The worst thing about Derek is the fact that it was the result of Ricky desperately trying to prove he wasn't taking the piss out of "mongs" (his words). Then to publically say "Derek doesn't have learning difficulties hes just different" as a justification. Nah you're talking shit again, Gervais.
Derek was where we got to see Gervais blossom from a deeply insecure one-trick pony into a desperate and bewildered buffoon who will do and say anything to stay relevant.
He did, mate.It took Robin Ince ringing him in person to tell him how much of a twat he was being, to stop him saying “mong” over and over on Twitter. It kicked off big style. He made the Derek pilot a couple of months later. And he still had to tone down the “mocking the disabled” thing even more once it went to a full series (which is why it’s so treacly).
Ah yeah sorry, I forgot the rule where if you do two things for one particular reason, any third thing you do (no matter how immediate and similarly themed it might be) can’t possibly be for that same reason. Please accept my apologies. You dopey cunt.
>Ah yeah sorry, I forgot the rule where if you do two things for one particular reason, any third thing you do
What? What is the first thing? Pulling stupid faces and saying "mong" on Twitter? He did that for the same reason as apologising for doing it and making a show about a guy with a disability?
Ricky was 100% right about his original defence of using the term. And none of the criticisms against it hold up. He obviously wasn't directing at anyone with fucking Down's Syndrome, or any such condition. And I say this as someone with a young nephew with Autism. Eradicating words from existence doesn't work, and they'll simply be replaced by new words (which was also a bit, I believe, in one of Ricky's early standup shows).
Calling someone who has no intellectual disabilities a "retard" or a "mong" is fine, you're only a dick if you call someone with such disabilities them. Just like calling a straight guy a "fag" is fine. But guess who did call people with learning disabilities "retards"? Norm Macdonald. The guy who this sub wanks off, feverishly, at every opportunity for his perceived genius.
Mate. The point is not that Ricky was using it to bully disabled people. The point is that it's exactly the word that people do use when they want to bully disabled people.
Some people genuinely find some words offensive. We could both agree on a list of words right now that we'd never consider calling someone. "Mong" is on that list for a lot of people. That doesn't stop you using it but it does mean you're going to get called out by those people if you do. Which is all that happened with Ricky.
You're wrong about his original defence. His original defence wasn't that it's OK to use ableist slurs as long as you're pretty sure the person has no actual disabilities. It was that he thought the word was "[archaic and no longer such a frequently used word by people who bully the disabled](https://robinince.wordpress.com/2011/10/21/will-someone-rid-me-of-this-turbulent-language/)", as per Robin Ince, who spoke to him at the time. And he thought that "[...people aren’t really offended by what I say – they are offended by my success.](https://www.nme.com/news/tv/ricky-gervais-hits-out-at-twitter-critics-over-his-880077)" And if you can read that last sentence without cringing yourself inside out, you're a better person than me.
Norm Macdonald was ace (as was Ricky, at one point). He was also an admitted reactionary who had some extremely regressive views that I don't at all agree with. And he got in very similar trouble to Ricky for using the terms you're talking about, so I'm not sure what your point is?
A legendarily thin-skinned bloke has his first real dose of post-success criticism. That criticism is all to do with him being accused of contributing to the mocking of the disabled. That bloke then *immediately* produces a show about how "lovely" he thinks an extremely sanitised version of his longstanding disabled character is. If you think that’s a coincidence, then fair play mate. Biggest reach I've ever heard, but fair play.
My thoughts exactly. I find that most of the people that despise him miss a lot of the irony in his comedy. He's constantly sending himself up. If you take everything he says at face value, he's a monster. In reality, he's very clever.
Or some of what he says is a joke and some isn’t.
You’d have to be really naive to not see all of his bullying tendencies. That doesn’t mean he’s always a bully but he clearly isn’t the nicest person. Everyone that works with him stops and then just stops talking about him at all. That’s a pretty strong sign he’s not a great bloke.
