what is the deal with ricky gervais?

Question

people think he is really funny but i dont.

i understand why it should be funny but it doesnt make me laugh.

and that simpsons episode he wrote was boring.

i am british. still why shud i find it funny coz of where i am from??

Answer 1

i agree, he is actually a right arsehole in real life, thinks a lot of himself, he reckons there is no excuse for lateness and people who have children shouldn't be allowed in restaurants, he is a complete self centered, unfunny *anker.

Answer 2

I must admit I thought The Office was OK but Extras is magnificent. The interplay between Andy and the woman (I can't remember her name...) is so sharply observed. And the scenes with the bald fat bloke who wants to be Andy's friend are excruciating but incredibly funny.
I like the programme's down to earth style; it's natural dialogue, the character's mannerisms, the embarrassing situations they get into (after all, it is a situation comedy). It's just an awesome piece of work, and to throw some famous actors / celebs into the pot is an additional master touch. Come on, that Les Dennis episode is one of the greatest ever. It should have won awards in its own rights.
People say that there isn't an 'English' type of humour but this is precisely that. It's laced with sarcasm, which has always been the cornerstone of English humour, together with absurd characters, who are slightly more exaggerated than real life.

It's marvellous and Ricky Gervais has an awesome sense of humour. It's such a breath of fresh air

Answer 3

i think ricky gervais and jonathan ross are the funniest people ever. just saw them together on JR's show tonight on the bbc 1 - magic!

as you can see i disagree with most of the answers given so far, but i like your question, as my flatmate doensn't like him either too - but then maybe that's becuase I'm forever watching Extras and the Office too much. interesting though some see him as a cretin though and don't like him, i suspect because he comes across as a bit cocky or arrogant. some appear to be threatened i think too or even angry that he's come from nowhere, at an unusually late age and turned into a successful millionaire/comedian within such a short space of time. thing about that and his attitude though is he's just putting that on as an act and he's a geniune and sincere person in real life, who likes to laugh at all things absurd and stupid in people. Try watching the news series of Extras - you might like that as an alternative to the Office (which maybe, maybe was too successful in that it has been shown too many times!).

I accept the simpsons episode you mention wasn't the best, but you know ... you got to give the guy credit - he must be doing something right to be asked to do a simpson's episode and for his shows to be so successful.

Extras series one - the one with Samual Jackson in it - funniest 30 mins of comedy I've seen ever. Recommend it.

Answer 4

I do agree that some of his material isn't funny but then i have laughed at some of his other things. THAT dance in the 'The Office' was genius and i was crying due to the laughter!!
I just believe that he has a sense of humour that appeals to all ages but can target an audience that will understand when maybe others won't..I find him fascinating and intriguing and it's his character that i find humorous because his style sets him apart from other comedians.

Answer 5

I don't think you have to be British to like him nor non-British to dislike him. He's either someone you find funny or someone you'd rather ignore.

He's not perhaps the most handsome guy in the world, and he's not exactly buff, but why does he have to be?

I think The Office and Extras are, on the whole, outstanding pieces of comic writing. Gervais and Stephen Merchant are like the masters of the excrutiating pause. They kind of take over where Fawlty Towers left off, and that lack of fear is very, very refreshing.

But obviously it's not to everyone's taste.

Answer 6

Making your skin crawl is the whole point of "The Office" and the persona Gervais portrays. It's like Larry David in Curb Your Enthusiasm. Watching a train wreck.

Answer 7

Everyone has the right to their opinion and no famous person or their work is going to be appreciated by everybody hands down, but whether you like him or not, the fact that he has created and starred in one of the most popular comedies of all time must confirm that he is, in fact, extremely funny and talented as most people obviously "get" him.

Personally I think the man is hilarious and totally unique, plus I respect him even more now that he has successfully achieved the hard task of following up The Office with the very brilliant Extras. Credit to him!

Answer 8

I thought The Office and Extras were great – very funny, but uncomfortable too as they're extremely observational. It's more subtle comedy than a cheap easy gag, and it's subtle comedy that entertains me. Slapstick is dead. I think Gervais and Stephen Merchant write exceedingly well together but aren't actually that humorous off-the-cuff. I don't think they need to be though.

Answer 9

I consider that Gervais is a comic/actor genius, everything that he says and does has me in fits - great programmes, great interviewee. Only eclipsed by the god of entertainment himself (Stephen Fry) and, perhaps, matched by Jonathan Ross. That three are about all we need to proudly fly the flag for English humour.

Answer 10

I do not like Ricky Gervais or the programmes he produces about The Office. Simpsons was not funny at all.

Answer 11

I love the British "The Office" so much more than the American one, (though I do love Steve Carell) And Ricky Gervais' podcasts are hilarious. I suggest just not paying attention to him if you don't like him. Leave the humor for the rest of us.