Ricky Gervais: Golden Globes opening monologue for the ages (1 Viewer)

[jon_mx]

I'm sorry but I honestly do not understand that point you are trying to make.  Gervais said "actors make too much money"?  Did I miss that part of his monolog?

A big issue for the left/elitist is income inequality.  But the similar issues which exists in corporations also exists in Hollywood.   

 

[wikkidpissah]

i'd step in to clarify the difference between "liberal"s and "everybodynotjustlikeus" but few understand or care...

 

[bigbottom]

A big issue for the left/elitist is income inequality.  But the similar issues which exists in corporations also exists in Hollywood.   

Other than your "elitist" reference (that seems like an unnecessarily pejorative way to frame the issue), I think this is a fair point.  People complain about CEO pay all the time, but much less is heard about exorbitant salaries for actors and athletes.

 

[urbanhack]

Other than your "elitist" reference (that seems like an unnecessarily pejorative way to frame the issue), I think this is a fair point.  People complain about CEO pay all the time, but much less is heard about exorbitant salaries for actors and athletes.

athletes are more like employees and actors are more like independent contractors, no?  I don't see this as a good analogy IMO.

 

[Sheriff Bart]

Just heard it. Really funny and sadly accurate. Hopefully it changes some business practices. 

 

[bigbottom]

athletes are more like employees and actors are more like independent contractors, no?  I don't see this as a good analogy IMO.

CEOs are employees as well.  And CEOs negotiate compensation contracts just like actors do.

 

[Sheriff Bart]

Only if you're union.

Confederates, tough time in Hollywood. 

 

[whoknew]

Other than your "elitist" reference (that seems like an unnecessarily pejorative way to frame the issue), I think this is a fair point.  People complain about CEO pay all the time, but much less is heard about exorbitant salaries for actors and athletes.

I do hear people complain about athletes' salaries all the time. Its always struck me as strange because its one area where people tend to side with ownership over labor. 

 

[urbanhack]

CEOs are employees as well.  And CEOs negotiate compensation contracts just like actors do.

Sure, but then their job is to run an entire organization with responsibilities to employees, customers, investors, shareholders, etc. Do athletes and actors have any type of fiduciary responsibility as part of their contract?  This is where I see the big disconnect. 

 

[OrtonToOlsen]

Well that settles it.  I'm never voting for Ricky Gervais again.

 

[parrot]

A big issue for the left/elitist is income inequality.  But the similar issues which exists in corporations also exists in Hollywood.   

Are we pretending Hollywood isn't run by corporations?  

 

[zftcg]

I think income inequality is an issue across our entire society, regardless of the politics of the rich people benefiting from it. I also think there are many causes to the increasing inequality we've seen over the past few decades, some of them a result of natural forces, and others the deliberate result of governments' fiscal policies.

I do reject the notion that the hypocrisy somehow makes it worse. Why is a liberal who gives lip service to caring about inequality while benefiting from it more worthy of criticism than a conservative CEO who not only benefits from it, but also spends millions electing politicians who will exacerbate the problem? I think they should both be criticized, but the latter's impact is clearly more pernicious.

 

[hagmania]

Killer Epstein material. 

Ah, so this was career suicide?

 

[dgreen]

I don't think we need to try to dig too deep into @jon_mx's analogy. I think he was just trying to make this simple point:

• Income equality is generally seen as a liberal/left issue
  
• Hollywood is heavily liberal/left
  
• Hollywood has income inequality and seemingly isn't interested in doing anything about it
  

I think he's right about the first two bullets. I honestly have no idea if the third bullet is accurate or not.

 

[bigbottom]

Sure, but then their job is to run an entire organization with responsibilities to employees, customers, investors, shareholders, etc. Do athletes and actors have any type of fiduciary responsibility as part of their contract?  This is where I see the big disconnect. 

CEOs have fiduciary duties, but not with respect to setting their own compensation (that lies with the Board of Directors).  In that regard, they're an employee.  And I'm not sure I'm following the argument that it's unfair that people who run an entire organization and take on the burden of fiduciary responsibilities make so much, but there's no issue whatsoever with a guy getting paid $36,000,000 to pitch 30 games.

 

[bigbottom]

I do hear people complain about athletes' salaries all the time. Its always struck me as strange because its one area where people tend to side with ownership over labor. 

