himself, btw). IMO by saying such things, he doesn't suddenly get people thinking 'hey! he's right?' He exposes this kind of thinking, puts it out there -- this was the genius of the Brent character.
I think it's funny. Not his best work, but there you go.
Posted by: Joy | 02/03/2010 at 12:25 PM
@Joy - yes, I know what you mean by And if we take him at his word on anything like this, then more fool us. But still think hes an asshole and he might also possibly eat babies in addition to hating them so there you go ;)
Posted by: motherbumper | 02/03/2010 at 12:34 PM
I'm with Joy. And I think it's a little harsh to suddenly hate someone you used to really like because of ONE bad joke. If this was enough to render Gervais suddenly UNFUNNY FOREVER, I guess we have to avoid Chris Rock, old George Carlin recordings and well, most good comedians!
Posted by: vegas710 | 02/03/2010 at 12:50 PM
@vegas710 Im entitled to my opinion just like you are to yours and thank you for weighing in. But for the record I said I lost all respect for him and never declared him unfunny forever. I also said he is a talented man, but you must have missed that part. A celebrity can be as talented as all get go but that doesnt mean I respect what he said.
Posted by: motherbumper | 02/03/2010 at 01:50 PM
I dunno, it didn't really sound like he was doing a 'bit' - he was responding to a serious question about his relationship with his partner and why they haven't had children:
Gervais: "...And there are too many children, of course”.
A population problem? “Yes, but it’s where it’s condensed. It’s not too many people, it’s too many people with nothing, too many unwanted children, too many people who are poor and struggling, as opposed to too many people. If they all had a good quality of life, no one would complain. What there is, is too many useless people. Too many people who shouldn’t have children.”
Should we impose a limitation, then? “Yes, based on ... stupid, fat faces,” he snarls. “If there’s a woman in leggings, eating chips with a fag in her mouth, sterilise her.” ***
Which, if it was joke, okay - but it's pushing a line (which maybe David Brent would push - but does he give interviews as David Brent?) I mean, forced sterilization of the poor and physically disabled? Kinda veers dangerously near to Holocaust and slavery jokes, no? Yeah, shocking - and shocking can be good - but aren't we all the more foolish (or callous) for tittering at some shocking things? I don't know, I think that the joke - if it was that - fell flat. Not least because there are plenty of people out there that are serious about these kinds of arguments.
I'll still watch the Office, though.
Posted by: Her Bad Mother | 02/03/2010 at 02:21 PM
Hopefully, Bill Hicks will come back from the dead and take Ricky's belt down a notch or two.
I miss ya Bill!
Posted by: SB | 02/03/2010 at 02:39 PM
Aww, I was just using exaggeration for effect, like you did. You know, with the eating babies and whatnot. I thought the reaction, "I used to think he was funny" and the tweet that brought me here was a little *high alert!* is all. I would never imply that you can't have your own opinion but I think it's great fun to state my own as well!
Posted by: vegas710 | 02/03/2010 at 03:29 PM
point taken, HBM and MB. Seriously. I really do wonder about the spin & framing here though (by the interviewer). I can easily see he would veer off into one of his Gervais personae rants after saying something relatively serious (as he so often does) and be completely misconstrued. (and no, he doesn't interview as Brent, but he certainly interviews with a personae that's very Brent-like. Because, also, the man cannot act. But that's another story.) Too bad we can't hear audio of the interview, as that subtlety is completely lost (if it existed) Or he *is* literally just a fascist dick -- could just be true. A babyeating facist dick who believes in enforced sterilisation;-) :-)
Posted by: Joy | 02/03/2010 at 03:57 PM
Yet another reason to not like Ricky. Apart from the fact that, you know, I just don't find him funny. At all. I'm all for comedians leaving nothing sacred, but they have to be funny if they're going to take pot shots like that. I find Ricky Gervais one of those appallingly cringe-worthy, forced and just not freakin funny comedians that somehow found a vehicle and got famous.
Posted by: Quixotic | 02/03/2010 at 05:27 PM
Really? I just don't see why it's such a horrendous thing to say. Sort of Ebenezer Scrooge-y, but these are words, not deeds. And no one is going to him for population control advice, right? I think this was meant to raise a few hackles, so...um...
Well done?
Posted by: Howie | 02/03/2010 at 09:30 PM
Tell you the truth, I never really knew his work...before the Golden Globe awards only a couple weeks ago. He wasn't impressive at all as a pressenter, that's for sure. And now with this so-called "joking"--if you can call it that--was more of an offensive rant designed to shock and get attention...seems a tad desperate to me. Either way, I'm never going to be a fan of this jackass. Everyone's entitled to their opinion, so there you have it.
Posted by: Ivy | 02/03/2010 at 09:44 PM