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Golden Globe Awards

Yippee, Ricky Gervais, known atheist, ended the Golden Globe Awards for 2010 by telling the audience both in the arena and at home, "Thank God I'm an atheist." (Yes, I know, a saying attributed to Luis Buñuel, but there is was, all the same.

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Permalink Reply by Hugh Kramer on January 17, 2011 at 5:50pm

My take on this:

Last night's Golden Globes ceremony in Hollywood will probably remembered less for the usual glitter and which celebrity's dress was the most revealing than it will for the acerbic humor of its host, Ricky Gervais. Amidst all the thank you's at the close of the 68th Annual Golden Globe Awards, he added one that wasn't expected: "...and thank you to God for making me an atheist."

The British comedian is known for his edgy humor but some critics are saying that this time he skated a little too close to the edge.

More here (including video).

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Permalink Reply by James M. Martin on January 17, 2011 at 6:43pm

I had a good laugh out of the jabs at Tom Cruise and John Travolta.

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Permalink Reply by Mike Lee on January 18, 2011 at 5:47pm

I didn't watch it, but caught his closing remarks and opening via youtube. And omfsm, he must be planning on a career change, 'cause he's not likely to star in any films made in Hollywood. Funny, though ^^;

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Permalink Reply by James M. Martin on January 18, 2011 at 6:01pm

Oh, I can't agree. There will always be a market for his bizarre humor, if the recent "The Invention of Lying" is any evidence. Only an atheist could have come up with the plot: everyone tells the truth as they see it; nobody lies, they don't even tell little white ones. So, somehow, this schmuck gets it into his head that he might try lying and see what it gets him. He finds that in a society that tells only the truth all the time a lie will get you everywhere, and with that he becomes a deity. There's more to it than that, but it is a work worthy of Chaplin during his sound film period.

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Permalink Reply by FreeThinker on January 19, 2011 at 7:55pm

A lot of theists were pissed about that movie because it wasn't billed as being so harsh towards religion in the trailer. Personally, I'd have to agree with them. The plot of the movie was very different from the impression given in the trailer. I thought it was funny, but could have been better.

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Permalink Reply by Mike Lee on January 20, 2011 at 7:30pm

hm, sounds like something I'll have to look up. Thanks for the recommendation. btw, it appears that Gervais has made it clear that he's not going to host any further Golden Globes. Not that I think any offers would be made, at least in the near future.

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Permalink Reply by James M. Martin on January 20, 2011 at 8:47pm

@Mike Lee: you seem to be under the mistaken impression Gervais is a persona non grata in Hollywood. He can go to New York and do stage work on Broadway. He can sit out and write novels. He can write screenplays right there on the West Coast. He can do just about anything even without offers to appear on silly award shows on TV, to which he made proper mockery just as they paid him to do. In fact, he could move to Switzerland and live on the money he's made and residuals from his TV productions once they get into syndication. Don't count Gervais out.