Oh Ricky you’re so fine

If you book Ricky Gervais, you get Ricky Gervais -and that’s what the Hollywood Foreign Press Association got yesterday when he hosted the Golden Globe Awards.

But now some of Hollywood is asking if they got a little more Ricky than they bargained for.

After all he let rip into all sorts of targets: Charlie Sheen, the HFPA, Scientologists -just as he threatened to do.

‘It’s going to be a night of partying and heavy drinking. Or as Charlie Sheen calls it – breakfast. Wow, so let’s get this straight, so what he did was, he picked up a porn star, paid her to have dinner with him, introduced her to his ex-wife – as you do – went to a hotel, got drunk, got naked, trashed the place while she was locked in a cupboard, and that was a Monday. What does he do New Year’s Eve?

‘Talking of the walking dead, congratulations to Hugh Hefner, who is getting married at age 84 to 24-year-old beauty Crystal Harris. When asked why she was marrying him, she said, “He lied about his age. I thought he was 94.” Calm down. Just don’t look at it when you touch it.’

‘It was a big year for 3D movies. Toy Story, Despicable Me, Tron,’ he said. ‘It seemed like everything this year was three-dimensional. Except the characters in The Tourist. I already feel bad about that joke. I tell you what, I’m jumping on the bandwagon, because I haven’t even seen The Tourist. Who has? But it must be good because it’s nominated, so shut up, OK? And I’d like to crush this ridiculous rumour that the only reason The Tourist was nominated was so that the foreign press of could hang out with Johnny Depp and Angelina Jolie. That was not the only reason; they also accepted bribes.’

‘I helped him off the toilet and popped his teeth in.’ (On Philip Berk, head of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association.)

Berk replied: “Ricky, the next time you want someone to qualify your movies, go to another guy.”

Gervais had already warned he was going to push the envelope just to ensure he was never asked to do the gig a third time.

But now those that aren’t fuming over his repartee (and even a few who are) are asking why he was barely visible during the second half. Many on Twitter suggested he had been fired backstage. Twitter trending topic freerickygervais was a hot during the show.

“Others have joked but I think it’s getting to the point where it may be true,” wrote Hollywood publicist Lewis Kay. “Did [the Hollywood Foreign Press Association] fire Gervais midway through the show?”

Eventually he returned, with much of his firepower already having exploded.

While many of the stars were possibly more understanding of his schtick (he even thanked them for being good sports), Scientologists and the HFPA may have been less enthused.

In this post-wardrobe malfunction age, it seems highly unlikely that his gags hadn’t already been checked by producers and network.

But the media is going into overdrive, debating whether it was funny or not.

“Mr Gervais’s jibes at the Hollywood Foreign Press Association divided the room,” claimed the New York Times. “It was Mr Gervais’s second chance to host the Golden Globes; he may not get a third.”

He would probably turn it down anyway.

UPDATE: Ricky responds: “There just happened to be a long gap. This is because I was allowed to choose who I would introduce in advance. I obviously chose presenters who I had the best jokes for. (And who I knew had a good sense of humor).”

Source: Guardian, Yahoo