After Will Smith infamously smacked Chris Rock on the 2022 Oscars, social media debated whether the incident would’ve happened had one other comedian hosted the occasion. One title that got here up regularly was comic Ricky Gervais, who responded by teasing his proposed Oscars speech in a series of tweets with thousands of likes.
“I’d start with ‘Hello,’” wrote the 60-year-old creator of “The Office,” who has MCed the Golden Globes 5 occasions, however by no means the Academy Awards.
The comedian continued, “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.”
I’d begin 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.”
— Ricky Gervais (@rickygervais) March 27, 2022
Gervais was lampooning the pornographic shows of wealth on the Academy Awards. This yr’s Oscars swag bag reportedly cost $137,000 and included a $12,000 liposuction operation, $25,000 in residence renovations and a small plot of land in Scotland, together with the title Lord or Lady of Glencoe.
Later on, the “Afterlife” star satirized the Oscars’ emphasis on variety, snarking: “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,” he added. “Every demographic under the sun. Except poor people, obviously. F–k them.”
The trial speech surfaced following the notorious Oscars “Hitch” slap, which occurred after Rock, 57, cracked a bald wisecrack about Smith’s actress spouse, Jada Pinkett Smith, who’s been open about her ongoing battle with alopecia. In response, Smith, 53, who received the Best Actor Oscar for his work in “King Richard” later that night, strolled onto the stage and slapped the comedian throughout the face — earlier than taking a seat and warning Rock to “keep my wife’s name out of your f–king mouth.”
“And she’s got alopecia. So… not a happy homelife.” pic.twitter.com/b1NYWWIncX
— David Brent Music (@DavidBrentFilm) March 28, 2022
Following the onstage smackdown, Gervais retweeted a clip from the British “Office” by which his character David Brent makes an “alopecia” joke about an worker.
In a January interview with “The View,” the Emmy winner revealed that he’ll most likely by no means host the Academy Awards.
“I might be allowed to host [the Oscars] if I did what I was told, but there’s the rub,” the “Extras” creator told host Sunny Hostin, Deadline reported. “The good thing about the Globes was [that] they said I could write my own jokes, say what I want, and not rehearse.”
He added, “And that is just too good for a comedian to turn down, whereas I don’t think the Oscars would ever allow me that freedom, and rightly so. I think they would be mad.”