This is largely supposition as I don't have the numbers, but I think most team owners don't make a whole lot operationally from owning the team.  They make the bulk of their money when they sell.

 

[HellToupee]

Ah, so this was career suicide?

I know this isn’t a serious comment about his career but Ricky has the Office $$$ in his back pocket. It’s easy to have a I don’t give a hoot attitude but I’m still a big fan

 

[joffer]

just watched it.  pretty funny.  don't really get what the big deal is.  learn to laugh at yourself.

 

[jon_mx]

Ricky Gervais did not kill himself.  

 

[bigbottom]

just watched it.  pretty funny.  don't really get what the big deal is.  learn to laugh at yourself.

Yeah, from the broadcast, it did appear that most of the room was laughing, though there were some notable exceptions.

 

[[scooter]]

just watched it.  pretty funny.  don't really get what the big deal is.

Obviously Mr. Bruiser was just showing us all that the so-called "Hollywood Elite" isn't as liberal as the right-wing media would have you believe.

 

[FreeBaGeL]

I don`t think he was joking.  Companies like Apple, Nike put on a socially aware face yet they have dirty little secrets they try to keep buried.  I get it that many companies do the same, just own it. Hollywood, TV and films has been one of the most corrupt, sexist, racist, industries on the planet and Ricky calls them out for what they are.

I definitely don't think he was doing it just for the laughs. 

He certainly has a point, especially with Apple.  Apple is in such a weird position.  Their image and their main clientele is this hip woke minamilist hipster thingie (I feel old just saying those words), but they practice none of those things.  They have to sell to the crowd that hates big overbearing evil corporations while at the same time being a big overbearing evil corporation.  And then charge them extra for it.

At least when Amazon skirts around paying any taxes on their huge profits we know we get low prices and insanely cheap/fast shipping out of the deal.  Apple is building more and more stuff in China and using their own tax loopholes and still selling the most expensive stuff on the market to people that claim to hate those kind of corporate practices.

 

[HellToupee]

Obviously Mr. Bruiser was just showing us all that the so-called "Hollywood Elite" isn't as liberal as the right-wing media would have you believe.

Yes, of course, the right wing media

 

[zftcg]

Ricky Gervais did not kill himself.  

So you're saying it was Epstein who killed him?

 

[Snotbubbles]

Gervais killed it with this: "...Bird Box, a movie where people survive by acting like they don't see a thing, so like working for Harvey Weinstein...[crowd reaction]...you did it, I didn't, you did..."

 

[zftcg]

Yeah, from the broadcast, it did appear that most of the room was laughing, though there were some notable exceptions.

I feel like the nature of Gervais' humor is that it makes you feel uncomfortable even if you do find it funny. I can only imagine that feeling is even more intense when you're in the room with him. And then, of course, there were the presence of cameras. I wonder if some of the celebrities were thinking, "Will it make me look bad if I'm seen laughing at that joke?"

 

[Mile High]

This is largely supposition as I don't have the numbers, but I think most team owners don't make a whole lot operationally from owning the team.  They make the bulk of their money when they sell.

Then why are NFL teams  hardly ever sold?

 

[zftcg]

This is largely supposition as I don't have the numbers, but I think most team owners don't make a whole lot operationally from owning the team.  They make the bulk of their money when they sell.

I think that used to be true, and may be for some sports franchises, but NFL teams make a crap-ton from TV rights, which are split equally among all 32 teams. 

 

[bigbottom]

I think that used to be true, and may be for some sports franchises, but NFL teams make a crap-ton from TV rights, which are split equally among all 32 teams. 

Yeah, that generalization likely doesn’t apply to the NFL. 

 

[hagmania]

I know this isn’t a serious comment about his career but Ricky has the Office $$$ in his back pocket. It’s easy to have a I don’t give a hoot attitude but I’m still a big fan

It's also a bad comment because Epstein didn't kill himself.

 

[Summer Wheat]

I feel like the nature of Gervais' humor is that it makes you feel uncomfortable even if you do find it funny. I can only imagine that feeling is even more intense when you're in the room with him. And then, of course, there were the presence of cameras. I wonder if some of the celebrities were thinking, "Will it make me look bad if I'm seen laughing at that joke?"

Ellen was laughing pretty hard.

