The man who has made no apologies for mocking hyper-sensitive millionaire actors when he hosted the Golden Globes last year may go one better in 2012. Ricky Gervais is threatening to take off his gloves next January by providing alternate commentary on the ceremony via an Internet podcast.
“What do you think of this?” the British “Office” star recently asked his blog readers. “A live 3 hour podcast during The Golden Globes. Me and a few chums (like Louis CK, Chris Rock, Karl Pilkington, John Stewart, Larry David popping in and out) doing our own alternative commentary.
“People at home can have the telly on with the sound down listening to us online say things that no broadcaster could get away with.
The best part for Gervais? “No one could do a f***ing thing.”
The comedian’s proposal stems from complaints by some stars who attended the Golden Globes last year who acted wounded by the host’s stinging jokes. Though not all of the celebs found his material offensive, the inside buzz was that Gervais went over the top with his teasing.
The Brit’s targets ranged from easy strikes like Charlie Sheen (“It’s gonna be a night of partying and heavy drinking — or as Charlie Sheen calls it: Breakfast”) to more hallowed Hollywood royalty like Angelina Jolie and Johnny Depp (” I haven’t even seen “The Tourist.” Who has?”) and, presumably, Tom Cruise and John Travolta (“‘I Love You Phillip Morris’ stars Jim Carey and Ewan McGregor, two heterosexual actors pretending to be gay. So, the complete opposite of some famous scientologists . . . . “).
Gervais pooh-poohed the negative patter, defending his right to throw pies in the faces of pampered celebs. “It wasn’t a roomful of wounded soldiers,” he said. “It was the most privileged people on the planet who spend all day pretending to be someone else. I teased them, I ribbed them.”
The concept of creating an alternate commentary could garner even higher ratings for the televised version of the Golden Globes since viewers would still have to watch the awards ceremony on NBC to see what Gervais was bashing,
Based on responses to a People magazine online poll after Gervais’ hosting gig in January, millions of fans could potentially tune into his podcast. Asked “Was Ricky Gervais a good host?” 76% selected the response, “Yes, he was hilarious,” while only 24% opted for “No, he was inappropriate and awkward” — making the vote 3:1 in the comedian’s favor.
Unleashed from the peacock network, Gervais could go as far he wishes in shredding celebs to bits. His 2011 telecast could end up seeming tepid in comparison.
Ironically, despite the supposed gaffe of choosing Gervais to host the Golden Globes this year, NBC came off better than ABC did with its Oscars telecast, odd-coupling a half asleep James Franco with the hyperactive Anne Hathaway. If his Golden Globes pilot turns out to be a success, Gervais could do a podcast for the Oscars, too — though it may not prove necessary.
With Eddie Murphy recently hired to helm the show in 2012, the Oscar audience could actually end up pining for the relatively G-rated Gervais. In the movie version of his “Raw” stand-up routine, the “Nutty Professor” actor impersonated Richard Pryor responding to Bill Cosby’s criticism of Murphy’s lewd language: “Well, tell Bill I said have a Coke and a smile and shut the f*** up. Jello pudding-eating motherf***er.”
We’re guessing there won’t be any Jello commercials on the Oscars telecast.
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