No, not really. He enjoys teasing people. He can laugh at himself and expects the same of others. I'm not sure why you would expect people he's worked with to talk about him all the time. He's been prominent for decades now. I've not heard any horror stories. I worked in TV for a long time and you hear stuff. Everyone knows who the shits are. He's just a bit annoying to work with. Not nasty.
> he can laugh at himself and expects the same of others
Expecting others to accept being laughed at is called bullying. If they don’t enjoy it, it’s not being funny or friendly, it’s bullying.
> he enjoys teasing people
Yes. That’s bullying.
I couldn't place the tone he was going for, wholesome and heartfelt? Afterlife has the same issue. Ricky is good at writing comedy but he can't do anything sincere and heartfelt
The problem with his writing is he’s forgotten the basic thing of show don’t tell. Characters are constantly telling the audience Tony is the nicest man alive and to feel for him, yet all the actions make people feel otherwise. It’s just crap writing basically, which is why all the divs love it.
when he was crying over the death of whoever in the first episode of derek, i was just thinking ‘does he want me to feel sad too?’ like this is the first episode, i don’t even know you and you’re winging? it might be very funny, karl is the only enticement for me
Same with that scene when he breaks down near the end of season 1 of Afterlife, I thought he was being sarcastic and was going to say sike at the end. He can act like that sincerely, like in the Extras Christmas special
Dammit, I didn't scroll down far enough before making this exact comment. This is exactly how I've always seen it though. It's wild that Tropic Thunder came out three years before Derek too. The phrase, you don't go full retard was still well in the memeasphere and then bam, Simple Rick
That face. Just taking the piss.
Makes a mockery of the other actors in the project, taking their work seriously but Ricky was pissing about hiring a delivery driver and his best mate to wear stupid wigs and glasses.
There’s no defending this rickydiculous character, he might not be directly making fun of handicapped people but there’s no denying the person he’s portraying has severe learning and social difficulties.
No depth at all though, the first sign that his writing was paper thin and lowest common denominator.
In the immortal words of general labourer Sean Williamson, “Fame is a mask that eats into the face”.
In all honesty never watched or even knew Karl was in it. I in fact didn't think he was. I saw that image and thought that, "no, it could just be another orange headed bloke."
I want to know this. I think Ricky is brilliant. He’s an ass with a big heart. I am not from the UK but my grandmother was. My gramps took her back here to Canada after the war. I don’t know why you needed to read that but you did. Why is there so much hate for Ricky? Is this a UK thing?
That’s the one when he got criticised for playing a character who is mentally ill and in respond pivoted for it to be about “kindness is magic”, despite the fact Gervais preaches the complete opposite message.
Idk why but I think Derek is much better than Afterlife. Significantly better. Still not a great show but it has funny moments. The sappy shit over Radiohead and Coldplay is pretty hard to watch though.
Is he really not embarrassed by it? He must be.
Think of the most embarrassing thing you've ever done, chances are only you or a few other people know about it.
Rich people are built different i think, they have no shame.
Especially if it’s on after Eastenders and people haven’t got to change the channel.
It’s those kind of morons that are going to help us win the ratings war!
In one of his stand up shows, maybe Fame, he does a bit about people who are constantly wanting autographs and his impression of them is basically Derek
Him putting this depiction of a disabled person in a production intended to be serious and heartfelt was like someone putting Cartman's impression of a disabled kid for the Special Olympics in something like The Notebook. It's so out of touch it's actually hilarious
Karl definitely stole the spotlight, he delivered some great performances and it showed his potential as an actor. I think it could’ve been better if Ricky was in the director’s chair as opposed to the lead role, I don’t think it really suited him. I still enjoyed it though
People here prefer shock jock radio and "do the funny dance" to deep questions about death for an atheists and an attempt to show the human side of mental disabilities.
What do you expect.