 

[Zegras11]

It was a funny monologue. Was this the first time for some of you watching Gervais host this thing? People are reading way, way too much into it. Bob friggin Hope sassed the room during these things too. C'mon.

Bob Hope didn't have to overcome a politically correct society.

 

[[scooter]]

It was a funny monologue. Was this the first time for some of you watching Gervais host this thing? People are reading way, way too much into it. Bob friggin Hope sassed the room during these things too. C'mon.

Bob Hope didn't have to overcome a politically correct society.

Yes he did.

The only difference is that Bob Hope dealt with a different set of forbidden topics.

 

[Zegras11]

Yes he did.

The only difference is that Bob Hope dealt with a different set of forbidden topics.

Bob Hope didn't have to preface his performances the way Gervais just did.

 

[zoonation]

Ah, so this was career suicide?

Career suicide?  Not a chance.  The guy is worth north of 100 million dollars and signs 25 million dollar deals with Netflix on the regular (note also that he didn't mention Netflix in his take down of streaming services).

 

[[scooter]]

Yes he did.

The only difference is that Bob Hope dealt with a different set of forbidden topics.

Bob Hope didn't have to preface his performances the way Gervais just did.

That's because PC culture was so strong in Bob Hope's day, that he didn't even dare to discuss forbidden topics.

 

[zftcg]

That's because PC culture was so strong in Bob Hope's day, that he didn't even dare to discuss forbidden topics.

Right. No one used the term back then, but if they had it would have been to describe the exact opposite of what it means today. Regardless, Hope didn't challenge the Establishment of his day. He was very much a part of it.

 

[AAABatteries]

Career suicide?  Not a chance.  The guy is worth north of 100 million dollars and signs 25 million dollar deals with Netflix on the regular (note also that he didn't mention Netflix in his take down of streaming services).

 

 

[CletiusMaximus]

Bob Hope didn't have to preface his performances the way Gervais just did.

The preface is an integral part of Gervais’ well-trod schtick.

1. Announce that you’re going to say something offensive.

2. Repeat some vanilla stuff kids have been saying for months on social media. 
3.  Repeatedly assure everyone you don’t care that they’re offended, ignoring the fact that no one is offended. 

 

[The Commish]

Seemed like it was standard Ricky G...not sure what I am missing

People just not familiar with his work?

 

[need2know]

Seemed like it was standard Ricky G...not sure what I am missing

People just not familiar with his work?

If you like ricky you love this.  I used to love the original British office.  But I totally understand hes not everyone's cup of tea.    I think hes funny as hell

 

[Da Guru]

Bob Hope didn't have to preface his performances the way Gervais just did.

Everybody does now.   Tim Allen just said that before every live show he has to say "This is comedy folks, and there will be some jokes that are not PC, try not to be be offended"

 

[The Commish]

If you like ricky you love this.  I used to love the original British office.  But I totally understand hes not everyone's cup of tea.    I think hes funny as hell

Don't disagree...I think he's hilarious.  Some seem to think what they saw this at the Golden Globes was serious.

 

[Summer Wheat]

Don't disagree...I think he's hilarious.  Some seem to think what they saw this at the Golden Globes was serious.

Ricky did hit close to home with many jokes, made some people very uncomfortable.

 

[The Commish]

Ricky did hit close to home with many jokes, made some people very uncomfortable.

The reason he's so good is because there is a bit of truth to just about everything he says.  No question, but it's still "roast like" and it seems like some don't get that?  Not sure  

 

[Sweet J]

Everyone deserves a living wage.  

who are you and what have you done with jon_mx? 

 

[Summer Wheat]

The reason he's so good is because there is a bit of truth to just about everything he says.  No question, but it's still "roast like" and it seems like some don't get that?  Not sure  

I think the "some" are on the butt end of the jokes.   I remember  Robert Downey Jr was pissed off when Ricky said you all know this next Actor from Ironman ect..but more recently from the Betty Ford Clinic and the LA country Jail.  It was funny but true as Downey just got our of jail.

 

[Zow]

Other than your "elitist" reference (that seems like an unnecessarily pejorative way to frame the issue), I think this is a fair point.  People complain about CEO pay all the time, but much less is heard about exorbitant salaries for actors and athletes.

I think that Robert Nozick put the gripe to bed back in the days of Wilt Chamberlain.