Gervais Talks About Portraying a Bigot in the Trump Years on Seth

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Ricky Gervais doesn’t normally dwell on politics in his stand up. He doesn’t like to take one side or the other. “If you rely on them agreeing with you, it loses something,” he said on Late Night Thursday night. Instead he likes to play the guy who does the wrong thing.

But Gervais discussed his squeamishness for playing a boarish bigot when it’s possible half the world might agree with you. However, getting some of those bigots’ attention for his 2017 “Humanity” tour was most likely the reason Gervais appeared on “Late Night With Seth Meyers”. Shock comedy or playing the devil’s advocate as a belligerent Archie Bunker-type gets far less fun when people start to genuinely side with you.

In a fairly earnest interview, the comedian discussed social media giving rise to it “being more important to be popular than right” and people perceiving that their “opinion is worth as much as your fact”. On the other hand, “before Twitter, I’d (Gervais) have to meet these maniacs”, and instead you can now mess with strangers from the comfort of home.

“Humanity” tours England extensively and will dip into the snake pit of boarishness, aka the continental USA with dates for performances in New York City and Los Angeles.

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Rachel Crowe

The most notable lies Rachel Crowe has ever told were that she has 10 children (no twins), she’s running a marathon retracing the path her ancestors took to evade the IRS and that she found childcare for 10 on a Saturday night. She’s also a stand-up comedian and dog walker living in Los Angeles. Follow Rachel on Twitter @Racheddar or on Instagram @thelma_and_disease. Or don’t, but at least appreciate those fresh hot puns.
Rachel Crowe
Rachel Crowe
The most notable lies Rachel Crowe has ever told were that she has 10 children (no twins), she’s running a marathon retracing the path her ancestors took to evade the IRS and that she found childcare for 10 on a Saturday night. She’s also a stand-up comedian and dog walker living in Los Angeles. Follow Rachel on Twitter @Racheddar or on Instagram @thelma_and_disease. Or don’t, but at least appreciate those fresh hot puns.