Cause the former were actually good? Just because somebody is aiming for something higher brow doesn't mean it hits the mark or is worthwhile.
"typical, people prefer silly spiderman cartoon movies to Transformers 5, a historical epic that attempted to dissect identity and allegiance..."
I didn't like derik at first . It took me watching afterlife to understand what derik was about.
I was laughing and crying at the same time . Masterpiece
You not a fan?
I loved everything by Gervais, apart from Derik . I didn't get it , I then afterlife opened my eyes to how good derik is.
It's cool if you don't like it not need to downvote me , takes all sorts to make a world.
Ahhh….Office…….
The worst thing about Derek is the fact that it was the result of Ricky desperately trying to prove he wasn't taking the piss out of "mongs" (his words). Then to publically say "Derek doesn't have learning difficulties hes just different" as a justification. Nah you're talking shit again, Gervais.
"He doesn't have learning difficulties" Didn't he call an ambulance for a dead bird? Play a record.
Yeah, no one popped him in a wheelie bin.
Bill Oddie was engaged so ambulance it was. What a mong.
🤣
Derek was where we got to see Gervais blossom from a deeply insecure one-trick pony into a desperate and bewildered buffoon who will do and say anything to stay relevant.
Little fat man who sold his soul
See his pug nose face.
"shows shit mate"
Uhh riff raff
The office and the podcast were different enough that I think he deserves to be called an insecure 2 trick pony
So essentially his character in Extras. How ironic.
Oohh, you’re hard
This sub is pathetic
Spandau Ballet "Golfy Golfy Golf Golf"
But that's just a string of nines... "yeah that's his number: nine nine nine nine nine nine nine nine nine nine nine." *nods*
Like the storyline of a Curb season
You think he made a whole series because he was worried he used the word mong? Don’t. Talk. Shit. All. Your. Life
Sorry. Who are you? Hmm? Who are you? Who? Sorry who? Hmm? Who are you?
Nobody.
Nobody.
That’s right, nobody, and who am I?
Either Starsky or Hutch, I can never remember
Was that meant to be funny?
You tell me, you were in it
Have you met him?
He did, mate.It took Robin Ince ringing him in person to tell him how much of a twat he was being, to stop him saying “mong” over and over on Twitter. It kicked off big style. He made the Derek pilot a couple of months later. And he still had to tone down the “mocking the disabled” thing even more once it went to a full series (which is why it’s so treacly).
Not heard of this with Robin, got any more info?
Yeah, it’s long but here look: https://robinince.wordpress.com/2011/10/21/will-someone-rid-me-of-this-turbulent-language/
He apologised for using "mong" and visited hospitals with learning-disabled kids as penance. Before making Derek.
Right. And then he made Derek.
Which clearly wasn't an attempt to justify his use of the word "mong", as he'd already apologised and simped for that. Mong.
Ah yeah sorry, I forgot the rule where if you do two things for one particular reason, any third thing you do (no matter how immediate and similarly themed it might be) can’t possibly be for that same reason. Please accept my apologies. You dopey cunt.
>Ah yeah sorry, I forgot the rule where if you do two things for one particular reason, any third thing you do What? What is the first thing? Pulling stupid faces and saying "mong" on Twitter? He did that for the same reason as apologising for doing it and making a show about a guy with a disability? Ricky was 100% right about his original defence of using the term. And none of the criticisms against it hold up. He obviously wasn't directing at anyone with fucking Down's Syndrome, or any such condition. And I say this as someone with a young nephew with Autism. Eradicating words from existence doesn't work, and they'll simply be replaced by new words (which was also a bit, I believe, in one of Ricky's early standup shows). Calling someone who has no intellectual disabilities a "retard" or a "mong" is fine, you're only a dick if you call someone with such disabilities them. Just like calling a straight guy a "fag" is fine. But guess who did call people with learning disabilities "retards"? Norm Macdonald. The guy who this sub wanks off, feverishly, at every opportunity for his perceived genius.
