Ricky Gervais Stands His Ground Over Golden Globes Performance
NEW YORK (CBS/AP) Ricky Gervais is answering back at critics and stars who thought his second Golden Globes hosting stint was too harsh.
"I enjoyed the Globes more this year. I think I had better gags. More along the lines of the Mel Gibson one last year," he wrote on his blog. He also rejected as "rubbish" the rumor that he was censored as the show progressed.
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The stars that were the butt of his jokes took it in stride, he added. "All the same conspiracy theories as last year too... 'So and so was offended'... 'hasn't been invited back yet'... exactly the same as last time. 'Paul McCartney was furious'...no he wasn't. And nor was Tim Allen and Tom Hanks. I was drinking with them after."
Still, he admitted verging on self-doubt in the face of criticism.
"Thanks to the twitterverse, the blogosphere, all the journos and the coolest stars for coming to my rescue," he wrote Tuesday. "It was heartwarming to realise I wasn't losing my mind. Some reactions nearly had me believing I'd gone too far too. Nearly."
The British comedian was brash, profane and cruelly funny at Sunday's awards show. His target included Bruce Willis, the stars of "Sex and the City" and Robert Downey Jr., who retorted onstage, jokingly or not, "Aside from the fact that it's been hugely mean-spirited, with mildly sinister undertones, I'd say the vibe of the show is pretty good so far, wouldn't you?"
One of the sharper jabs was at the Golden Globes' own expense: Gervais joked about a lawsuit by a former publicist for the Hollywood Foreign Press Association that alleges the group engages in payola schemes for nominations and awards.
The HFPA largely stood by its man, issuing the merest squeak of official displeasure over Gervais' material. The organization's president, Philip Berk, also told The Hollywood Reporter that Gervais was not warned about his performance or kept off-air during the broadcast.
"We loved the show. It was a lot of fun and obviously has a lot of people talking," the association said in a statement, noting that Gervais is expected to deliver "in your face, sometimes outrageous material. Certainly, in this case, he pushed the envelope and occasionally went too far."
But the group, which said "overall" it was pleased and called the show "among the best we've ever had," said it hadn't made a decision about whether Gervais would be invited back next year.