Tricky Ricky
The morning following the Golden Globes was the first time that the event was generally talked about since ever. In fact people are still talking about it. The reason everyone is talking about it is because of the host - Ricky Gervais. If you'll recall, and I'm sure you do, Ricky went in to the Beverly Hilton with a big assed pair of sun glasses and loaded for bear. He started his opening monologue with a crack at Charlie Sheen. He then went on to take a swipe at everyone in the room. By the time the ceremonies mid point rolled 'round the Rickster was absent, and rumors were swirling that he'd been fired mid show. Seems that Ricky tread on some pretty sensitive toes. in fact a comedic monologue didn't go down as bad with the targets since Homer Simpson sent up Mr. Burns at the old bastard's birthday bash.same non coverage, but not the same non event!
So that had everyone speculating about Gervais future in Hollywood. Except for the ones who didn't dare breath a word about it, like ET. They cover the usually bullshit like, are Brad and Angelina still in love, and wasn't Selena Gomez's dress pretty. It was ET's usual "Who lost the most weight" type of coverage.That's why ET has zero creditability. If the sound of Mary Hart's voice didn't trigger seizures in epileptic no one would pay any attention to the show.
most wanted but least liked
As for the rest of the world, they wanted to know whether or not Gervais was still alive and well, or whether a coalition of Scientologists, star whackers, and disgruntled celebrities had gotten together and bumped him off. Gervias himself put those rumors to rest with an outrageous post fall out public appearance - in which he showed off his own golden globes. here's a little peak at that for your viewing entertainment!
Remember me? I'm still here!
So Gervais is very much alive and unrepentantly outrageous. That still leaves the question open of just how much shit the poor man has gotten himself into. Officially he's very much in shit. The Hollywood Foreign Press Association, which sponsors the big to do, made released this statement shortly after the shit hit the fan:
"We loved the show. It was a lot of fun and obviously has a lot of people talking. When you hire a comedian like Ricky Gervais, one expects in your face, sometimes outrageous material. Certainly, in this case, he pushed the envelope and occasionally went too far. The HFPA would never condone some of his personal remarks. Overall, however, the show was among the best we've ever had and we were pleased."
Hollywood in a state of shit shock
Now that's kind of ambiguous. When ego's need stroking you have to be clearer. So a little later on President of the HFPA Phillip Berk said - "He definitely crossed the line. And some of the things were totally unacceptable. But that's Ricky." Like Ricky's gold boxer trunks, Berk wanted to leave nothing to the imagination. He did seem to hedge with the "But that's Ricky" ender. So later he went a little further, saying "I had absolutely no idea what Ricky was going to say so anything I heard was heard was the same time you heard it," Berk said. "When you hire Ricky Gervais, you expect the unexpected." The trouble with expecting the unexpected is that you can still get the shit shocked out of you!
non commentary in the echo chamber
That may have been the word from Berk's office but insiders were putting it even more emphatically. An unnamed member of HFPA, was quoted in HuffPo by way of Popeater (at least the Daily Beast can come up with original commentary - I'm just jumping on the bandwagon here because I don't actually read TheDailyBeast, or even HuffPo) said, and I quote: "Ricky will not be invited back to host the show next year, for sure," the HFPA member said. "For sure any movie he makes he can forget about getting nominated. He humiliated the organization last night and went too far with several celebrities whose representatives have already called to complain." So in other words a bunch of oversensitive celebrity cry babies got their surgically bobbed noses out of joint.
Being Frank
That raises another good question - are these stars so fucked up and full of themselves that they can't take a joke? Back in the old days of the Dean Martin Celebrity Roast that kind of routine was expected. Frank Sinatra had to sit through a bunch of B Listers and failed Vegas stand ups talking worse trash about him more than once, and Frank had a temper. However Don Rickles never did get knee capped. In fact he was back again and again and again to stick it to the Rat Pack (until his routine got so tired than many wished Frank would have him knee capped). The difference between Frank and the current crop of celebrity wannabes is that Frank could take it and laugh.
Remember when celebrities had the style to take a joke?
Entertainment Tonight - a dial tone in a digital universe
It brings up another point too. As said previously, this is the first time ever that regular people were talking about the Golden Globes the day after (and still the day after that) rather than tuning out the Entertainment Tonight blathering static - "How Demi Moore lost 15 pounds for awards night & what Oprah's eating!". It seems like the celebrity set are content to be completely irrelevant as long as they can go on being famous!
let's give them something to talk about
The catch there is that celebrities are raving ego maniacs (except for Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie. Jolie was in total bitch mode at the beginning of the evening, as she coiled next to Pitt with the usual look in her eyes that made you ask whether she was on drugs or completely possessed. After Gervais got into full swing camera pans showed Jolie loosening up, sitting up in her chair, and laughing mischievously. This even though she herself was the butt of some of the humour! Though Wondertrash has been no Jolie supported in the past, the official policy might have to change!). Raving egomaniac means 'not able to take anything remotely resembling criticism'. However it also means 'can't bear not being talked about'."me first" again - one way or another
Now, for the first time in a generation, real people are really talking about them. That's got to mean something. In fact I'm guess that Hollywood's "Me Generation" could even get used to that. So once reality sinks in - and good luck on anything like reality ever setting in anywhere near Hollywood - Gervais might get forgiven. Who knows, we might even being seeing him again a lot sooner than insiders would lead us to believe! Let's just say Gevais is the price celebrities pay for remaining relevant. Meanwhile we can always rely on ET to keep us abreast of Kim Kardashian's new boob implants!
