ricky gervais just not funny

Yes, but as has been said it is true of the likes of Tony Hancock, Ken Williams, Sid James, Eddie Murphy, Jim carrey etc etc etc- ie most comic actors. Funny how people are selective in the responses to make their arguements fit. Or do you all think these guys are overrated and conning people too?
 
I believe it's just a trend to like everything he does, and if he was doing he's stand up as a unknown, most people would walk out.. as for extra's it only the guest starts that make the show funny, not Gervais.

It will pass... ok not as big a star but do we remember Don Jolly!!
 
Er, I wasn't talking about them, so not sure what your point is. Dangerous to generalise.

I was replying specifically to the accusation that RDN plays the same person over and over again...which didn't even have anything to do with comic acting/actors.
 
Yeah, but you know what thread your on right? Or was that the only post you read? The original point was that Gervais is not the only actor comic or otherwise who brings a persona to the screen or "plays himself all the time", with De Niro being used as an example
 
I agree with this. Although repetition is inevitable to some extent, these shows seem to celebrate it. I don't know if it was Harry Enfield who started the trend, but it quickly became boring. It's just not funny seeing the same characters with the same catchphrases over and over again IMO :rolleyes:

As for Gervais, I find him highly overrated; The Office was funny in parts, but he's become everyone's favourite guest star at the moment. I almost hope he does succeed in the USA ( although it's very unlikely ), just to get the berk off of British TV for a while :D
 
I think Extras and the Office were great (and I love the American Office too). I think his stand-up is generally pretty funny.

From what I've seen though he should keep well away from Hollywood films; it's not doing him any favours. Also, there seems to be a thin line between his provocative comedy persona and genuine arrogance, and if he crosses any more often it he's going to start losing public goodwill. Well, I guess that's already started happening in some people's eyes.
 
I can take or leave him personally.I thought Extra's was quality,and I'm not much of a fan of British comedy.I never watched The Office with any regularity and the clips I've seen of his stand up routine hardly split my sides.

But he really was pretty awful in that really awful film (as was Ben Stiller).Not his fault I suppose,but he is going to have to do something really special to convince me that he is the next comic legend as he is being made out to be.
 
Don't know if this was seen by people or not, but on his interview with Richard and Judy the other week, he said that he was fed up with all these stars coming out and saying 'Oh I'm ever so humble and normal' and he didn't want to go down that route, so decided to do the complete opposite as tongue in cheek. I don't think it is genuine arrogance.

Obviously this didn't come across very well, and people started slagging him off for this so called arrogant persona, so for some reason rather then stopping the fake arrogance he decided to continue it, just to annoy everyone, which I can see would p*ss some people off royally. If he displayed the side of him from the radio shows that he did/does, I'm sure the so called contempt towarRAB him would be somewhat less but all he does is show this fake arrogance which doesn't do him any favours at all, which tbh, even though i'm a huge fan, I am beginning to get sick of.
 
But the point is he devised and wrote (or co-wrote) that whole concept...which is rather innovative. And again his character in Extras is supposed to make you squirm rather than laugh.

For those saying he's not funny, perhaps they might at least accept that he's innovative.

You either 'get it' or you don't, really.
 
I think his objective is to polarise opinion though...which he's succeeded at. Those who recognise the talent acknowledge it and those who don't will continue to slate him mercilessly.

Job done.
 
Saying you don't like someone or something is fine. it's the vitriolic nature with which some people do it I don't understand. Also, the arrogance of people who suggest just because they don't find him funny means that he is definitively not funny and anyone who finRAB him so is being "conned" or we're blindly following a trend like schoolgirls with a boyband is just childish and stupid.
 
He already has, and I think this international success is part of the problem- it's the typical British syndrome of hating success and not being able to differentiate between them not liking someone personally and that person being sh*t.

Gervais has received public and critical acclaim as a writer and performer all over the world, especially in America. And his success was based a lot on word of mouth generated by The Office, it wasn't heavily publicised when it was first on but was still a massive hit, and he got attention for it in the U.S. despite it initially being on barely watched cable channel BBC America.

As for his Simpsons episode being crap- so has virtually every other episode for the past 10 years.
 
Exactly, there's threaRAB on practically every forum saying he's not funny, with the same half a dozen people saying he's a failure, or The Office was a failiure as a sitcom- when all the facts show it's a massive success.
 
it makes me laugh when poeple say "the office was a failure as a comedy" or other similar things, i think you'll find it wasn't a failure. I think a lot of it has to do with jealousy aswell, for some reason they cant hadle one of our own being a huge success not only here but, in the US aswell.
 
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