Controversial comedian Ricky Gervais had a lot to say about the infamous Oscars incident, which saw Chris Rock getting smacked by Will Smith for a joke told about Jada Pinkett Smith. Many celebrities have been sharing their opinions about the situation, but one person many people wanted to hear from is Gervais. This is partly because Gervais ruffled a lot of feathers by poking fun at celebrities while hosting the Golden Globes, and people were interested to hear his take on an award presenter getting slapped at the Oscars over a joke.
Gervais has since weighed in about the situation in a video Q&A session with fans. The comedian took to Rock's defense, feeling that you never strike someone over a joke, no matter how "bad" or offensive it might be. Gervais also feels that Rock's G.I. Jane 2 joke was the "tamest" joke imaginable, and he also doesn't seem to have much sympathy for Pinkett Smith's alopecia, a condition that causes hair loss, given his own physical appearance. As Gervais explains in the video, which has been posted to TikTok:
“You don’t hit people over a joke, however bad it is. And it wasn’t bad! That was like the tamest joke I would ever have told. Someone said it was joking about her disability. Well, I’m going a bit thin, so I’m disabled. That means I can park right up next to Tesco now. And I’m fat. That’s a disease, isn’t it? I’m fat and balding. I should get f**king benefits.”
These comments have sparked some outrage on social media, with Gervais openly joking about Pinkett Smith's alopecia. The situation with Rock is a little different, as the comedian reportedly did not know about Pinkett Smith's condition. His brother Kenny Rock insisted in an interview with the L.A. Times that Chris "wouldn’t make a joke about that" if he "knew that she had alopecia."
Ricky Gervais Hosting the Oscars Would Have Been Interesting
Certainly, Oscar night would have gone down much differently if Ricky Gervais had hosted the event instead of Amy Schumer, Wanda Sykes, and Regina Hall. The comedian, who has hosted the Golden Globe Awards on five occasions, is known for his biting material, as seen with his take on Jada Pinkett Smith above. Because of this, Gervais feels he wouldn't ever be invited to host the Oscars, but he did reveal how he would have opened the ceremony if it were him that night. In a tweet, he wrote:
"I'd start with 'Hello. I hope this show helps cheer up the ordinary people watching at home. If you’re unemployed for example, take some comfort in the fact that even if you had a job, your salary probably wouldn't be as much as the goody bag all the actors have just been given.'"
And he would have followed it up with this barb:
"I'm proud to announce that this is the most diverse and progressive Oscars ever. Looking out I see people from all walks of life. Every demographic under the sun. Except poor people, obviously. F**k them."