4:00 pm ET
Aug 17, 2011


Ricky Gervais on Ricky Gervais Comedy

    • Due to Ricky's atheism, it is hard to understand how he believes in a golden rule in any context...just saying.

    • Nothing is original, so nothing Gervais does is. Calling it original is the ego trip of all time. IMO, Gervais is angry because he cannot get a way from being Gervais; as successful as he is, he is still Gervais; and unhappy. Madonna had sort of the same problem for a long time, but she didn't subject her audience to her uneasiness about herself. Gervais really does need to improve his image; to himself.

    • Trust Ricky to post a thoughtful, serious piece on comedy and make it funny to boot.

    • The golden rule market was not cornered by any god. It is a general moral and ethical standard that all people, no matter what they claim to believe or not believe, can hold themselves up to. Just because he is an atheist, doesn't mean he can't live an ethical life.

    • relativism breaks down your unfounded argument. The golden rule is derived from religion, due to God's law being universal. Without God, one's character and ethics can be defined by the needs of said individual. Relativism. Atheism is not a universal law, nor is logic. Murder can be interpreted as logical by some, but that does not make it right.

    • He's talking about the "Golden Rule" of comedy-not THE Golden Rule. Did you all even read the same article I did????

    • I've never liked awkward comedy, the Ben Stiller and Ricky Gervais types. I'm moved too quickly to pity or revulsion, rarely to a laugh. I'm rarely more convinced I live in an irredeemable world of idiots than after I watch The Office. Take 'You Don't Mess with the Zohan' as a counterpoint. Just as much affrontery but ultimately likeable because the characters don't take themselves too seriously. Shouldn't comedy quickly bring us to recognize absurdity in others and in ourselves ? Isn't that really the great relief of it ?

    • It's funny seeing you purporting what is logical when your argument regarding the Golden Rule is completely illogical. Please tell me you are aware that Confucius spoke of the Golden Rule in ancient China with no influence of Judeo/Christian beliefs or theism in general. Who said anything about atheism being universal law? By your rationale, how the hell is atheism more illogical than believing in something with ZERO evidence to support it? You cannot get more illogical in this universe than believing blindly in something with no proof. You're laughable.

    • You annoy me thrice...

      I can see what your ideas of comedy are, ... taking awkward to metaphysical suicide :) Funny, funny stuff.

      I know Ricky did the atheism thing, which I thought was self-indulgent and misplaced for American humor.

      I'm afraid I'm going to have to write you up a citation, as a Comedy Police officer, for not knowing the boundaries of a humor discussion. Your punishment ? You are sentenced to watch 20 Seinfeld episodes, including The Self Control Contest, The Marine Biologist, Cramer's Bladder of Oil, and Shrinkage in the Hamptons.

    • Comedy Police....

      I've already seen those episodes. Does that count as time served?

    • So everyone reads a witty article by Gervais and decides they are in the same league. I won't fall for that bit, but say that I do enjoy the concepts... particularly a self-interview and the aforementioned atheism thesis.

    • Had you ended your sentence with "Man". I would have taken you more seriously (as any reference to the Big Leboswki would receive high marks). Confucius says....Proof is an awful ironic way to make your point relating to atheism. Please show me "proof" that God does not exist. "No, Donny, these men are nihilists, there's nothing to be afraid of."

    • A person is an atheist not because there is proof god doesn't exist. A person is an atheist because there is no proof of god's existence. Rational people don't believe in Santa Claus because there is proof he doesn't exist. They don't believe in him because there is no proof to his existence. The burden of proof lays at your feet, not mine. The traditions of Santa Claus evolved because it made people feel good, much like the way traditions of Yahweh made people feel good that some celestial dictator was looking over or out for them. However, that doesn't make it real.


    • @Golden Rule? The Golden Rule--do unto others as you would have them unto you--does not require belief in a deity to understand or to practice. An agnostic or atheist can be just as moral, or more moral (or equally moral or immoral) as someone who believes in God. In fact, if you think about, an atheist who is moral does so for the sake of morality in and of itself, which is, it could be argued, more moral than someone who does it because s/he's afraid of going to Hell or of angering God. Just saying...

    • By the way, Magicfan32 is right...Gervais is talking about the golden rule of comedy. And, while I'm not sure this article is a laugh riot, it is really pretty interesting. I enjoyed it.

Add a Comment


About Speakeasy


    • Speakeasy on Twitter
    • Speakeasy on Facebook


Barbara Chai Barbara Chai
Jonathan Welsh Jonathan Welsh
Mike Ayers Mike Ayers
Robin Kawakami Robin Kawakami
Don Steinberg Don Steinberg
Kelly Crow Kelly Crow
Ben Fritz Ben Fritz
Stefanie Cohen Stefanie Cohen
Michael Calia Michael Calia
Erich Schwartzel Erich Schwartzel
John Jurgensen John Jurgensen
Anna Russell Anna Russell
Jennifer Maloney Jennifer Maloney
Joe Flint Joe Flint