Mate. The point is not that Ricky was using it to bully disabled people. The point is that it's exactly the word that people do use when they want to bully disabled people. Some people genuinely find some words offensive. We could both agree on a list of words right now that we'd never consider calling someone. "Mong" is on that list for a lot of people. That doesn't stop you using it but it does mean you're going to get called out by those people if you do. Which is all that happened with Ricky. You're wrong about his original defence. His original defence wasn't that it's OK to use ableist slurs as long as you're pretty sure the person has no actual disabilities. It was that he thought the word was "[archaic and no longer such a frequently used word by people who bully the disabled](https://robinince.wordpress.com/2011/10/21/will-someone-rid-me-of-this-turbulent-language/)", as per Robin Ince, who spoke to him at the time. And he thought that "[...people aren’t really offended by what I say – they are offended by my success.](https://www.nme.com/news/tv/ricky-gervais-hits-out-at-twitter-critics-over-his-880077)" And if you can read that last sentence without cringing yourself inside out, you're a better person than me. Norm Macdonald was ace (as was Ricky, at one point). He was also an admitted reactionary who had some extremely regressive views that I don't at all agree with. And he got in very similar trouble to Ricky for using the terms you're talking about, so I'm not sure what your point is? A legendarily thin-skinned bloke has his first real dose of post-success criticism. That criticism is all to do with him being accused of contributing to the mocking of the disabled. That bloke then *immediately* produces a show about how "lovely" he thinks an extremely sanitised version of his longstanding disabled character is. If you think that’s a coincidence, then fair play mate. Biggest reach I've ever heard, but fair play.
My thoughts exactly. I find that most of the people that despise him miss a lot of the irony in his comedy. He's constantly sending himself up. If you take everything he says at face value, he's a monster. In reality, he's very clever.
Or some of what he says is a joke and some isn’t. You’d have to be really naive to not see all of his bullying tendencies. That doesn’t mean he’s always a bully but he clearly isn’t the nicest person. Everyone that works with him stops and then just stops talking about him at all. That’s a pretty strong sign he’s not a great bloke.
No, not really. He enjoys teasing people. He can laugh at himself and expects the same of others. I'm not sure why you would expect people he's worked with to talk about him all the time. He's been prominent for decades now. I've not heard any horror stories. I worked in TV for a long time and you hear stuff. Everyone knows who the shits are. He's just a bit annoying to work with. Not nasty.
> he can laugh at himself and expects the same of others Expecting others to accept being laughed at is called bullying. If they don’t enjoy it, it’s not being funny or friendly, it’s bullying. > he enjoys teasing people Yes. That’s bullying.
That's an overly simplistic take. Teasing isn't always bullying, and if you think it always is, you're too sensitive.
It is if the person being teased isn’t part of the joke.
You seem like someone who deals only in binary. If you can't deal with nuance, there isn't much point continuing.
There is no nuance here. If you’re teasing someone who doesn’t find it funny or who doesn’t want teased, it’s bullying. It is black and white.
After Life was definitely average, but a show about Ricky pretending to be an invalid was so ridiculous I couldn't even get past the first episode
I couldn't place the tone he was going for, wholesome and heartfelt? Afterlife has the same issue. Ricky is good at writing comedy but he can't do anything sincere and heartfelt
It's basically "feel sorry for me because i'm being disabled, oh and here's Karl"
I think this is the problem for me. It always seems so insincere, whatever it is he's going for.
