Ricky Gervais Saves the Golden Globes

And not only did no one thank Ricky Gervais, they are still crucifying him! As others have said, this is probably the stupidest "scandal" that has come about in at least... well, it's stupid. With everything that's going on in the real world, Gervais' hosting of the Golden Globes barely warrants the coverage it has received, much less the brouhaha it has caused. Gervais has even been sucked into the ongoing political debate between extremists!

Gervais' comments were hardly "roast"-worthy; as others have noted, he simply repeated gags and rumors that have been circling these very Interwebs for years now (with flair, mind you). Suggesting that two Scientologists might be closeted homosexuals wasn't even new when South Park did it... FIVE FUCKING YEARS AGO! And the most "scathing" thing he said about The Tourist was that nobody saw it, which is born-out by the box office results.

oooooo! Fuckin' edgy!

The truth is that exactly three "stars" were offended: Robert Downey, Jr.; Bruce Willis; and whoever the hell the President of the Foreign Press, or whatever, is. This "debacle" shows the world the real problem with Hollow-wood: Talent and entertainment, the very products in which this industry claims to deal, take a backseat to affluence. This is a problem throughout the entertainment industry: As someone else put it, 'It's not about who's good; it's about who's cool [amongst those in the industry].'

And "cool" is all too often determined by political or religious affiliation, who's selling tickets, who's buying tickets, and who knows whom.

All Ricky Gervais did was poke a little harmless fun at a roomful of pompous blowhards in an effort to lighten the black-tie mood. Johnny Depp certainly seemed to Get It -- as well he should -- because he knows he's talented and no matter what anyone says, he makes billion-dollar movies (and billions of dollars making movies). And I was shocked and disappointed by Steve Buscemi's reaction... but then, he plays homeless stereotypes in fucking Adam Sandler movies now. Don't let that horse get too high there, Stevie.

The Golden Globes are nothing more than glad-handing amongst Hollywood stars; a celebration of self-absorption thrown by navel-gazing narcissists and sycophants of the same. You could feed a small country with the money spent on such pointless, ugly celebrations of wealth, and the fact that at least half of the people in attendance claim to be humanitarians is exactly the kind of bullshit Gervais used to fuel his act.

I've spent years glossing-over most of Hollywood's more human foibles, as The Rundown is no gossip rag, and I was always under the impression that, regardless of their status and wealth, most people in Hollywood are exactly that: People.

The 2011 Golden Globes proved me wrong.

© C Harris Lynn, 2011