After Last Year’s Golden Globes, When Everyone Thought Gervais Wouldn’t Be Invited Back…
He was.
Especially, the people behind the Golden Globes, the Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA®), seemed unhappy with Ricky Gervais as their chosen host.
Yet they are having him back, as announced yesterday. Not only did Ricky Gervais bring valued high ratings, but he brought a kind of outspoken, almost shock-style. Gervais definitely showed off his comedic talent at last year’s show; he’s funny as can be.
My opinion on the Gervais re-hire is this: It reinforces the sea-change in TV, altogether. American television has changed so dramatically from what it used to be. From a bland, talentless medium; radically. TV series are now creative and often original; well-written, and well-acted. That’s very different than traditional TV had been, for a very long time.
Awards shows are intended to reach wide audiences. That usually meant that all content had to be deemed as ‘safe’. Ricky Gervais did not play his comedy hosting, at the Golden Globes, safe. Au contraire.
That his comedic style actually drew an exceptionally large audience, really knocks conventional TV decision-making on it’s head.
I hope that Ricky Gervais is funny this year, again. He was bordering close to almost pushing the shock for shock-effect, which can take the funny out. If he is able to keep the priority where it belongs, in and on the funny, and where identity/result comes second: i.e. humor over shock effect; then, there’s a good chance it’s going to be extremely enjoyable, especially for an Awards show. Simply, a freshly funny show.
I’m emotionally invested in progress. A strong proponent of this philosophy: ‘Out with the same-old, same-old. In with the new’; and I think TV is a creative American artform. As it can and should be. I’m hoping that Ricky Gervais, by nature of his performance, will affirm that creative originality is a good thing.
First draft 11:00 AM