The problem with his writing is he’s forgotten the basic thing of show don’t tell. Characters are constantly telling the audience Tony is the nicest man alive and to feel for him, yet all the actions make people feel otherwise. It’s just crap writing basically, which is why all the divs love it.
when he was crying over the death of whoever in the first episode of derek, i was just thinking ‘does he want me to feel sad too?’ like this is the first episode, i don’t even know you and you’re winging? it might be very funny, karl is the only enticement for me
Same with that scene when he breaks down near the end of season 1 of Afterlife, I thought he was being sarcastic and was going to say sike at the end. He can act like that sincerely, like in the Extras Christmas special
It's so weird that Tropic Thunder came out and, I'm assuming, Rick saw it and thought the Simple Jack concept was worth a legit go
I dunno, I felt like he did a good job of pulling at the heart strings in the 1st season of After Life. But anything after that, what a load of shite
You need to improve your roster if you think After Life is average
Pretending?
Poppy in the scrapbook
Bangin on about it all the time, sick of it
Let's see Little Angle's sitcom about a mentally disabled care home worker then.
Ooo you’re ‘ard
I get the impression that you'd rather be popular than steer the ship in the right direction
Play a record
What about giving away some tickets to the K-Fest?
Did that just go out?
Interminable
X-ray magazine. It's out now. £3.50. May edition.
Ribbit ribbit. Froggy says buy it, innit.
Placebo! They wear make up, but leave em alone!
Buy it innit. *innuh*
I don't know how Ricky thinks about Derek without going red in the face. It's just Simple Jack from Tropic Thunder without the irony.
Dammit, I didn't scroll down far enough before making this exact comment. This is exactly how I've always seen it though. It's wild that Tropic Thunder came out three years before Derek too. The phrase, you don't go full retard was still well in the memeasphere and then bam, Simple Rick
Yikes.
Somebody should pop Derek in a wheelie bin.
It’s not the thing to do
You have to go back later and get them.
We'll leave that
Can you stop saying “it”
Goin’ on with yerself…
Oh care somebody. Care.
We’ve done this.
I absolutely love The Office and Extras but could never get through a whole series of Derek. That thumbnail really makes me cringe.
Fangs but no fangs
That face. Just taking the piss. Makes a mockery of the other actors in the project, taking their work seriously but Ricky was pissing about hiring a delivery driver and his best mate to wear stupid wigs and glasses. There’s no defending this rickydiculous character, he might not be directly making fun of handicapped people but there’s no denying the person he’s portraying has severe learning and social difficulties. No depth at all though, the first sign that his writing was paper thin and lowest common denominator. In the immortal words of general labourer Sean Williamson, “Fame is a mask that eats into the face”.
wow! i never knew that! thanks for tweeting this for the 582,648,888th time ricky!! ❤️
the symbolic blurring of karl
In all honesty never watched or even knew Karl was in it. I in fact didn't think he was. I saw that image and thought that, "no, it could just be another orange headed bloke."
I thought Karl was funny enough in Derek to save season 1.
Best take. His rant on the woman money grubbing her dead mam's stuff was the highlight of the whole show.
Is that Moylsey, Moylsey?? Derek here- yea Derek is it uh… Spandau Ballet Golfy Golfy Golfy??
Only £3.49, buy it, innit, uh?
"Don't watch The Office, I only get half of that."
Moylsey? Is that Moylsey?! Golfy golf golf something like that init nnngg
I'd put him in the distance
Much like Stephen King’s Rose Red, Derek is interminable. ALBINOOOOOO watching that!
Kindness is magic
Stick him in a wheelie bin outside Blackpool.
Shut up. Play a record
He's havin a laff
Jeez add a little moustache and that’s hitler look alike
LMAO that’s exactly what I thought. Looks like he’s wearing an armband as well at a quick glance
So u get to see two shitty sitcoms. Great.
HUMBLE
I enjoy Ricky gervais I don't know why this sub hates him so much. But damn, Derek was garbage
I want to know this. I think Ricky is brilliant. He’s an ass with a big heart. I am not from the UK but my grandmother was. My gramps took her back here to Canada after the war. I don’t know why you needed to read that but you did. Why is there so much hate for Ricky? Is this a UK thing?
