Ricky Gervais began the Golden Globes with the announcement that it would be his very last time hosting them. Known for his crude humor, Gervais announced that he would joke as much as he pleased, as he did not care what people thought of him.
Typical of an awards show, Gervais went on to throw jabs at various celebrities including Martin Scorsese, Joe Pesci, and Meryl Streep. However, all of his jokes were met in good humor.
These jests were made for the majority of his monologue but towards the end of his ten minute speech, he brought an entirely different subject to light. He began to criticize the hypocrisy of celebrities.
After calling out Apple for their usage of sweatshops in China and the general public for supporting the company, he urged the nominees to avoid mentioning politics in their acceptance speeches as they “know nothing about the real world.”
This was met with awkward silence and uncomfortable looks shared around the room.
Although the ending of his monologue was perceived negatively by those in the room, Gervais has received a large amount of support on the internet, as he should.
All of the points he made at the end of his oration were valid. Many celebrities separate themselves from the so-called “real world” and indulge in their fame. Empty tweets are sent out in response to devastating events to boost popularity, but many celebrities do not take any real action.
Attempts are made to understand what goes on in the life of the average Joe, but most celebrities do not care to look past their own cloud of wealth and are extremely out of touch, a recent example being Kylie Jenner giving her condolences to the thousands of koalas that have died as a result of the fires in Australia just to later show off shoes made of mink fur.
Gervais’ speech brought up a very real issue plaguing a society of fame, and his advice should definitely be taken into consideration. Practice what you preach, or do not preach at all.
