The Academy Awards had everybody talking after what happened during the ceremony on Sunday night, but not for the best reasons. During the show, comedian Chris Rock joked about Jada Pinkett Smith's shaved head, a comment that has sparked backlash considering her struggles with alopecia, a condition that causes hair loss. Smith then approached Rock on the stage and slapped him across the face before returning to his seat and shouting at Rock to stop joking about his wife. The King Richard star's behavior has also generated great controversy with many calling for the actor to face legal consequences or lose his Oscar for physically attacking Rock, regardless of what the comedian said.
Seemingly everyone has been sharing their personal opinions about the slapping incident on social media. Many viewers have been pondering how things might have played out if controversial awards show host Ricky Gervais had been present at the event, or if he had been the one to make the controversial joke. Online, Gervais satisfied some of those curiosities by revealing what he'd say to open the show if he was hosting rather than the trio of Wanda Sykes, Regina Hall, and Amy Schumer. It's exactly what fans would expect from Gervais, which also explains why it's very unlikely we'll ever actually see the comedian hosting the show.
"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,'" Gervais wrote on Twitter, referring to the gift packages given to the Oscars attendees, each reportedly costing $137,000.
If he were hosting, Gervais would have also followed up that previous comment by adding, "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."
Ricky Gervais Subtly Responded to Chris Rock Getting Smacked
Ricky Gervais did not directly comment on Will Smith smacking Chris Rock, but he did respond to it in a subtle way. On the Twitter account for David Brent, the comedian's character from the British version of The Office, Gervais posted a short clip of the show referencing alopecia. In the footage, Brent simply states, "And she's got alopecia. So... not a happy homelife."
Fans of Gervais can imagine what it would be like for him to host the Academy Awards, but it does not seem like this is something that will ever happen. Gervais has previously expressed his belief that he will never be invited by the Academy to the show as well, and it comes down to having control over his material. The comedian said he was given a lot of leeway when he hosted the Golden Globes on five separate occasions, and because he doesn't see the Academy affording him the same amount of creative freedom, Gervais doubts that the Oscars will ever be in the cards for him.
"I might be allowed to host if I did what I was told, but there’s the rub,” Gervais had said on The View. “The good thing about the Globes was they said I could write my own jokes, say what I want, and not rehearse. And that is just too good for a comedian to turn down, whereas I don’t think the Oscars ever would allow me that freedom. And rightly so. I think they would be mad. If they did, I'd do it. I'd do it for free!"