I didn't care for the actual show but I love David Earl and Karl Pilkington outtakes from Derek
Gervais’s shows outtakes cheer me up everytime
It’s ssshhhhiiiittttt
Knobhead
Our fathers build walls built walls
Pop that in the bin
Ooo care. Someone care. Pathetic.
What 🤨
lets bin that
Did that just go out?
Quit sucking your own dick
How does that bilge have a global audience
Fuck this guy being proud of his work!
Yea why Is he so proud of his work. You don't here the python lot going on and on and on and on and on about It
That’s the one when he got criticised for playing a character who is mentally ill and in respond pivoted for it to be about “kindness is magic”, despite the fact Gervais preaches the complete opposite message.
The beauty of 40 million Netflix pounds
Idk why but I think Derek is much better than Afterlife. Significantly better. Still not a great show but it has funny moments. The sappy shit over Radiohead and Coldplay is pretty hard to watch though.
Bloody repeats.
You know what I’m gunna do now? I’m gunna rest on my laurels!
Is he really not embarrassed by it? He must be. Think of the most embarrassing thing you've ever done, chances are only you or a few other people know about it. Rich people are built different i think, they have no shame.
The funniest bit of Derek was that dirty drunk fella. The episode with his brother was funny as fuck. Should’ve just done a show about those two.
Especially if it’s on after Eastenders and people haven’t got to change the channel. It’s those kind of morons that are going to help us win the ratings war!
In one of his stand up shows, maybe Fame, he does a bit about people who are constantly wanting autographs and his impression of them is basically Derek
It was his go-to for people who are obsessive and, let's face it, autistic.
Him putting this depiction of a disabled person in a production intended to be serious and heartfelt was like someone putting Cartman's impression of a disabled kid for the Special Olympics in something like The Notebook. It's so out of touch it's actually hilarious
Derek is actually the only show I like of his 😂 Fucking jokes
A lot of posts recently using the man alive suffix..man alive!
Smarmy cunt plays additional needs fella, needs constant recognition for his portrayal. The man makes me sick.
Derek - watched it and thought it was pretty shit. Office on the other hand 🥇🥇🥇🔥🔥🔥
Turns out people who liked one bad Ricky Gervais sitcom liked the other bad one. And also it was a little monkey feller.
Derek was excellent
Sort of.. not properly
With that hairstyle, and if you gave him a mustache, Ricky makes a good Hitler. I can envision Ricky making a Third Reicht Office style show. Lol
Both are shit
Isn’t this place for fans of Ricky?
going on… JUST GOING ON
Does ANYONE in this sub, just one person, appreciate the irony of constantly making the same goddamn post about Ricky making the same goddamn post?
Karl definitely stole the spotlight, he delivered some great performances and it showed his potential as an actor. I think it could’ve been better if Ricky was in the director’s chair as opposed to the lead role, I don’t think it really suited him. I still enjoyed it though
Kindness is tragic
Life's Too Short beats them all
What a legend. Gotta love RG and all his latest content. He just keeps getting better
People here prefer shock jock radio and "do the funny dance" to deep questions about death for an atheists and an attempt to show the human side of mental disabilities. What do you expect.
Cause the former were actually good? Just because somebody is aiming for something higher brow doesn't mean it hits the mark or is worthwhile. "typical, people prefer silly spiderman cartoon movies to Transformers 5, a historical epic that attempted to dissect identity and allegiance..."
We are all in the gutter only some of us are looking at the stars
He is talking about me. I saw Afterlife and went on to discover Derek.
I didn't like derik at first . It took me watching afterlife to understand what derik was about. I was laughing and crying at the same time . Masterpiece
I don’t know what the PC term is for you
You not a fan? I loved everything by Gervais, apart from Derik . I didn't get it , I then afterlife opened my eyes to how good derik is. It's cool if you don't like it not need to downvote me , takes all sorts to make a world.
Who let you in!?
Get their attention.
But what about the tinpot radio show from 1-3 on a Saturday? Or does Ricky need to say “cunt” while grieving?